Facilitative mediation is a type of alternative dispute resolution which is non-adjudicative, meaning that the mediator is not judging anything. It is also non-advisory, meaning that the mediator is not advising the participants, on the law or otherwise.

I will use my skills and experience in litigation and in business to support you in arriving at an agreement.

Since the main alternative to mediation may well be carrying on the dispute all the way to court, I believe that mediation is the most sensible primary step to take, given the expense and heartache which a court case inevitably entails.

So if the mediator isn’t adjudicating or advising, what are they doing? I am facilitating the resolution of the dispute by enabling you to have the best conversation you possibly can so that the best path becomes clear.

Transformative Mediation takes a conflict and uses it as an opportunity for the participants to become their higher selves. It makes your self determination its priority in the belief that you have what it takes to reach the best possible outcome for you. This means that as mediator, I support each participant equally in having agency throughout the process and in making their own choices.

This is a goal in itself, the idea being that when a participant feels truly heard and fully in their own power, clear on their choices, they will grow as people. And once they are in their power, they will be in a position to turn towards (‘respond to’) the other participant, knowing that empathy does not necessarily mean agreement.

This powerful combination of self determination and responsiveness lifts us as humans and provides fertile ground for the parties to move forward with confidence in the right way for them, leading to more authentic and longer lasting agreements.

I will be led by you because mediation is your choice and your process. I am here to support you in whatever choices you make, be they as to how the mediation is structured or what happens during the mediation. 

Having said that, my overall approach is human-centric. It does not shy away from emotion, rather it welcomes it, as I believe that emotion lies at the heart of every dispute be it ‘personal’ or ‘business’.

I also believe that you know the ins and outs of your issues far better than I ever will, so it is not my place to suggest, direct or nudge you in any particular direction, but rather to use my skills to enable you to make the right choices for you.

Before the mediation, I would speak with each participant about the process and their preferences. 

What I don’t do: read legal bundles in detail; shuttle negotiation; advising; nudging; time pressure.