Starting to appreciate more and more the Transformative Mediation as a one of the least invasive approaches to improve the quality of communication between people. Its key principle is full trust in the capabilities of the people involved to regenerate (themselves).

It’s main interventions, reflecting (mirroring) and summarizing what happens in the purest way possible, are only meant to support already nacent moments of shifts in self-confidence of the individuals involved and moments of shifts in openness to the other person’s views. With respect for what they want and when they want it at its core.

The effectiveness of this method is sometimes less apparent in the short term (resolution of the conflict seems less clear) but I believe the ‘impact’ on the longer term to be much more sustainable and not limited to the conflict at hand, as something has shifted at a more fundamental level (sometimes unconsciously).

To the mediator (or sparring partner) the effect of these subtle interventions often only become clear (if at all) a few years later whereby the connection to these interventions as one of the elements that has contributed to this shift is not always acknowledged. Trust in the quality of the interaction is therefor required (instead of the comfort of short term evidence).

Main challenge with (the effectiveness of) this method for me as a mediator or sparring partner when applying this method is to intervene from a place of pure presence (and matching intention) and not let my mind (or ego) add slivers of interpretation, judgement, solutions etc. that will directly dis-empower the people involved.

Thank you Carol Bloom, for committing yourself to introducing the mediation community and others to this trust based practice to improve our connections and thereby our quality of live.