Mediation is one of the greatest inventions since sliced bread, and probably even before, because it helps many lawsuits to settle, fairly and cost effectively.

Parties often start out viewing settlement negotiations as a "zero-sum game", to be won or lost by staking out their respective positions. That view is often ultimately self-defeating, so that any settlement, may leave each party with less than their perceived fair "half the pie".

Settlement does not have to be that way. Using"collaborative" mediation, I help the parties to focus beyond immediate positions, to work together and discover mutual, overlapping interests and mutual priorities that dovetail together. I can help the parties begin to "own" and create their own solution, as they begin to understand that they can create a "bigger pie" for everyone, so that each can meet more of their real interests.

Some mediators may favor one particular style over another, such as:

-Facilitative: listening, aiding perception, creating a new conversation;

I prefer to bring all these styles to the table, to use when and where needed, as the parties go through various stages throughout the mediation process. This means listening and responding with the style(s) that fit the parties’ dynamics as they transition through these stages in the process.