Ten Best Practices for Mediators Derived from Neuroscience: Managing Emotions (#6-8)

Strong emotions are common in mediation. Parties often arrive at the session full of resentment and joint sessions can provoke anger, disappointment, or embarrassment. Ignoring strong emotions is risky as it is trigger for the physiologic stress response.     6.Encourage parties to name their emotions rather than labeling them. Mediation training often suggests ways [Read more..]

Ten Best Practices for Mediators Derived from Neuroscience: Managing Stress (#4-5)

Stressors are commonly present at the start of mediation that trigger the physiologic stress response. Stressors include high emotions as well as dealing with an unfamiliar setting or process, meeting an authority figure, facing an adversary, and speaking in front of a hostile audience. When the stress response is repeatedly triggered, hormones build up and [Read more..]