It seems I have always loved helping others, and this, from a very young age. I am known to have a knack for ‘active listening’ and the ability of bringing people together and fostering relationships based on trust and respect. I am approachable to all, no matter the gender, the nationality, the age or whatever else. People are people and I am passionate about their diversity.
What differentiates me from others in my field. Contrary to most colleagues, I did not choose mediation as a profession it chose me. Whatever the role, whatever the position I had, I was naturally sought-after in the role of counsellor, mediator, arbitrator and/or facilitator, whether personal or work related. The reasons for that are quite simple, I thrive on interaction while finding win-win solutions and it’s addictive. Everyone has a story to tell, and by truly listening, I continuously learn from their experiences, their successes and their failures, which is always a constant source of inspiration in resolving conflicts.
As mediators we are there to guide the process but we are also there to help parties truly listen to each other’s story in order to mutually explore the underlying issues, concerns and fears they have. No agreement is sustainable if the sources of frustration and aggravation have not been identified and resolved to a certain comfort level.
In addition to a high level of personal experience in conflict resolution I also have experienced first-hand, the emotional roller coaster of my own divorce. Going through it myself has certainly helped me to better understand the attendant feelings of confusion, mistrust, betrayal and anger that couples go through daily. The experience continues to teach me, that the ability to maintain civility in the face of divorce is an ongoing requirement if children are to grow up to become happy and healthy adults capable of entering into committed relationships themselves in the future.
My divorce agreement was far from “short and sweet” and yet it had no detailed parenting plan. Needless to say that this resulted over the years in many conflicts, disagreements and phone calls to our respective lawyers. This was a very expensive “venture” which could have paid for a Harvard education for our son!
It could have all been avoided had we both had the wisdom to take a deep breath, a step back, and educated ourselves a bit more on the benefits of mediation and the importance of having a good parenting plan. This is what I can offer you:
My plan covers everything from who keeps the Medicare cards to who takes the kids when they are sick, when they have PED days, who keeps the passport, who goes halloweening with them, who pays for their allowance, their extra curricular activities etc. There is very little, if anything I have not thought of while ensuring the best interest of the children in the process.
Please read my article on parenting plans and on the benefits of mediation and, if you are still on the fence about mediation, please contact me and I will gladly talk or meet you to show you how mediation is definitely the best solution to a peaceful resolution!
