When we are in conflict with another person or the dynamics between us seem to be leaning towards one developing, some of us have a tendency to begin to find fault with the other person. We may say to ourselves or others that she or he is “getting on our nerves”. We may attribute negative motives to her or him. We may stay away from this person or show the emotions we are experiencing in various ways. One of the expressions some people use to describe people who are annoying us and to whom…

Why is there so much unresolved and destructive conflict? Why is it so hard for you to come to the table to talk about the conflict you have with someone? Karmit Bulman, Executive Director, The Conflict Resolution Center in Minnesota and the author of The Conflict Resolution Process: A Consultant's Handbook will help us understand what happens to us in our brains…

Retired Magistrate Judge Arlander Keys Joins JAMS in Chicago

June 3, 2014

CHICAGO – JAMS, the largest private provider of mediation and arbitration services worldwide, today announced the addition of Hon. Arlander Keys (Ret.) to its panel. Judge Keys will be based in the JAMS Chicago Resolution Center and serve as an arbitrator, mediator and special master in a variety of disputes including Civil Rights, Employment, Insurance, Intellectual…

Building conflict resolution skills for children .... that's one of my favorite things to blog about.

Last October, my colleague, Dr. Bob Quilitch, a Reno psychologist, suggested that I write about Teen Timer Talks, a technique he uses for with teenage girls to structure how they have conversation with each other when in conflict.

'Deciding Games' is…

"What's Happening in Conflict Resolution" is a weekly round up of the all the ADR news, jobs, events and more. Check it out each week and view past versions [HERE].……

Our latest blog entry, which you can read here, observes how tempting it can be for a mediator to give advice to certain clients.  But should we?  

I've written about this topic before: the extraordinary ability of children to "accept" others first, and ask questions later. But, this past weekend, I saw it again and just had to write about my amazement.

As some of you may know, my mother-in-law is still in skilled nursing care, unable to move anything but her face. She is getting better at talking, and that is a blessing, but it's always difficult to see this once vibrant woman figuratively shackled to a bed. However, the…

Have you ever heard this idiom – ‘you could cut the air with a knife’? Generally-speaking, it is a term that describes a tense situation between people and, at times, there is a sense of foreboding that something unpleasant is about to happen. When I looked up the derivation I did not find a lot to draw from. However, here is one commentator’s attempt at a physiological explanation:

“I suggest…

Andy Friend, a member of the core team of the San Antonio Peace Center will share the work of the Peace Center , as well as insights around the tool of Compassionate Communication. He will also share some tips and strategies for approaching conflicts from a compassionate perspective, for the month of compassion! He will also…

"What's Happening in Conflict Resolution" is a weekly round up of the all the ADR news, jobs, events and more. Check it out each week and view past versions [HERE].…

Today is Memorial Day and I would like to honor all of our veterans who have died in service to our country. The sacrifices that you and your families made so that my family and I can live in peace is so appreciated. Thank-you!

Which brings me to a story about the military which I would like to share on this important day.

I was talking to a candidate for political office about a month ago – he served in the Navy but then also as civilian…

The National Self-Represented Litigants Project (NSRLP) builds on the National Self-Represented Litigants (SRL’s) Research Study conducted by Dr. Julie Macfarlane from 2011-2013.

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Announcing “Coping with the Courtroom: Essential Information and Tips for SRLs” , written by Hannah Bahmanpour and Julie Macfarlane for the NSRLP.

After all this time providing therapy and facilitating mediations, a few things still surprise me. Chief among them is the difficulty for so many to simply say: I’m sorry.

I bring this up today because, this morning, a client texted me asking–if I say I’m sorry, I am weak?…

One of the ways that some people manage conflict is by using the ‘silent treatment’. This expression refers to “Maintenance of aloof silence toward another as an expression of one’s anger or disapproval”. The same source says this phrase is “a deliberate discourteous act”.

There may be a number of reasons for using the silent treatment – and some intentions may be like those for letting the other person…

(First published in Conflict Conversations Blog)

As I understand it as a layperson, child support in Ontario is payable until the child reaches the age of 18 or until the child is awarded their first diploma from a postsecondary educational…

Many people have encountered great challenges and unbearable pain from disputes as a result of strongly held values, belief systems and personal principles. And yet, people have the courage and ability to break through these barriers and create a common bridge. Eric Galton, renowned mediator, is a catalyst for these breakthroughs providing people with a safe…