While I was at the gym today listening to my favorite sports radio station I heard a commercial about divorce in Massachusetts. It made me stop in my tracks. Literally. I mean it. I must have looked ridiculous. I just stood where I was listening to my headphones. The advertiser, a local law group, directed […]
I hear “I should…” all the time. General Life Examples of I Should Decision Making: I should go to the gym…(but watches more TV instead) I should go on a diet…(but digs in to her ice cream instead) I should save more money…(but shops online instead) I should call her and mend fences…(but holds […]
A “Hysterical” Miscommunication A few weeks ago my son had an out of the ordinary temper tantrum – OK, he was flipping out — during a sleepover with his grandparents. They were calling me, I was calling them, and all the while he is yelling and crying in the background. It was stressful all around […]
It is often said that the “devil is in the details” and certainly this is often sage communication advice. Other times, especially during arguments, divorce mediation, marriage communication, and conflict in general, I would argue that the “devil IS the details.” Devilish Hypocrisy Consider these points of conflict that I have recently heard during mediations: […]
I recently followed a thread on a blog for school counselors. The thread began this way: “Question: If an 8th grader tells you – as their counselor – that they are cutting, would you tell their parents? Please explain why or why not…I am interested to see the variety of reasoning on this matter…it keeps […]
“I just don’t understand why my brother won’t listen to me!” I was asked this somewhat rhetorical question about their family conflict yesterday while explaining family mediation to someone. This woman was frustrated by how her brother berated his son in front of other people. He refused to follow her advice. She felt he was […]
I am a family and divorce mediator. When I say I love mediations to people I often get one of the following responses: Really? (Translation: why in the world would you want to do that?), or… Really? (Translation: I have no idea what that is but I’ll play along), or.. Really? (Translation: my aunt’s sister’s next […]