
342: Discovering Your Communication Type with Jason VanRuler
From Crystal Paine Show by Crystal Paine
April 14, 2026 · 30 min · Episode 342
About this episode
Crystal Paine interviews Jason VanRuler about communication styles and their impact on relationships and parenting.
I am truly so excited for this episode because, honestly, it felt like a little therapy session for me, and I really hope that it gives you some aha moments too! I am talking with Jason VanRuler about his book Discovering Your Communication Type: The Five Paths to Deeper Connections and Stronger Relationships , and right from the start as I read it, I was hooked. I could see how the insights would help me with my husband, my kids, and my friendships because it’s practical, relatable, and so surprisingly accessible - like someone finally saying, “Here’s how this actually works,” without all the jargon! Jason walks us through the five communication styles that make up his PATHS model - Peacemaker, Advocate, Thinker, Harbor, and Spark - and he explains how our words are driven by different motivations: maintaining peace, standing up for what’s right, being logically correct, protecting feelings, or bringing energy and momentum. He and I get into how knowing your style (as well as the styles of those around you) can truly change your conversations, especially when conflict or stress shows up. I had one of those aha moments when I realized that I have been showing up in relationships…
People in this episode
Host: Crystal Paine
Guest: Jason VanRuler
Topics covered
- communication styles
- relationships
- parenting
- self-care
- conflict resolution
Keywords
- communication type
- PATHS model
- relationships
- parenting
- conflict
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Discovering Your Communication Type: The Five Paths to Deeper Connections and Stronger Relationships
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