Texas Conflict Coach: Recent Episodes

Texas Conflict Coach

Welcome to the Texas Conflict Coach ® radio program with Founder and Host Patricia M Porter. Since 2009, we have produced over 325 podcasts. Check out our full Podcast Library and listen to episodes at www.texasconflictcoach.com

Our program aims to help global listeners learn how to manage conflict constructively with tools, strategies, and resources regardless of whether the dispute is in your business,home, workplace, school, church community, family, or with neighbors.

This is a special live episode held during the annual Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) conference.

Mediation is a powerful process but is still largely society’s best kept secret outside of the litigated case arena. Further professionalizing mediation promises to create public awareness and increase utilization. We will examine the impact of taking the next steps for mediators and disputants alike.”

Jennifer Kalfsbeek-Goetz received her B.A.S. in Psychology from the University of Minnesota, her M.A. in Sociology from the University of Maryland, and her Ph.D. in Education Administration from Capella University. Dr. Kalfsbeek-Goetz is currently a Dean of Student Learning at Moorpark College in southern California and was formerly the assistant Dean of program development at California State University at Northridge.

Dr. Jack Goetz is a Lecturer in Law for the Judge Judith O. Hollinger Program in Alternative Dispute Resolution at USC Gould School of Law. As a neutral, Dr. Goetz serves the public privately as well as serving on various public panels. Dr. Goetz has advocated for increasing the public utilization of mediation by strengthening the protocols for practicing in the field through voluntary mediator certification. He currently serves as the President-elect for the Southern California Mediation Association (SCMA) and is President of the Mediator Certification Consortium of California.

Got Conflict? Are you a worker taking on short projects or "gigs?" Many temporary employees and independent consultants work in a Gig Economy. As the gig economy grows so do the challenges that employers, HR managers and workers face when it comes to communication and managing conflict. We will also talk about "At Will' employment and how it changes the employer's view of conflict and how they can 'throw the baby out with the bathwater' by quickly terminating employees vs. taking the time to work through the issues.

Got Conflict? In this episode, we will be talking with Dr. Debra Dupree, Relationships at Work, Inc. She is a certified master trainer for the Conflict Dynamics Profile (CDP). This profile identifies the hot buttons, and conflict behaviors that one uses when they are confronted by conflict. Are your behaviors constructive or destructive when you are confronted with conflict? How do we identify these behaviors and how do we begin to change?

Dr.Debra Dupree, Founder and President of Relationships That Matter. Relationships that Matter transforms people and companies into peace and profits. Debra is a former chairperson of the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) Workplace Section and Past-President of ADR-San Diego. She professionally trains people internationally to become mediators, is a frequent speaker at local and national conferences, and is on the faculty of two major San Diego educational institutions. Debra possesses a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology & Education from the University of California-Santa Barbara, Pre-doctoral training in Organizational Development & Disability Management from San Diego State University, and holds ACR’s designation for Advanced Practitioner in Workplace Mediation (AP). She is a Master Trainer of Eckerd College’s Conflict Dynamic Profile (CDP) and currently specializes in “high conflict” relationships.

Conflict Chat with Pattie Porter, Stephen Kotev and Abigail R.C. McManus

DiscussionTopics:

"When you are emotionally hijacked like in the recent road rage incident and untimely death of NFL football icon, Will Smith, what do we learn about how we handle our intense rage and emotions?" Will Smith Death Police ReportWill Smith Death

Are you a parent of a college student or an educator dealing with campus conflict? Maybe YOU are a student who's gotten into some trouble on your campus? If so, this shows for you.

We spoke with Dr. Nancy Giacomini and Jennifer Meyer Schrage, J.D., editors of their new book "Reframing Campus Conflict: Student Conduct Practice through a Social Justice Lens."

Giacomini and Schrage addressed how the culture and diversity of the student population have changed over the years, and how unfortunately, the system for dealing with student conduct and conflict incidents has becoming increasingly legalistic. How do we re-frame campus conflict so that it is inclusive, fair and is an alternative to the costly legal system?

Nancy Geist Giacomini, Ed.D. is a private educator, mediator, facilitator, and author based in Chester County, PA. Nancy completed her Educational Leadership Degree at the University of Delaware while a Conflict Resolution Program (CRP) Associate in the Institute for Public Administration. She taught in the Master’s Program, mediated special education disputes for the Delaware Department of Education, and facilitated state-wide dialogue.

Jennifer Meyer Schrage, J.D. provides leadership to the Office of Student Conflict Resolution (OSCR) within the Division of Student Affairs at the University of Michigan. During her tenure at UM, Jennifer led the OSCR Team in departmental realignment and championed a nationally recognized full-spectrum menu of conflict resolution pathways, including mediation, restorative justice, and related innovative methods. This Spectrum Model was introduced at the 2008 Gehring Academy (Schrage & Thompson, 2008), featured at the 2009 annual conference and has evolved into a collaborative publication due out this summer.

Parent, you are your child's best advocate. Just like painting a room, the more preparation you do the better the result. It may seem like oversimplification when it comes to communicating to your school, especially if it has not always been the most positive process. Separating the facts, emotions, and results can be confusing.

In this program we highlight three free resources that will help you: Gather the factsOrganize your informationIdentify effective ways to communicate with your child’s school /teacher Knowing your child’s learning style and being able to quantify and collaborate their interest and abilities to what is going on in the classroom is like having cliff notes for accelerated learning. If you are a parent who feels overwhelmed, dealing with the demands of work as well as your child’s school issues this conversation is for you.

