Blog
Working with High-Conflict Clients: Burnout as an Occupational Hazard
If you work with high‑conflict people long enough, burnout becomes likely. This includes family law, mediation, mental health, and crisis-adjacent roles where you spend your days sitting with people’s fear, anger, grief, and battles for control. Working with...
Why Mediation Gets Harder When the Stakes Rise
Many professionals assume mediation gets easier with experience. You learn the basic mediation tools, and they can carry you pretty far. In many situations, that is true. But increase the stakes, and suddenly, people start losing their crap in ways you didn't expect....
What to Stop Doing in the New Year (If You Want Less Conflict)
January has a way of making people ambitious. It's a good time to work on developing healthy conflict resolution habits. New plans show up fast, along with familiar patterns that never quite left. Starting new habits for resolving conflict matters. So does dropping...
2025 Divorce Mediation Lessons: Reflections From a Year in the Room
A year of divorce mediation always teaches me something, but the lessons rarely show up the way I expect. After so many years in the chair, I still find myself surprised by people. There is plenty of fear and frustration in the work, and I see my share of rough edges....
Dividing the Stuff: Dividing Personal Property in a Divorce Without Losing Your Cool
For many people, dividing personal property in divorce ends up being harder than dividing money. It surprises them. The house, the retirement accounts, even support can feel abstract. The furniture, dishes, artwork, photos, and small personal items are not. Those...
Stay Calm With Clients When They Lose Their Cool
Ever experience a scene like this? You're in a conference room. The clock seems to tick louder than it should. Across the table, a client snaps. Another rolls their eyes and interrupts... yet again. In a moment of frustration, someone pushes their chair back, almost...