What is mediation and how does a session proceed?
Mediation is a voluntary, consensual process that uses a trained, neutral third party to facilitate the negotiation of disputes with the goal of reaching a binding settlement agreement. The mediator does not solve the problem or provide the solution. The job of the mediator is to create an atmosphere where the parties can work together creatively. The most important job of the mediator is to listen. Often, the observing non-speaking party sees reality through the eyes of the mediator as they watch the mediator listen to the other parties. When people begin to feel safe and understood, they often drop their defenses and begin to explore creative options that they never considered before. As these options emerge from their creative imagination, the process becomes a collaborative one and the parties begin to work together. Solutions emerge and conflicts are resolved. In some mediations the parties are situated in separate rooms, called caucuses. The mediator goes back and forth between t