Angela Woodrow, whom as a coach, provides the opportunity for individuals and the organizations to discover distinctions, maintain focus, and develop and implement action plans. As a life long learner, she advocates for parents and teachers to build the bridge to positive education processes for all. Shehas over 20 years of experience in coaching individuals and organizations to success. An educational theater arts background gives her the passion to coach everyone to his or her utmost potential. Growing into the opportunities of tomorrow is how Angela sees everyone’s capabilities.

A lifelong community volunteer with a personal philosophy to bloom where planted, Angela volunteers with her local faith-based education partners, and groups that promote scholarship for youth and the community arts. She is an active member of the International Coach Federation, San Antonio Professional Coaches Association, and Business Networks International.

Got Conflict? If you have a conflict with someone and are not sure how to handle it, then let us know. Here is your opportunity to ask your question with Conflict Management experts who are mediators, conflict coaches and facilitators on how to think about, analyze or resolve your situation.

Think about it. Are you currently engaged in an active conflict with your co-workers or boss? Ignoring your neighbor because of a conversation you don't want to have? In a disagreement with your spouse? Or simply afraid to bring up a concern with a friend in fear of stirring up problems.

Discussion Topic:

17 Biggest Mistake That Killed Deals on Shark Tank

Pattie Porter, LCSW, AAP is the President of Conflict Connections®, Inc. in San Antonio, TX. Pattie has worked extensively in the dispute resolution field for nearly 20 years providing mediation, team facilitation, negotiation training, and conflict management and abrasive leader coaching services to executives, businesses, government agencies and higher education institutions.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation and facilitation services, conflict coaching, training and somatic education to private and government clients. Helping people resolve problems and improve their performance is his passion and profession. Stephen has dedicated his professional career to the practice and study of conflict resolution.

Listening is a skill. It is an art. It is a discipline. It is hard. It takes attention and practice. It takes awareness. It is particularly hard when you don't want to hear the person who is talking to you. It is particularly hard in disagreements, arguments, and conflicts. How do we listen without being caught by the judgments, opinions, desires, justifications and stories rumbling around in our heads?

In this session, we will be talking with Susan Shearouse, Frameworks for Agreement. We will explore the 3 C's of listening: how to prepare yourself and enter a difficult conversation able to hear what is being said, to be able to listen more effectively.

Got Conflict? If you have a conflict with someone and are not sure how to handle it, then let us know. Here is your opportunity to ask your question with Conflict Management experts who are mediators, conflict coaches, and facilitators on how to think about, analyze or resolve your situation.

Think about it. Are you currently engaged in an active conflict with your co-workers or boss? Ignoring your neighbor because of a conversation you don’t want to have? In a disagreement with your spouse? Or simply afraid to bring up a concern with a friend in fear of stirring up problems.

Join us live. Here is how: Call 347-324-3591; press 1 and wait for a Host;Use the Reply box below to post your question or conflict situation;Join us in the chat room live on the night of the program. Post your comment or question here and we will bring it into the program;Join our LIVE Twitter chat using #ConflictChat every Tuesday night at 5 pm Pacific/ 7 pm Central/ 8 pm Eastern Tracy Culbreath King is an Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator at the Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO). Tracy also serves as a conflict coach, mediator, and promotes conflict resolution processes through trainings, outreach initiatives, and continuing education for conflict resolution practitioners.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation and facilitation services, conflict coaching, training and somatic education to private and government clients. Helping people resolve problems and improve their performance is his passion and profession.

Stories of attacks on the way home from the bus stop, bullying in the classroom, and assaults in school hallways are all-too-frequent reminders that our community and many others throughout the US are still not safe places for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people. Perhaps what is most heartbreaking is that some youth have come to believe that this is normal, that this is just part of growing up, or that this is how life is for LGBTQ individuals. SMYAL is working to change all that by providing an inclusive environment and empowering DC-area LGBTQ youth to be leaders and advocates for themselves and their peers in the broader community. We provide youth with the opportunities, support, and skills they need to de-escalate conflicts as they occur and to work within their community to root out these conflicts from their source.

Andrew Barnett served as the Executive Director of SMYAL from 2009 to 2014, the only community-based organization solely dedicated to supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth in the metro Washington, DC area. Mr. Barnett joined the SMYAL staff in 2005 and as named Executive Director in February 2009. Native to the Washington, DC metro area, Barnett began his involvement in LGBT youth ad ocacy by co-founding a Gay-Straight Alliance as a senior in high school and continued his involvement in LGBT student organizing while obtaining his B.A. at the Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. In 2010, Barnett received the Metro Weekly Next Generation Award, which recognizes the accomplishments of LGBT activists, artists, and leaders under 30.

Got Conflict? If you have a conflict with someone and are not sure how to handle it, then let us know. Here is your opportunity to ask your question with Conflict Management experts who are mediators, conflict coaches, and facilitators on how to think about, analyze or resolve your situation.

Think about it. Are you currently engaged in an active conflict with your co-workers or boss? Ignoring your neighbor because of a conversation you don’t want to have? In a disagreement with your spouse? Or simply afraid to bring up a concern with a friend in fear of stirring up problems.

