On February 18, 2022 I interviewed via Zoom Tara West, a conflict coach and certified transformative mediator, with a background in law and psychology.

She is the author…

The latest blog entry explains why transformative mediation sessions are different from online conversations. Read it here.

Differences matter to us.  Mediators should not try to push past those differences.  Read the blog here:

Humans like to give gifts to each other.  Why is that tendency assumed to be out of the question, once conflict arises.  What if we can get back to being our normal, generous selves, even toward the person we've been fighting with?  Read the blog here.

The election of Donald Trump raises important questions.  What does transformative theory say about how we should respond?  Read the blog here.

November 22nd 2 hours 1 PM Buenos Aires online with Joseph Folger in English with Spanish translation.

Information in :

https://folger-mediacion-transformativa.eventbrite.com.ar…

There's a lot of ugly conflict on the internet. Wikipedia knows how to handle conflict constructively.  Read the blog about it here.

In the latest blog entry, which you can read here,  I discuss how miscommunication happens once the destructive conflict cycle has started. That's why transformative mediation is so powerful.  It can help clear up communication in the midst of conflict.

Many mediators believe it's helpful to set ground rules for their sessions.  One of the most popular rules is "no name-calling".  That's a mistake. Read the blog here.

The expression "trust the process" comes up a lot.  But what process are we talking about?  In this blog, I distinguish between the process that can be trusted, and the procedures that are used as manipulative tactics.  You can read the blog here.

’m just back from attending the 2016 international conference on transformative practice held in Dayton, Ohio, sponsored by the Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation, and hosted, planned, organized, and managed by the Dayton Mediation Center. It’s been eight years since I attended a transformative mediation conference. In the intervening period,…

Strength and compassion are universal human values. The transformative theory of conflict assumes that our capacity to live up to those values is diminished during conflict's worst moments.  The reason Prince was so beloved was his embodiment of those values. Read the blog here.

It's hard to believe, but legal culture still believes the best strategy is to defend and deny.  So apparently it's newsworthy that hospitals save money when doctors apologize for their mistakes.  Read the blog here.

I think so.  I think studying transformative mediation at least teaches you how to behave wisely.  Read the blog here. 

It's outrageous that "evaluative mediation" is still called mediation, isn't it?  Here's a blog about 5 of the fundamental problems with it.

Public awareness of mediation as an option for divorce has grown in recent years.  Unfortunately, as awareness has grown, mediation practices have become more legalistic and less about party self-determination.  Read the blog here.

(First published on my blog at mediationinottawa.ca)

Geoff Sharp of New Zealand has pointed me to a very well-made short film, The Mediator, that has been shown in a number of American regional film festivals. In the post on Geoff's mediation firm's blog, the writer states, "it's so good you could even chalk it up to CPD [continuing professional…

The transformative theory of conflict informs not only my mediation but the way I interact with everyone.  You can read the article here.

In Atul Gawande's latest book, Being Mortal, he bemoans the over-medicalization of death.  We who help with conflict can learn something from him. Read the blog here.

Read all about the upcoming transformative mediation conference in Dayton, OH.  It's the first time since 2008 that such a conference has happened in the USA.  Read about it here.