Mediation

Disputes happen. Disagreements between parties are a part of everyday life. Sometimes the nature of the dispute is relatively minor—the classic example is that of a neighbor's barking dog, although this may not seem a "minor" problem if you happen to be the affected neighbor. At other times, however, disputes may be profound, as can happen with the dissolution of a marriage.

Mediation

Mediation is a process designed to help parties resolve disputes, always with the goal of reaching an agreement of some kind.

A defining feature of mediation is that the parties themselves determine the nature of the resulting settlement rather than having an agreement imposed upon them by a third party. Mediators facilitate this process by opening or improving dialogue between the disputants, maintaining a position of impartiality, directing the flow of dialogue between the two parties, enabling them to develop an agreement which is realistic, viable and enduring.

Parties in conflict—couples seeking divorce, businesses involved in a dispute, families in turmoil, tenants embroiled in a disagreement with their landlord—often seek mediation as a means of resolving their differences and reaching an agreement.

For more information about the mediation services available through Hawthorn Counseling Group please contact Dr. Jochem at (847) 680-0755 or jdjochem@proton.me.