Join us live. Here is how: Call 347-324-3591; press 1 and wait for a Host;Use the Reply box below to post your question or conflict situation;Join us in the chat room live on the night of the program. Post your comment or question here and we will bring it into the program;Join our LIVE Twitter chat using #ConflictChat every Tuesday night at 5 pm Pacific/ 7 pm Central/ 8 pm Eastern Pattie Porter, LCSW, AAP is the President of Conflict Connections®, Inc. in San Antonio, TX. Pattie has worked extensively in the dispute resolution field for nearly 20 years providing mediation, team facilitation, negotiation training, and conflict management and abrasive leader coaching services to executives, businesses, government agencies and higher education institutions.

Tracy Culbreath King is an Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator at the Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO). Tracy also serves as a conflict coach, mediator, and promotes conflict resolution processes through trainings, outreach initiatives, and continuing education for conflict resolution practitioners.

As Americans are getting older, more and more issues arise relating to elder abuse in financial and health care settings. Studies show that the majority of abuse occurs within the family. What can be done to resolve these issues? Talk with a respected elder abuse mediator and author, Steve Mehta, to address these difficult issues.

Here are strategies for avoiding elder abuse:

1) Be vigilant and watch for the early signs in your senior family member that might indicate "diminished capacity." You can do this by...

a) Visiting your elderly family member more often especially if you do not live close by

b) Calling on a regular basis so as to prevent isolation from that senior member of the family

c) Talking to friends and family to get more information on how the elderly family member and caregiver are doing2) Before making accusations about elder abuse or neglect, get knowledgeable about the situation and try to understand what is happening

a) Don't jump to conclusions or accusations

b) Try to understand from the caregiver's perspective whether it be a sister, brother or other family member who lives day-in and day-out with the elder person3) Change the words you use from "You should have" or "You did that" TO I-statements. Take ownership of your feelings and thinking by saying "I feel left out." or "I think mom needs.." or "I believe..." This will prevent putting the other person on the defense.4) Stop talking and LISTEN without interruption.

Steven G. Mehta is one of California's premier award-winning attorney mediators thanks to his work in helping resolve disputes in a variety of types of civil litigation. Steve has been successfully mediating complex cases since 1999.

Discussion Topics:

1) Travis Kalanick Pushes Uber and Himself to the Precipice

2) Bill O'Reilly Let Go from Fox News Channel Amid Sexual Harassment Claims

3) FX Television Series - Feud: Bette and Joan

Join us live. Here is how: Call 347-324-3591; press 1 and wait for a Host;Use the Reply box below to post your question or conflict situation;Join us in the chat room live on the night of the program. Post your comment or question here and we will bring it into the program;Join our LIVE Twitter chat using #ConflictChat every Tuesday night at 5 pm Pacific/ 7 pm Central/ 8 pm Eastern Pattie Porter, LCSW, AAP is the President of Conflict Connections®, Inc. in San Antonio, TX. Pattie has worked extensively in the dispute resolution field for nearly 20 years providing mediation, team facilitation, negotiation training, and conflict management and abrasive leader coaching services to executives, businesses, government agencies and higher education institutions.

Abigail R.C. McManus is a graduate of the University of Baltimore obtaining her Master’s degree in Negotiation and Conflict Management. Abigail earned her Bachelor’s degree in Human Services from Stevenson University. Abigail is passionate about analyzing, managing, resolving, and transforming conflict in everyday life.

Often our Alarm bells go off, blood pressure rises and our capacity to listen stops, when we hear ideas and opinions that seem radically different than ours. What techniques can we use to increase trust and create the foundation for truly Restorative Conversations? How might we create an environment that encourages people to listen deeply and speak openly? Join Rose Gordon, Restorative Justice Facilitator, in exploring these questions and tips for facilitating conversations that can make a difference.

Rose Gordon has been facilitating Restorative Justice for youth for over a decade. She’s facilitated Restorative Approaches trainings in New Mexico and Thailand and views Restorative Approaches as a way of building peaceful communities and an “inoculation” against violence. Rose is the Program Coordinator for the Taos County Juvenile Justice Continuum, has been interviewed on Peace Talks Radio, is a member of the International Community of Restorative Researchers, co-hosted the PeaceXPeace Western and Muslim Women’s Dialogues and was invited to participate in the East Meets West Restorative Justice Summit in Turkey.

Abigail R.C. McManus is a graduate of the University of Baltimore obtaining her Master’s degree in Negotiation and Conflict Management. Abigail earned her Bachelor’s degree in Human Services from Stevenson University. Abigail is passionate about analyzing, managing, resolving, and transforming conflict in everyday life.

Conflict opportunities present itself in various ways. Often, we don't notice the impact of seemingly unimportant off-putting comments we make to others or the disagreements which brew in our minds leading to something bigger than it is. The key is communication and checking our assumptions about each other's motives and intentions instead of labeling, blaming and sitting in our hurt.

The Founder and Host of the Texas Conflict Coach®, Pattie Porter, chats with special guest host Zena Zumeta about the lessons learned in how to embrace conflict constructively, courageously and with compassion.

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators.

Pattie Porter, LCSW, AAP is the President of Conflict Connections®, Inc. in San Antonio, TX. Pattie has worked extensively in the dispute resolution field for nearly 20 years providing mediation, team facilitation, negotiation training, and conflict management and abrasive leader coaching services to executives, businesses, government agencies and higher education institutions.

ot Conflict? The Texas Conflict Coach®, a division of Conflict Connections, Inc. provides consumer education and tools to build self-awareness, skills, and resources to manage conflict effectively.

