FAMILY CONFERENCING WORKS FOR FAMILIES FACING SERIOUS OR STRESSFUL SITUATIONS WHERE THEY NEED TO WORK TOGETHER
Baltimore family mediation, facilitated family meetings, and family property mediation are often referred to as Family Conferencing, which can be extremely beneficial when multiple people in a family are involved in a serious situation where a decision must be made. Family Conferencing offers a process that can reduce stress for a family, including those most closely affected by the conflict or by the decisions. Family Conferencing can also prevent further alienation from each other, further suspicion or worst case thinking, and also other problems or crisis. It can reduce stress and conflict between the family and others outside the family, such as colleagues in the work place, where unresolved family conflict often spills over. Family Conferencing can also include extended family members who are either in a conflict about something important, or simply want help through a transition. Most importantly, Family Conferencing is about quality dialogue and interaction, which promotes and is the foundation for quality decision making among family members. It is a private alternative to help families work together meaningfully and productively.
With the help of a trained professional mediator facilitator, family members engage in meaningful conversation, share information and perspectives, obtain outside information as needed or requested, explore and evaluate options, and develop workable solutions through a process that promotes open and positive communication. The mediator facilitator is a neutral that does not offer advice, instead but offers structure for a productive conversation. The facilitator believes that each family is unique, and knows best what solutions will work for their family as a whole. Outcomes can include better communication, unlocked misperceptions and understandings, decisions about finances, living location, school decisions, personal and care responsibilities, property and asset use and management, clarification of family standards, ongoing communication plans, and best use of other resources.
Family Conference Facilitators of Louise Phipps Senft & Associates/Baltimore Mediation believe in Better Process…Better Outcome.