Formal Mediation

Essentially mediation is a supported conversation.

Your conversation is assisted by a neutral third person, called a mediator, who offers a safe space and facilitation to enable you to reach outcomes you have not yet been able to achieve.

The goal of mediation is resolve issues which you and the other person define as significant.

It is your conversation.  You and the other person in the mediation control the outcome.

Mediation is different to conciliation or arbitration: no one imposes a solution on anyone. Unless all the participants to the mediation agree on the result, the issue remains unresolved.

How is the NVC mediation model unique?

The major difference is that nvc mediation focuses first and foremost on reaching a high quality and new level of understanding between the parties.  As is often quoted – ‘you can’t solve a problem from the level of thinking that created it.’

After we gain a new level and quality of understanding between the two people, we usually find the people involved naturally shift to focus on strategies and solutions that will likely work for everyone involved.

Our experience is that this two step approach brings about:

• a more functional positive basis for any future relationship and interactions
• outcomes achieved are more sustainable and lasting.
• in the event an outcome is not agreed, people involved generally have greater clarity and goodwill for each other and can either live more easily with the lack of agreement and/ or appreciate the needs behind any further action.

What is involved?

Each person in the mediation has a private and confidential pre-mediation session with the mediator(s) usually 1 – 2 hours in length.  In this we all get clear about your issues, the process, possible hiccups and what it is you really want to achieve through the mediation process.

You then attend (usually 1 – 3) mediation sessions together with the mediator(s) and the other person/ people involved.  Each session is approximately 3 hours duration.

In each session we are surfacing each person’s primary concerns and gaining understanding by the other person at this level.  Ultimately we reach a point where we are collaboratively identifying strategies that encompass what is important to both people (often quite different to what was initially expressed).

We ‘reality test’ the strategies developed and ‘road test’ them addressing possible breakdowns and putting into place supporting agreements that will help get back on track.

Who benefits from our mediation services?

• Management and staff in the workplace where relationship has broken down.
• Parents post separation or divorce, regarding child rearing/ care and settlement
• People considering court proceedings – we can arrange co-mediation which combines NVC Mediation with a Solicitor and Mediator, who is bringing Evaluative Mediation.  In this arrangement mediation also includes relevant legal context and information.
• Inter-generational family members with unresolved tension or conflict.

Further information

Please call Linda Rysenbry 02 9940 0880 (Australia) to enquire about availability, fees and have your questions answered.