In this inaugural show, Pattie Porter connects with the audience by sharing her story of growing up in a high conflict family, and this led eventually to her work as a conflict management expert. Pattie sets the stage for future shows including the idea of giving fieldwork assignments.

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators.

Pattie Porter, LCSW, AAP is the President of Conflict Connections®, Inc. in San Antonio, TX. Pattie has worked extensively in the dispute resolution field for nearly 20 years providing mediation, team facilitation, negotiation training, and conflict management and abrasive leader coaching services to executives, businesses, government agencies and higher education institutions.

Got Conflict? If you have a conflict with someone and are not sure how to handle it, then let us know. Here is your opportunity to ask your question with Conflict Management experts who are mediators, conflict coaches, and facilitators on how to think about, analyze or resolve your situation.

Think about it. Are you currently engaged in an active conflict with your co-workers or boss? Ignoring your neighbor because of a conversation you don’t want to have? In a disagreement with your spouse? Or simply afraid to bring up a concern with a friend in fear of stirring up problems.

Join us live. Here is how: Call 347-324-3591; press 1 and wait for a Host;Use the Reply box below to post your question or conflict situation;Join us in the chat room live on the night of the program. Post your comment or question here and we will bring it into the program;Join our LIVE Twitter chat using #ConflictChat every Tuesday night at 5 pm Pacific/ 7 pm Central/ 8 pm Eastern Pattie Porter, LCSW, AAP is the President of Conflict Connections®, Inc. in San Antonio, TX. Pattie has worked extensively in the dispute resolution field for nearly 20 years providing mediation, team facilitation, negotiation training, and conflict management and abrasive leader coaching services to executives, businesses, government agencies and higher education institutions.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation and facilitation services, conflict coaching, training and somatic education to private and government clients. Helping people resolve problems and improve their performance is his passion and profession.

It seems that incivility has become the norm in our communities easily escalating to heated debates, protesting and violent riots. Civility is a human right in today's global society. As global citizens, civility is vital to peaceful and harmonious co-existence of individuals, groups, organizations, and nations. Civility is a proactive approach to prevent incivility and maintain a safe and peaceful situation. Civility gives dignity to human rights. Civility gives calmness to a potential explosive situation. Civility is a positive response to a negative action that is mutually beneficial for all of us.

In this episode, Dr. Ralph Steele addresses the questions such as, “What is our role in responding in respectful ways? And How can each of us reverse the trend and incorporate daily strategies to revise civility?

Dr. Steele has over 10 years of experience in mediation of business and family issues. He has received two doctorate degrees; in Civil law and Mediation at Oxford University and has a Ph.D. in psychology.

Dr. Steele is also a Board Certified Professional Counselor by American Psychotherapy Association and Texas Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors. Ralph honorably served as a United States naval officer and is devoted to developing our youth as future leaders who make a positive impact on society. Having received his pilot license from the Lincoln Aviation Institute, one of his favorite hobbies is flying planes.

Dr. Steele's Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Philosophy:

Mediation and arbitration are ADR processes in which if all parties fully engage with the help of skilled professionals true civility and peace along with workable solutions prevail.

Over the last 8 years, we have produced 310 podcasts with experts from all over the world. Each month we will feature one of these programs in our “The Best of the Past” episodes.

Whether it’s a difficult co-worker, a demanding boss or an angry client, you can learn to handle conflict at work effectively by managing your internal reactions first. Kathi Elster and Katherine Crowley show us how to cool down, then find the words to move a potentially hazardous work situation forward in a constructive manner. Join Kathi, Katherine and Pattie Porter for a lively discussion on how to apply proven techniques for successfully navigating your most challenging workplace relationships.

Katherine Crowley is Harvard-trained psychotherapist and Kathi Elster is a management consultant and executive coach. They are the co-authors of Mean Girls at Work – How to Stay Professional When Things Get Personal, Working with You Is Killing Me, and Working for You Isn’t Working for Me. Their firm, K Squared Enterprises, is dedicated to helping clients manage interpersonal relationships in the workplace.

Recognition and Appreciation are skills that leaders use every day, or should. Join Kathy Stark and Scott Russell as they discuss simple and effective ways to engage and recognize your employees and further your business goals in 2017 and beyond.

Kathy Stark has extensive experience in developing and executing large global recognition strategies, managing program development and large events that support the recognition strategies for an international corporation. Kathy has been involved with Recognition Professionals for many years she is currently the President and is a Certified Recognition Professional.

Scott Russell is a 20-year veteran of event management and recognition from his days as a concert promoter in Southern California to his most recent 12-year stint in Operations (Employee Experience) with Verizon Wireless. Scott is currently the Director of Client Success for the C.A. Short Company based in North Carolina. He works day in and day out to promote the value of recognition and engagement to his staff, his clients, and others.

Scott writes an ongoing web series on Random Acts of Engagement and is an accomplished public speaker. As a music lover and musician himself, Scott has worked over the years with many artists and you may even catch him singing a song or two at our annual RPI conference. He was instrumental in managing the recent overhaul of the CRP curriculum and is excited to see it brought to the masses with the launch of the online curriculum in 2017. Scott is an Executive RPI Board member and chairs the RPI Community Action Team. Scott loves this motto and swears he lives by it: If at first you don’t succeed, redefine success.

Got Conflict? If you have a conflict with someone and are not sure how to handle it, then let us know. Here is your opportunity to ask your question with Conflict Management experts who are mediators, conflict coaches, and facilitators on how to think about, analyze or resolve your situation.

