“To practice the process of conflict resolution, we must completely abandon the goal of getting people to do what we want.”
— Marshall Rosenberg
What Is Mediation?
Mediation is a collaborative attempt to resolve disagreement without devolving into animosity. The process invites us to discuss our issues openly in the hopes of finding a mutually beneficial outcome for everyone involved. When we pursue mediation with good intentions, we make it possible to sort out misunderstandings, illuminate fundamental interests and concerns, and discover previously unknown areas of agreement. Mediation gives us the opportunity to act as willing participants in the development of our own negotiated outcomes, rather than having to settle for the decree of an outside authority.
How Do I “Win” My Mediation Process?
The short answer is: you don’t — at least not in the traditional sense of winning or losing that many of us associate with conflict. When we approach disputes with a goal of coming out on top, we create an adversarial framework that limits possible resolutions. This is how people end up spending tens of thousands of dollars on attorneys’ fees! We encourage our clients to let go of the language of “winning” and adopt the mindset that it’s possible to achieve an outcome that is satisfactory to both you AND your mediation counterpart.
What Mediation Is Not:
A vehicle for one party to attempt to punish the other(s) emotionally, financially, or otherwise;
A process that can support one or more parties adopting mindsets that are adversarial, such as “I want to win” or “I am the victim and I deserve more”;
Individual, couples, or group therapy.
Mediation is not just for endings — it can also be effective in increasing the fulfillment of ongoing relationships. If mediation doesn’t sound quite right for your current issue, we offer coaching services and courses for individuals, partners, and groups who want to learn more skills around collaborative communication and conflict. In instances where a licensed therapist is more appropriate for a client’s needs, Pomegranate is happy to help with a referral.
How We Mediate
At Pomegranate, our mediation services follow the same overall approach we bring to all of our work. We begin by helping you identify and clarify your own guiding principles so you can pursue the mediation process from a grounded, self-aware place. When you feel connected to your own guiding principles, you gain a touchstone for your decision-making as you navigate disagreement and pursue amicable resolution. By evaluating your individual choices based on their alignment with your guiding principles, you can move forward with the confidence that you are living in your own integrity.
How We Price
Because justice and community care are guiding principles in our work, we do our best to make our work financially accessible. We offer equity pricing for our mediation services, meaning you can select your price from three tiers, depending on what best reflects your financial picture. It is possible for different parties in the mediation to select different pricing tiers if there is a disparity in financial capability.
