by Kelly Patrick Gerling Ph.D.

My mediation practice in Seattle specializes in a number of areas.

• Some divorcing couples have one or both members wanting to represent themselves. In this case, I provide mediation to work out the details of the divorce for their benefit. In the case that the couple has children, their short-term and long-term well-being is also pursued in the process.

• Some cases of divorce are emotionally charged—with hurts and pain; bitterness and resentment; anger and rage. I specialize in helping both members of the couple to pursue an agreement that works for their short-term and long-term benefit by both respecting and reducing the intensity of the emotions in the situation.

• Businesses with partners or managers or owners who can’t agree may benefit from mediation to work out an agreement that serves their mutual interests in the short-term and the long-term.

What matters for you in these three kinds of situations are the processes of communication that will bring about good agreements.

Since I wrote my doctoral dissertation on conflict resolution, I’m well-versed in the entire range of mediation practice. Titled Universals of Negotiation, it integrates multiple fields of conflict resolution, mediation and negotiation theory and practice into a comprehensive, coherent, dynamic model—a model I still use to help my clients find agreements, even when they seem impossible to achieve.

Please call to schedule your initial consultation where I either evaluate your situation or begin mediating to help you design your agreement.