Think about it. Are you currently engaged in an active conflict with your co-workers or boss? Ignoring your neighbor because of a conversation you don’t want to have? In a disagreement with your spouse? Or simply afraid to bring up a concern with a friend in fear of stirring up problems.

Tracy CulbreathKing has a passion for conflict resolution that began after pursuing her Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Central Florida in Interpersonal Organizational Communication. After observing the consequences of poor communication on a personal and professional level, she realized she needed additional skills to address the conflicts that often resulted from communication breakdowns. In 2014 Tracy graduated from the University of Baltimore with a Master’s of Science in Negotiation and Conflict Management.

Abigail R.C. McManus is a graduate of the University of Baltimore obtaining her master’s degree in negotiation and conflict management. Abigail earned her Bachelor’s degree in Human Services from Stevenson University. Abigail is passionate about analyzing, managing, resolving, and transforming conflict in everyday life. She uses her education and understanding to resolve productively and efficiently conflicts both at work and at home.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights," this is the first statement of Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Since this declaration's adoption in 1948, political rights have been foregrounded. Now the time has come for humankind to give dignity sustainable attention. Human rights are embedded in dignity, but dignity has a larger humanizing scope than rights. Dignity entails justice and peace, and it manifests as unity in diversity and supports an ethics of care.

Evelin Lindner's work focuses on human dignity and humiliation. She is the Founding President of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies (HumanDHS), a global transdisciplinary fellowship of concerned academics and practitioners who wish to promote dignity and transcend humiliation. She is a Co-founder of the World Dignity University initiative. She has a dual education as a Medical Doctor and a Psychologist and carries two PhDs (Dr. med. and Dr. psychol.). She teaches globally. She is a research fellow at the University of Oslo, Norway, is affiliated, among others, with Columbia University in New York City (with the Advanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict, and Complexity, AC4), and with the Maison des Sciences de l'Homme in Paris.

Join us as we talk with Dan Raisbeck, co-founder of The Cybersmile Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides support and education for people who are affected by online abuse and cyberbullying. Dan talks about the work that Cybersmile does and how people can lower the risk of becoming a victim of online bullies and learn more about keeping yourself, and those around you, safe online.

Dan Raisbeck is the co-founder of The Cybersmile Foundation. He has worked extensively since 2010 in establishing Cybersmile as an effective resource in the fight against online hate and cyber bullying. Dan formed Cybersmile following a cyberbullying incident with his young son and set up the charity as a resource for parents, adults, teachers and most of all for the young people experiencing the problem.

Previous to Cybersmile, Dan worked professionally for both the private and public sectors in health and safety and wellbeing management.

Dan sits on the APPG (All Party Parliamentary Group) for Young People and Social Technology in UK Parliament and is currently developing global awareness campaigns for cyberbullying education and online positivity incentives with Cybersmile.

Stop Cyber Bulling Day is: June 16, 2017

We often hear the term ‘social justice’ but what is it and why does it matter?

In this world where’s there’s increasing hostility towards difference, how can we be upstanders for social justice not only in the workplace but also in our family and friendship networks?

We talk to Dr. Greg Curran who was awakened to the need for social justice in his primary school years, and who continues to be driven by it in his teaching today.

Dr. Greg Curran is an English Language Teacher, a Lecturer in teacher education, a blogger and podcaster. Greg's key teaching interests are digital storytelling, digital equity, and social justice.

Got Conflict? If you have a conflict with someone and are not sure how to handle it, then let us know. Here is your opportunity to ask your question with Conflict Management experts who are mediators, conflict coaches and facilitators on how to think about, analyze or resolve your situation.

Think about it. Are you currently engaged in an active conflict with your co-workers or boss? Ignoring your neighbor because of a conversation you don’t want to have? In a disagreement with your spouse? Or simply afraid to bring up a concern with a friend in fear of stirring up problems.

Join us live. Here is how: Call 347-324-3591; press 1 and wait for a Host;Use the Reply box below to post your question or conflict situation;Join us in the chat room live on the night of the program. Post your comment or question here and we will bring it into the program;Join our LIVE Twitter chat using #ConflictChat every Tuesday night at 5 pm Pacific/ 7 pm Central/ 8 pm Eastern

Tonight's Discussion:

Miss Universe Canada takes on body-shamers with a badass message

Kristin Cavallari's NFL Husband Was Body-Shamed on Social Media

Got Conflict? Based on the works of Dr. Dudley Weeks, we highlighted the key ingredients to conflict and the essential steps to conflict resolution based on the book "The Eight Essential Steps to Conflict Resolution."

First, we examined a new way of thinking about conflict and defined what Week's describes as a conflict partnership. This kind of partnership is about resolving conflicts that are effective and sustainable and focuses both on the immediate conflict and the overall relationship

Then, we reviewed the ingredients of conflict to include

? Diversity & differences

? Needs vs wants

? Perceptions

? Power

? Values & principles

? Feelings & emotions

? Internal conflict

Listeners then learned the 8 essential steps to conflict resolution as applied to a neighbor conflict.

Most importantly, be PREPARED for your difficult conversation.

In this program, our guest will discuss how 'isms' and words can have power in your everyday life. As an example: 'A problem well defined is half-solved'. And, what is complaining? Is it a statement of how you really feel? Or, are you boasting? Join Bob Berlin as he gives further insight to our use of words and what they really mean.

