I've written about this topic before: the extraordinary ability of children to "accept" others first, and ask questions later. But, this past weekend, I saw it again and just had to write about my amazement.

As some of you may know, my mother-in-law is still in skilled nursing care, unable to move anything but her face. She is getting better at talking, and that is a blessing, but it's always difficult to see this once vibrant woman figuratively shackled to a bed. However, the…

Today is Memorial Day and I would like to honor all of our veterans who have died in service to our country. The sacrifices that you and your families made so that my family and I can live in peace is so appreciated. Thank-you!

Which brings me to a story about the military which I would like to share on this important day.

I was talking to a candidate for political office about a month ago – he served in the Navy but then also as civilian…

After all this time providing therapy and facilitating mediations, a few things still surprise me. Chief among them is the difficulty for so many to simply say: I’m sorry.

I bring this up today because, this morning, a client texted me asking–if I say I’m sorry, I am weak?…

I am not writing this blog post to detract from debate clubs all over the country that are fostering this age-old form of “arguing” the right and wrongs of ideas, concepts, policies and more.

The word “debate” is often identified with terms like “heated” which speaks to me about escalated feelings and being…

http://www.theolivebranchblog.com/2014/05/15/the-therapist-gets-schooled/

I just love when I get learning tips when I least expect it. We had a guest observing our mediation class last month and during a break she shared this gift with me ... WAIT.

Do any of you know what it stands for?

WAIT = Why Am I Talking?

What a great question ... the kind you should ask yourself often. It's so simple and yet so…

http://www.theolivebranchblog.com/2014/05/08/im-hangry/

Communicating with your children can be a real challenging. Does it feel more like "kommunication?"

What got me thinking about this was an article I read last week about how to get your kids to talk. The columnist was on the right track with her suggestion to ask them questions ... but if she had taken our mediation class, she would have thought of even better…

"Work-Life Balance" is quite the buzz phrase in psychology. In fact, the private practice where I'm employed specializes in helping people gain that balance.

It may be important, but it can also be elusive. In my experience mediating divorces, I find the lack of work-life balance can lead many couples toward infidelity and, ultimately, divorce.

Just last week, an article was…

How many people does it take to have a conflict?

That's one of the questions we ask in our Beginning Mediation and Conflict Resolution class. Often students respond with "two," but the answer in fact is only "one."

When one person decides that things are not OK and seeks change ... that's when the spark of conflict is ignited. If the other person is fine with it, then the conflict goes away and they move on. But if the other person doesn't agree to the change, then there's more…

So, many of you know that I just started a new job as a Marriage and Family Therapist with a private practice, and I could name off a million reasons why I chose to accept the position.

But, one reason was this: The company offers pre- and post-baby counseling for couples, something I always thought is sorely needed.

In fact, after I visited my Sister, her husband, and my newborn…

Have you ever sat in a meeting and thought to yourself ... I don't really know anything about these people beyond their name and role in whatever project or issue that brought us together?

So what triggered this random idea for today's blog?

Well, I had the chance to drive a colleague to the airport in Las Vegas last week. We got stuck in traffic and so we had more time than usual for conversation. Even though we have been working together for almost a year, I really don't know…

I have the utmost respect for those in the customer service industry. Seriously. They have to deal with cranky callers all the time, and I include myself among them.The other day, I was especially geared up for a fight when I called the customer service number for the I-Pass (the toll agency here in Illinois). I had received a letter in the mail stating that I had not paid two tolls, which I KNOW I did because I had the bank statement to prove it. And, boy, was I gonna let that customer…

I'm not one to follow the lives of movie stars and famous people ... but when I saw a picture of Gwyneth Paltrow with an online article entitled "Is 'Conscious Uncoupling' a Better Way to Divorce?", the mediator in my just had to click and read.…

As I was reading my AAMFT magazine the other day (it's one of my favorite magazines), I read an article on Faith-Based Therapy, something that's really started to catch-on in the therapy world.In essence, Faith-Based therapy is when a therapist and client use spirituality as the underlying premise for therapy. For example, a Christian therapist and client may look at healing through spiritual means or call upon the principles held by Jesus as a way to navigate the therapy process.…

Dear Farmer Brown:

The barn is very cold at night. We'd like electric blankets.

Sincerely.

The Cows.

This is what happens when a bunch of cows find an old typewriter in their barn - they write a grievance letter to direct Farmer Brown's attention to their living conditions.

"No way" says Farmer…

I, along with most of the world, am fascinated with the missing jet, MH 370. With all the technology, GPS capabilities, and radar, it still took weeks for authorities to find debris from the jet--another reminder that the world is much, much bigger than we think.

In the midst of the search, hundreds of families seem to be getting angrier by the day, wondering if the airlines are being forthright and honest with them regarding their missing loved ones.…

It's so interesting. When I start a mediation, I often ask parties to visualize the future - asking them to think beyond their conflict and imagine what things could be like.

They tell me wonderful things like how it would feel to get beyond where they are, what they want for their children, how they want to save money by avoiding long, drawn out legal battles and much more.

Then, we start the mediation and I am sometimes amazed at how quickly they forget what they have said.…

I just read a really interesting article about mediation "styles." You know the ones: facilitative, evaluative, and transformative.

Me? I was trained in facilitative mediation, but have always wondered about the others because, frankly, I've never been one to stick to one "theory" or "style." I prefer to mix-and-match theories, in mediation and in therapy--but, I always worry doing so will make me appear sloppy and incompetent.…

I don't get to watch the news much anymore ... but when I saw this story I just had to write about it.

The Buddy Bench is a wonderful program that schools all across the country are embracing and kids are part of the driving force in making it happen.

How does it work?

When a child feels alone or excluded…