Mediation Matters

Conflict- a fight, battle or war. How often do we find ourselves in conflict? Before becoming a Certified Mediator 3 years ago, I thrived on conflict. Professionally, it made me more efficient, effective and successful. Personally, it made me tougher and stronger. Our society also loves conflict. Pushed on us everyday in the news and TV, we embrace and enjoy a culture of people in conflict. Reality TV is growing more popular by the day and expanding its scope and reach to every aspect of our lives. Watching someone else in conflict somehow makes us feel a little better about our own lives.

When I decided to leave my professional career as a Healthcare Administrator and become a Certified Mediator, my family and friends laughed at me. I think the token response was, "You are going to do what?". What I learned in my quest for a professional change was that my fascination of conflict was the very thing that made me want to become a Mediator.

Mediation is the professional practice of mediating-the intervention between conflicting parties to promote reconciliation, settlement, or compromise. 

The process of becoming a Certified Mediator in most states is actually quite simple, however, the practice of Mediation is much more complex. Mediating is a skill that develops more and more with experience and practice no matter what the arena- community, family, civil or criminal. Certified to practice Mediation in New York and Florida, I can share through my experience that conflict, no matter what the issue, is extremely personal. Most people deal with conflict in very different ways and manners, however, most people share a common factor-the need to be heard. My job as a Mediator is to help facilitate a process in which people hear one another. To communicate in a safe environment how they feel about what is happening. It is in my experience that when people feel heard, not necessarily understood, they are able to move forward to resolution or compromise.

I Mediate matters because Mediation matters.