Bob Berlin has been mediating for the past 45 years with over 6,000 mediations under his belt. He is an arbitrator, trainer of neutrals, coach, former judge, and a legislator. Currently, he is the vice-chair of the Dispute Resolution Section of the State Bar of Georgia. He is a national and a statewide presenter. His hobby is collecting words and nuggets of wisdom that can be vehicles for a smoother life.

Bob draws from an eclectic professional background in law, marriage and family therapy, communications and teaching. In addition to his present involvements, he is doing CE Trainings and Professional/Personal Coaching.

Every job has the opportunity to work for peace if you know how to look for it. Join professor, practitioner, and educator David J. Smith and Stephen Kotev as they discuss how to get a job as a Peacemaker. Whether it is thinking differently about the job you have or what types of jobs are out there.

David J. Smith, JD, MS has over 30 years’ experience as an educational consultant, lawyer, mediator, college professor, trainer, senior program manager, and author. He works with groups and individuals in need of career and conflict coaching and conflict engagement assistance, and has consulted with nearly 400 colleges around the U.S. and has given over 500 talks on peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and international education. He has been employed by the U.S. Institute of Peace, consulted for the Fulbright Association, and taught at Georgetown University, Goucher College, and currently at George Mason University's School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. David is the president of the Forage Center for Peacebuilding and Humanitarian Education. He is the author of Peace Jobs: A Student's Guide to Starting a Career Working for Peace (Information Age Publishing).

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation and facilitation services, conflict coaching, training and somatic education to private and government clients. Helping people resolve problems and improve their performance is his passion and profession. Stephen has dedicated his professional career to the practice and study of conflict resolution. He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and is certified in conflict coaching.

One in five adults each year are coping with a diagnosable mental health problem. Even if our problems don't escalate to diagnoses, we all know what it's like to have a bad day. How do we have effective communication when we're impacted by mental health issues, or just trying to talk about them? Dan Berstein, a mediator with bipolar disorder and an expert in mental health communication, will share insights to help you have empowering mental health conversations.

Dan Berstein is a mediator living with bipolar disorder and an expert in mental health communication and conflict resolution. He has traveled the country training mediators, government agencies, universities, mental health service providers, peers, and families to have empowered communication about mental health.

Dan has been a Mental Health First Aid trainer, National Alliance on Mental Illness awareness speaker, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance support group facilitator, and many other roles in the world of mental health. He holds a master's degree in Mental Health and a certificate in Health Communication from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

Dan is always happy to field questions. E-mail him: dan@mhmediate.com or Submit a question to his "Dear Dan podcast".

Learn about Dan’s training program, Become an Effective Mental Health Communicator

Sign up for free resources through MH Mediate’s mailing list by visiting MH Mediate and subscribing.

Connect with Dan: @DanBerstein on Twitter and Facebook

MH Mediate: @MHMediate, Website: mhmediate.com

Listen to our Pre-Recorded program on December 27th at 7:00pm CST at Blog Talk Radio

"During the month of December, please enjoy these previously recorded shows...The Best of 2016. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning January 3, 2017. Enjoy the Holidays!"

Got Conflict? If you have a conflict with someone, and are not sure how to handle it, then let us know. Here is your opportunity to ask your question with Conflict Management experts who are mediators, conflict coaches and facilitators on how to think about, analyze or resolve your situation.

Think about it. Are you currently engaged in an active conflict with your co-workers or boss? Ignoring your neighbor because of a conversation you don't want to have? In a disagreement with your spouse? Or simply afraid to bring up a concern with a friend in fear of stirring up problems.

Articles of Discussion:

1. The Massive Mango

2. Chris Christie Offers a Key to Marital Success: Fight in a Walk-In Closet

Listen to our Pre-Recorded program on December 20th at 7:00pm CST at Blog Talk Radio. Guest: Maciej Tanski.

"During the month of December, please enjoy these previously recorded shows...The Best of 2016. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning January 3, 2017. Enjoy the Holidays!"

You feel it’s getting hot and you just cannot do anything to prevent the innocent exchange of opinions from boiling over and blowing up like a lump of lava thrown out by a volcano? And it hurts because it happens with people important for you, with whom you have a family, neighbor or work relationship. Join Maciej Tanski as he bring some examples of conflict escalation and a handful of tips how to prevent it. We will discover what it takes to keep focused during hot discussions and be aware of the other person’s and our own hot buttons.

Maciej Tanskiis a mediator, trainer and conflict consultant leading the Partners Poland Mediation Center in Warsaw, Poland. For the last 15 years he has been helping people in conflict to find their own way out without losing face. Maciej mediates marital, family and divorce disputes, as well as business ones especially in family owned businesses. He consults and coaches couples, parents or co-workers on conflict prevention and resolution. He is also a trainer in mediation and social skills who designed and conducted workshops for thousands of civic and business leaders. Outside of Poland, he led trainings in the Western Balkans, Caucasus, and Central Asia. He wrote guidebooks for divorced parents and lone fathers.

Listen to our Pre-Recorded program on December 13th at 7:00pm CST at Blog Talk Radio. Guest: Robert Batista.

"During the month of December, please enjoy these previously recorded shows...The Best of 2016. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning January 3, 2017. Enjoy the Holidays!"

Our guest and author, Robert Batista will share his passion and journey to curb and stop gun violence through his writing and novellas called Street Angel and The City Game. He will talk about the “iron pipeline” and the collateral impact of gun violence. Gun violence is not the answer to disputes, disagreements, and differences. Robert will discuss non-violent approaches to dealing with these differences and share his stories.

