Got conflict? Mediation is the opportunity for parties to resolve their conflict with the help of an impartial third party. I don’t have the answers – you do. There are several ways to do mediation – face-to-face (around the table together or I go back and forth between parties in separate rooms), by telephone, and by email. Though most of us try to avoid conflict at all costs, conflict is a normal and expected part of life. I help you communicate safely so you can resolve your own conflict. You will have the opportunity to tell your story, to listen to the other party tell his/her story, and then to find common ground by changing your “positions” into “interests.” It may be that you both want the same things, but just got stuck in a win/lose way of looking at them. The goal is to develop a written agreement that will move you towards peaceful interactions and minimize future conflicts. Mediation is not counseling, but may be an appropriate alternative when conflict arises between teens and their parents, within the extended family, between friends, at church, or in the workplace.

In addition to my private practice, I am also a domestic relations panel mediator in the Sixth Judicial District (Umatilla/Morrow Counties). If you have a court action involving custody and/or parenting time of your children, you can request me through your attorney or by calling Mediation Services at 541-278-6290 or 541-278-6288.

I have mediated over 500 cases since 1999 (domestic relations, dependency, family issues, open adoption, special education, work place, and medical issues). My initial training was in the transformative model of mediation, a model that emphasizes interactions, communication, and understanding perspectives. I continually improve my mediation skills and knowledge through continuing education. Additional mediation related training includes Domestic Relations, Advanced Family, Spousal Abuse Risk Assessment, Dependency, Victim/Offender, High Conflict Parent Divorce Education, and Faith-based. I am a member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts and the Oregon Mediation Association.