It’s normal to want to avoid conflict. Under this capitalist system conflict has become a place of winners and losers, fighting for the supremacy of one person’s point of view over the other. This is often reinforced in our families and communities. Most of us come to conflict without the skills to do anything else.
This is how I approached conflict until I learned that navigating conflict is a skill that can be learned and practiced. I have seen the transformative power of conflict skills and mediation which is why I am so passionate to be able to offer it to you now.
I imagine conflict in a different way, where people ally together against their shared problem (whatever is the core issue of the conflict) by working towards mutual understanding of each other’s perspectives and needs. In this collaborative process, people can create solutions that fulfill everyone’s needs bringing a more lasting peace to the situation and/or relationship.
I believe in the ability for everyone to change and grow and that conflict offers a beautiful opportunity for this to happen.
Conflict facilitation and mediation is a voluntary and consent-based practice.