Robert Batista grew up in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. After attending Brooklyn College, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. While stationed at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California, he began his writing career; first with poetry, then short stories.

In 1992 he founded Word Is Bond Press and began writing and publishing positive, uplifting stories for teenagers and young adults. His books ‘The City Game’, ‘Street Angel’, and ‘Brooklyn Story’ were picked up by the NYC Department Of Education, and Robert’s powerful message of self-determination and non-violence is now required reading in schools throughout the country. He is currently working on his new young adult novel, ‘Crisis At Central High’.

"During the month of December, please enjoy these previously recorded shows...The Best of 2016. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning January 3, 2017. Enjoy the Holidays!"

Verbal Aikido is a means of communication that enables the practitioner to transform verbal attacks, both effectively and peacefully. This philosophy comes from the Japanese martial art of Aikido that seeks to transform ‘attackers’ into training partners. It’s a fun and easy-to-learn approach that can be learned from ages as young as 5 years old. Regular practice of Verbal Aikido considerably increases self-esteem, altruism, and the confidence to manage conflict in a self-affirming and harmonious manner.

Luke Archer is an Irish-born teacher trainer, writer and public speaker on communication, conflict management, and education development. He’s been living in Lyon, France since 1995, where he has innovated and pioneered Verbal Aikido training since 2009. He continues to work with companies, schools and students of all ages internationally spreading this way of peaceful communication to one boardroom or classroom at a time.

Does your family argue or fight about money or finances during the Holidays? Expectations about what kinds of gifts to buy, how much you can afford to spend on travel or even when siblings or other family members ask for money can cause conflict. Dave and Pattie will talk about some of the causes of Holiday financial conflicts, some strategies to keep from being sucked into the drama and even some tips about how to calm family members down when emotions about money are high.

Dave Hilton, the Financial Conflict Coach, is a Conflict Engagement Specialist, Mediator, Dispute Resolution Trainer and Speaker. He is the host of the "Financial Conflict Coach Show" and the "Conflict Specialists Show". Dave is also the founder and Chairman of the Texoma Dispute Resolution Center (a non-profit community mediation center serving parts of North Texas and Southern Oklahoma) and is a volunteer Mediator for the Southern Methodist University Mediation Center in Dallas, TX.

For More Information: Dave Hilton

According to recent statistics, almost 50% of all marriages in the United States end in divorce. Most divorced adults remarry and create blended families of yours, mine, and ours and include assorted, confused grandparents. Navigating the holidays can be stressful when arranging child custody agreements, table seating, and various cultural and religious beliefs among the families. Best-selling humor author Elaine Ambrose uses her own experiences to discuss how to focus on the joys of the season and prevent your blended family from exploding into a food fight.

Elaine Ambrose is a #1 bestselling author of eight books, including Midlife Happy Hour and Menopause Sucks. Elaine exploits her life experiences to share humor with a crabby world. Publishers Weekly reviewed her book Midlife Cabernet as “laugh-out-loud funny!” She’s an internationally-known syndicated blogger and humorous speaker from Eagle, Idaho.

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators. She is the recipient of the Michigan Lifetime Achievement in Mediation Award; the National Education Association/Saturn Corporation Award for Union-Management Collaboration; the John Haynes Distinguished Mediator Award; and the Kumba Award from the National Conference on Minorities in ADR.

More than a third of all new marriages now occur between people with different religious affiliations, or between religious and non-religious people. Whether the couple is Protestant and Jewish, or Catholic and atheist, or Buddhist and Hindu, they share a certain perspective as interfaith families. So how do interfaith families bridge those religious gaps, find support, and create plans for the religious education of their children? Susan Katz Miller is here with us today to describe a number of pathways that interfaith families can take. She also encourages interfaith families to see their relationships as a source of inspiration, creative energy, and peacemaking in the world, rather than simply as a problem or challenge to be solved.

Journalist Susan Katz Miller is a former Newsweek reporter, and the author of Being Both: Embracing Two Religions in One Interfaith Family. She is the founder of the national Network of Interfaith Family Groups on facebook, and a consultant who works with clergy, seminarians, religious educators, and religious communities to better appreciate the role of interfaith families today.

Tracy CulbreathKing has a passion for conflict resolution that began after pursuing her Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Central Florida in Interpersonal Organizational Communication. After observing the consequences of poor communication on a personal and professional level, she realized she needed additional skills to address the conflicts that often resulted from communication breakdowns. In 2014 Tracy graduated from the University of Baltimore with a Master’s of Science in Negotiation and Conflict Management.

So this last contentious presidential election is finally over with. It is either the best or worst day for America. Some will gloat over the win, others exhibit anger for the loss, or maybe we just keep our mouth shut so as not to engage in conflict? So how do you talk to your friends, co-workers, and family about politics and not get burned in the process? Learn how two conflict resolution experts, Pattie Porter and Stephen Kotev, help others say what they really mean and hear what really matters from those they don't agree with.

Pattie Porter, LCSW, AAP is the President of Conflict Connections®, Inc. in San Antonio, TX. Pattie has worked extensively in the dispute resolution field for nearly 20 years providing mediation, team facilitation, negotiation training, and conflict management and abrasive leader coaching services to executives, businesses, government agencies and higher education institutions.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation and facilitation services, conflict coaching, training and somatic education to private and government clients. Helping people resolve problems and improve their performance is his passion and profession.

