"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph."
All mediation involves conflict. However, some situations push far beyond ordinary levels of hostility. For those conflicts, additional training in an advanced set of skills for managing and redirecting conversations is helpful.
High conflict mediations can involve a number of challenging components, including explosive personalities, confrontational conflict styles, the potential for threats, significant power imbalances, or even a history of physical violence. Some of the skills and techniques used to manage these cases include:
• A more highly structured process
• Less emphasis on the past and a greater focus on the future
• A greater emphasis on practical problem solving
• Fewer discussions regarding relationships and emotions between the parties
• Careful management of party communications, including. The greater use of techniques like caucus
These changes not only increase the productivity of the conflict that parties engage in, but also help to ensure the mental, emotional, and physical safety of all parties involved. The process can be made even more productive through the addition of associated services, such as pre-conflict coaching, therapy, and careful management of communication between the parties outside of sessions. New and existing practitioners can become competent in this particular service through training and apprenticeship with Duke Fisher.