What is Mediation and How does it Differ from
Arbitration?
Mediation
is the process whereby disputants discover a mutually acceptable resolution of their differences through the
help of a third party. The mediator
helps identify individual needs and interests, aids in generating options for
mutual gain, and facilitates negotiation resulting in a final agreement that
the parties themselves create. Marriage
counselors at Fort Myers FL Marriage Counseling agree. For an increasing
number of people, mediation is the preferred form of dispute resolution whose
time has come. Fisher and Ury have
observed, “Everyone wants to participate in the decisions that affect them;
fewer and fewer people will accept decisions dictated by someone else.”
The
major distinction between mediation and arbitration says Marriage Counseling Estero FL has to do with who is in
charge of the decision making process.
In mediation, the parties themselves are in charge. The mediator serves as a facilitator to help
the parties work out their differences among themselves. In arbitration, the third party arbiter is in
charge who will impose a binding decision on the disputants.
Mediation
and arbitration also differ in their orientations notes Marriage Counseling Bonita Springs. Arbitration is focused more in the past. Mediation is focused more toward the
future. Whereas arbitration typically
involves making a determination of who was right and who was wrong in days gone
by, mediation considers ways the parties can relate and agree to work together
in the days ahead.
What
is the Most Significant Benefit of Mediation for Marriages?
Marriage
counselors at Marriage Counseling Naples FL note
that the greatest benefit of marital mediation is that it holds out the promise
of preserving relationships. Mediating a
conflict is far more “humane” than any adversarial processes. Divorce, for example, often shatters any hope
for a long-term relationship between former spouses even at the expense of the
best interest of the children. Just
consider the process. Lawyersspeaking on
behalf of their clients in court replaces direct personal dialogue in
private. The parties become combatants
in an expensive, legal struggle. And
with more money and emotion invested, the more each party is committed to
winning and vilifying the other side.
One attorney, Gary Friedman, personally felt the emotional toll of such
combat. After five years of practice he
stated, “I began to grow increasingly disheartened, particularly when I saw the
human costs of the litigation process – relationships seemed only to be
worsened by the adversary experience.”
The professionals at Marriage
Counseling Bonita Springs FL agree.
By
contrast, mediation holds the promise of preserving relationships, even
strengthening them as the parties constructively work through the resolution
process together. This is noble work,
according to Marriage Counseling Cape
Coral FL. Friedman concluded, “Our normal tendency is to want to forget
about the past, sever ties, and move on.
Yet people who are willing to face what has happened between them and to
speak honestly to each other about it, while also addressing what they want for
the future, have the chance to reach a settlement that has integrity.”
Can Mediation Be Used to Save and
Rebuild a Marriage?
The answer to this question is a resounding
“yes!” When it comes to marriages, Dr.
Ken Newberger, Ph.D., in Conflict Analysis and Resolution, does not practice
divorce mediation. He only practices
martial mediation that has reconciliation as the goal. Indeed, he offers an effective, cutting-edge
alternative to traditional marriage counseling when preserving the marriage is
the couple’s goal. View the outline of
his practice online at: www.MarriageCounselingAlt.com/couples.htm. Then feel
free to contact regarding your marital situation at 239-689-4266. There is no charge for an initial tel.
consultation. Dr. Newberger can serve
couples online or in person if you live in Southwest Florida. This includes the cities of Fort Myers FL,
Naples, Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Estero, Ft Myers Beach, and Punta Gorda
FL. If you are struggling with ongoing,
unresolved conflict, don’t delay. Call
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