A brother sued his sister over the accounting of assets when the sister held the power of attorney for their mother as her health was failing. After a four-hour mediation, the case was settled and the siblings were on speaking terms again. Sound familiar?  Similar situation in your family?  Mediation is more frequently being used…

NEWSLETTER EDITION: FEBRUARY 2017 This month I’m delighted to feature a guest article by my colleague and friend Gloria K. Vanderhorst, Ph.D.  I asked Gloria to write a piece about what happens in our brains when we experience conflict. Your Brain on Conflict You are heading for a mediation session about a workplace issue and…

The holidays are approaching, and many of us encounter some level of anxiety during these two months. Family conflicts occur because typically your family knows which buttons to push and which topics to broach to cause an argument. Nearly every family has at least one person who likes to stir the pot in this way….

It is natural for people to get defensive when they are in conflict. In this post, I’d like to suggest some other approaches that are more beneficial and may produce a better outcome. Rather than engaging in defensive communication, try the following: stay centered, breathe deeply, stay positive, listen to what the other person is…

Since training is one of the hats I wear, I frequently get calls from people who say, “Do you offer training to become a certified mediator?” or “Do you offer mediator certification training?”  I explain that I offer mediation training and upon completion attendees receive a certificate of attendance.  This does not mean you are…

Alternative or appropriate dispute resolution (ADR) has become a big part of the legal and business landscape in the past thirty years.  With the advent of technology and the exponential growth of international commercial transactions, dispute resolution and the legal system will need to continue to evolve and a series of national and international conferences…