Mediation & Conflict Resolution Services

Conflict can become difficult to navigate when emotions are high, communication breaks down, important decisions have to be made, or the same patterns keep repeating. Conflict Communication & Mediation provides structured, grounded support for slowing things down, understanding what is actually happening, and determining what may create a more workable path forward.

These services can support individuals, families, co-parents, workplace participants, and others dealing with strained communication, ongoing disagreement, difficult decisions, or unresolved tension. Conflict Communication Support can be used individually when you need help preparing, reflecting, or deciding how you want to respond. Mediation is a separate neutral process that requires the voluntary participation of two or more parties.

Which Service May Fit

Conflict Communication Support

Conflict Communication Support may be the better fit when you are participating individually, preparing for a difficult conversation, deciding whether or how to communicate, clarifying boundaries or expectations, trying to understand a conversation that already happened, or dealing with a situation in which the other person is not participating.

You may not need formal mediation. Sometimes what is needed is room to think through what you want to communicate, what matters most, what patterns are showing up, what is within your control, and how to respond without abandoning your own needs or escalating the situation.

Support may involve preparing for a difficult conversation, communicating or maintaining a boundary, dealing with repeated misunderstandings, navigating family or co-parenting tension, working through workplace conflict, deciding whether a conversation is necessary, responding to communication breakdowns, or separating facts, assumptions, emotions, and expectations.

The goal is not to give you a script that ignores your personality, values, or circumstances. The goal is to help you understand the situation more clearly, identify what matters to you, consider the possible consequences of different approaches, and choose a way of communicating that fits your own reality.

What Communication Support May Include

Depending on the situation, we may work through the purpose of the conversation, needs and concerns, boundaries, recurring communication patterns, language for difficult topics, timing and setting, possible responses or outcomes, and what is or is not within your control. We may also review a conversation after it happens or consider whether direct communication, written communication, mediation, distance, or no further communication is the more appropriate choice.

The other person does not need to participate. You can use this space to prepare, reflect, and make decisions on your own. Because mediation requires neutrality, providing individual Conflict Communication Support to one person in a specific dispute may prevent me from later serving as the neutral mediator in that same matter.

Conflict Communication Support Rate

60-minute session — $95

Additional time may be available and is billed in 30-minute increments at $50 per increment.

Mediation

Mediation is a structured process in which a neutral mediator helps participants identify concerns, clarify issues, communicate more effectively, explore options, and determine whether a workable agreement is possible. As the mediator, I do not decide who is right, impose an outcome, provide legal advice, or force anyone to reach an agreement. My role is to manage the process, help clarify what needs to be addressed, and create enough structure for participants to make their own informed decisions.

Mediation may be appropriate for family disagreements, co-parenting concerns, communication between separated or divorced parents, civil disputes, workplace conflict, interpersonal disputes, caregiving or family decision-making, responsibilities and expectations, conflicts involving ongoing relationships, and other situations in which informal conversations have not been productive.

The issues discussed depend on the people and circumstances involved. Mediation may address communication expectations, parenting schedules, co-parenting responsibilities, family roles and boundaries, caregiving decisions, property or practical arrangements, workplace responsibilities, ongoing interpersonal concerns, future communication, or other issues identified by the participants.

Mediation does not require reconciliation, forgiveness, continued closeness, or agreement on every issue. Participants remain responsible for deciding what they will or will not agree to.

Mediation Rates

Focused Mediation

Up to 2 hours — $200 per party

Best suited for narrow, clearly identified issues or follow-up matters.

Half-Day Mediation

Up to 4 hours — $400 per party

Appropriate for matters involving several issues or more sustained discussion.

Extended Mediation

Up to 6 hours — $600 per party

Designed for more complex matters requiring additional time for discussion, negotiation, or separate sessions.

Full-Day Mediation

Up to 8 hours — $800 per party

Best suited for complex, high-conflict, or multi-issue matters.

Additional Time

$50 per hour, per party

Additional time is subject to availability and agreement by the participants.

Mediation fees are generally divided among the parties unless another arrangement is approved in advance. A party may include an individual or an aligned group represented by the same attorney. The number of parties and applicable fees will be confirmed before mediation is scheduled. The two-hour option is intended for focused or limited issues, while more complex family, civil, co-parenting, CPS-related, or multi-participant matters may require a longer session.

My Approach to Mediation

My approach to mediation is grounded in steadiness, clarity, respect, neutrality, and informed choice. Conflict rarely exists in only one part of a situation. Communication, relationships, stress, expectations, history, environment, competing needs, fear, grief, and different understandings of what happened can all affect the way people experience the same conflict.

I create a structured process that allows difficult conversations to slow down enough for the central issues to become clearer while still keeping practical decisions in view. My role is not to control the outcome or pressure anyone to settle. I manage the process, support clearer communication, help identify the issues that need attention, and assist participants in considering possible options while respecting their right to make their own decisions.

I also pay attention to whether participants understand what is being discussed and are able to participate meaningfully. When appropriate, mediation may include private meetings, breaks, plain-language clarification, or other adjustments that support participation without taking decision-making authority away from the people involved.

The purpose is not to create a perfect conversation or eliminate disagreement. It is to create enough structure, clarity, and communication for participants to understand their options and determine whether they can reach a resolution they understand and choose.

Safety, Power, and Participation

Not every conflict should be handled through direct conversation or mediation. Safety, voluntariness, and meaningful participation matter. A screening process may be used when necessary to determine whether mediation is appropriate and whether changes to the process are needed because of safety concerns, coercion, intimidation, power differences, or other circumstances affecting a participant's ability to participate freely.

Participants may begin together and later move into separate conversations when appropriate. No one will be pressured to disclose information, reconcile, continue a relationship, or accept an agreement they do not understand or choose.

Before Mediation

Before mediation is scheduled, there may be an initial inquiry, separate intake or screening conversations, confirmation that the matter is appropriate for mediation, identification of the participants and issues, selection of the appropriate session length, and review of payment and scheduling requirements. We may also discuss attorney, advocate, interpreter, or support-person participation, online or in-person arrangements, and any documents that may be needed for the process.

Scheduling is confirmed after the required intake steps are completed and payment requirements have been met. Full payment is generally required before the scheduled mediation date unless another arrangement has been approved in writing.

When legal rights, court orders, enforceability, or other legal consequences are involved, participants are encouraged to consult an attorney for legal advice. Mediation supports the decision-making process but does not replace independent legal advice when it is needed.

Moving Forward

You do not need to have every issue fully defined before reaching out. The first step is determining what is happening, whether individual Conflict Communication Support or Mediation is the better fit, what level of structure may be useful, and whether the situation can be handled safely and voluntarily. The goal is not to force resolution. The goal is to create enough clarity, structure, and space for informed decisions and a more workable path forward.