Conceptual Framework

Conflict Relocation

Where does conflict go when the conversation ends?

01Visible disagreement

02Monitoring

03Restraint

04Rumination

05Accumulated cost

Teaching-edition visual

The iceberg reveals the hidden layer.

Above the water

Disagreement, tension, difficult conversations.

Below the water

Monitoring, restraint, rumination, emotional labor, accumulated cost.

This visual is retained from Where Belonging Meets the Body. The current model uses a living-system view, where relational conditions gather in roots that can be noticed and tended.

Plain language

What this framework helps us see

Conflict may leave the original interaction while continuing somewhere else in a person, relationship, or system. The concept invites examination; it does not claim that conflict causes illness.

A recognizable moment

A procedural decision closes the issue, but participation becomes more guarded afterward.

Related part of the Model: Part V · Moving from Conflict to Connection
Related research: Explore the research note
Version: 1.1 · Updated October 2026