In our opinion, mediation can be beneficial any time you find that you are having difficulty making progress with an important issue or decision.

We believe that mediation can be a resource for crisis prevention – that is, when used early mediation can help you avoid the tensions and escalations that make communications more difficult and negatively impact your family and your relationships.  Reacting to conflict that has already escalated can be more difficult than addressing it earlier, before people become entrenched in their views.

Our goal is to provide mediation as a tool to keep families and business relationships on track – and to help them restore alignment when they find themselves struggling to communicate on important issues.

In other words, we see the potential for mediation as more than a reactive process, but one that is preventive and that can be restorative.  It’s what we mean when we refer to “Family and Business Wellness.”

Mediation is a self-directed process based on maintaining your autonomy and control over your situation.  That is, you are always the decision-maker and you always have a voice.

For family conflicts, mediation can provide a much-needed space for everyone to get their issues on the table, and then with the assistance of the mediator step-back and have a different, constructive conversation about them.

It can transform the conversation from one that is adversarial (I win, or you win) to one that is more collaborative (how can we each get the most of what we need).

Unlike more “formal” proceedings like litigation or arbitration, for example, where decisions are made by a neutral third party who renders a judgment that is binding upon you, in mediation you work directly to develop solutions that you are comfortable agreeing upon.

In the context of divorce, for example, mediation is usually a less expensive process than the formal court and attorney driven alternatives.  For example, much of the procedures involved in contentious divorces (motions, briefs, declarations, depositions, arguments, and formal appearances in court, etc.) are streamlined if not avoided entirely by mediation.  The agreed upon results of a divorce mediation can be translated by the parties’ counsel into documents submitted to the courts.

Mediators are not providing therapy or counseling in mediation.  In our practice, we refer to mediation as “Tactical Problem Solving”.

Mediation can be a valuable adjunct and complement to counseling, since our focus as mediators is on providing a process that allows participant to identify, define and address, in a focused way, the points where they get "stuck" on important issues.

Where counseling and therapy generally is relationship focused, mediation is more directed at the conflict and the communications that you are struggling with on your own.

Indeed, we have relationships with therapists and counselors where we as a practice make our services available as a resource to them and to their clients for addressing specific conflicts that can be targeted in mediation more efficiently.

While mediation can be a powerful and effective process to help with difficult conversations, decisions and issues, it isn’t the right solution for everyone.

Our intention is to provide a process for a safe and more productive conversation between the participants.

“Safety” in this sense includes both physical and emotional safety. If either of those goals cannot be met, or if any of the participants to a mediation are either unable or unwilling to stay within those bounds, then mediation is likely not right for them.

Central to our role as mediators is maintaining open lines of communication throughout the process. We conduct a screening discussion before undertaking parent or family mediations. It is important that anyone considering mediating with us feel comfortable being candid about their situation so that we can explore with them whether mediation may be appropriate for their specific circumstance.

If at any time during the mediation process safety becomes a concern for any of the participants, it is important that the issue be raised with the mediators without delay. Remember, mediation is a voluntary process – no one should feel they have to engage or continue in a process in which they feel unsafe.

Likewise, if the mediators conclude at any point that mediation is not -- or is no longer -- suitable, we will raise that with you and we may end the mediation.