A Transformative Family Mediation Service

Family mediation is a co-operative and confidential conflict resolution process, that includes a third party to help you settle your differences in a creative manner.  Transforma­­tive mediation seeks to improve your communication at times of hardship, reduce your and your loved ones emotional distress, may help reduce costs, establishes viable mutual agreements, and restores personal power, dignity and respect.  Trans­for­mative mediation emphasises your personal and inter­personal growth.  It grew out of the need for people to feel more involved in their own decision making during dispute settlements.  Words like empowerment, integrity and respect have become the hallmarks of mediation.  It encourages all the parties in conflict to understand and appreciate the other’s situation.  It offers your family new creative options.  It optimises your selection of choices and skills needed to resolve conflicts.   The Mediators are taught to control the process versus the content.  The foundations of me­diation does not replace the practice of Law, but complement it.  Some separating families are NOT suitable for mediation and mediation is not a cheap quick fix nor a way to get rid of the other one as fast as possible.  Mediation, is a process with a protocole and a compassionate transformative pace.  At least, this is what it is with an Accredited Family Mediator in Ontario.

A couple in the midst of a separation or divorce and who wishes to come to an agreement on specific issues may benefit from transformative family mediation services.  It is also useful in relations such as parent/adolescentadult-child and older parents;  or reconstituted families, where a new common life must be negotiated, etc….  These agreements may be on the order of human issues (child care, education, custody, etc.) or financial issues (support payments, distri­bution and administration of property, etc.)

In order to use transformative family mediation services, the people involved must all agree to actively and fully participate in the process.  When two parties opt to go this route, they can already be considered to have taken a significant step forward.  During the me­diation process, the responsibility for the contents of the agreement always depends upon the individuals in mediation.  Mediation helps people come to their own solution, and does not operate by indicating that one or the other is right or wrong.

We offer you this service in both English and French.

Philosophy of Transformative Family Mediation

Our goal is to provide an unbiased and objective transformative family media­tion service.  Your children’s well-being is considered of primary importance.  We also consider that confi­dentiality of the service is of critical importance.  Ultimately, we have faith that in most conflicts there remains the potential for establishing an area of creative agreement and viable solutions for all involved, which can lead to improved personal and interpersonal growth.

Values that are associated with transformative family mediation:

  • Personal and interpersonal growth;
  • Freedom of choice and open-mindedness;
  • Integrity, respect, dignity, healthy personal power;
  • Sharing of common goals regarding children’s education;
  • The participants determine what is fair for their own circumstances.

If Transformative Mediation is for you, you can contact our office at 705-669-1200 or write to us at info.opcom@gmail.com