"It was the best of times, the worst of times...it was the season of light...it was the season of darkness..." quoted from Charles Dickens, Tale of Two Cities. The holidays often remind us of our best memories and our worst family reunion nightmares. The holiday season alone puts a lot of stress due to high expectations of meeting long-held family traditions and conjures up past resentments and unresolved conflict with family members. So when you add into the holiday mix, an aging parent with care-giving needs or a seriously or even terminally ill spouse, sibling or parent, then the stressors intensify.

How do you get ahead of the curve now? How do you plan and prepare to reduce the stress, release the anxiety, and manage expectations? Call in live to speak with Dr. Joe Nowinski, blogger for Psychology Today and past contributor to the Huffington Post to discuss your concerns and learn practical strategies to step it up, without giving yourself all away.Joseph Nowinski is a clinical psychologist who has held positions as Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco and Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Connecticut. He is the co-author, with Dr. Barbara Okun, of Saying Goodbye: A Guide to Coping with a Loved One’s Terminal Illness.

Got Conflict? If you have a conflict with someone and are not sure how to handle it, then let us know. Here is your opportunity to ask your question with Conflict Management experts who are mediators, conflict coaches and facilitators on how to think about, analyze or resolve your situation.

Think about it. Are you currently engaged in an active conflict with your co-workers or boss? Ignoring your neighbor because of a conversation you don't want to have? In a disagreement with your spouse? Or simply afraid to bring up a concern with a friend in fear of stirring up problems.

Join us live. Here is how: Call 347-324-3591; press 1 and wait for a HostUse the Reply box below to post your question or conflict situationJoin us in the chat room live at Blog Talk Radio on the night of the program. Post your comment or question here and we will bring it into the program.Join our Live Twitter chat using #ConflictChat every Tuesday night at 5 pm Pacific/7pm Central/8 pm Eastern Pattie Porter, LCSW, AAP is the President of Conflict Connections®, Inc. in San Antonio, TX. Pattie has worked extensively in the dispute resolution field for nearly 20 years providing mediation, team facilitation, negotiation training, and conflict management and abrasive leader coaching services to executives, businesses, government agencies and higher education institutions.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation and facilitation services, conflict coaching, training and somatic education to private and government clients. Helping people resolve problems and improve their performance is his passion and profession.

Are you sick of people discussing politics at work? Or are you one of those folks who can’t seem to stop talking about the candidates?

Political topics can be explosive, and it is difficult to predict which issues your colleagues may find to be truly upsetting. What starts as casual chat could spiral into an emotional brawl, upsetting people and disrupting working relationships. And even brief comments could offend some coworkers, harming your rep or setting you up for retribution down the road.

Understanding how to manage workplace communications is key to building a resilient career. Often the best strategy is “communicate, communicate, communicate.” But when the office conversation is about politics, the smart choice is usually to stop talking.

But sometimes it is not easy to deal with people who want to impose their views or tease you into reacting. In today’s program, our host will offer tips about how you can avoid becoming bogged down in political chatter at work.

Beverly Jones, author of “Think Like an Entrepreneur, Act Like a CEO,” is a model of career resilience and reinvention. She started out as a public radio/TV writer, next created and led university programs for women, and then trail-blazed her career as a female Washington law firm partner and Fortune 500 energy executive. Bev is a popular speaker and facilitator, she creates workshops and other events around the needs of her clients, and her blogs and podcasts are found at Clearways Consulting and media sites such as WOUB.

Tracy CulbreathKing has a passion for conflict resolution that began after pursuing her Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Central Florida in Interpersonal Organizational Communication. Tracy is an Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator at the Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office.

Join Marci Anavitarte-Jordan as she leads our listeners in an in-depth discussion on the importance of effective communication in the workplace that can break down barriers, avoid misconceptions, and diffuse situations. But if all else fails, your rights in the workplace and where to go for assistance.

Marci Anavitarte-Jordan has been mediating for over 22 years with over 700 mediations conducted and with a success rate of 80%. She has an Associate Degree in Legal Assistance from College of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas, NV. Bachelor of Applied Science-Business Administration- University of Mary Hardin Baylor-Belton, Texas Masters in Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation from Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas .

Marci currently works for the Texas Workforce Commission-Civil Right Division as a Sr. Employment Discrimination Mediator for the state of Texas. She handles all types of Title VII, age, and disability employment discrimination cases. Mediation to Marci is not a job but a passion and calling and true mediators want to assist all parties reach a resolution but more importantly get closure so that they can move on from this place of contention. In her off time, she loves to read, walk, and just enjoy life.

Updates on Brav - the online platform to manage conflicts at school, work, home or more. Brav ultimately becomes the first option in workplaces, schools, in lieu of HRs, deans and principals' standard policies. In this way, there is less work for everyone! In addition, teaming up with groups including schools, work places, police departments and task forces allow for accountability, where all parties are ensured to come together.

Remi Alli holds a JD, a Master's Degree in Health Law and a background in Psychology. She also is a national legal scholar having won first place in a recent AJA legal competition.

In a digitally connected world where diversity of identities is a reality which we must confront every time we log into our smart phones and social media accounts, academia has played a pioneering role in the way we learn how to be inclusive and embrace diversity. Nevertheless, recent demonstrations across American campuses as well as the growing expressions of hate and violence in online space worldwide, make question the preparedness of traditional education methods to tackle the virtual multicultural world we live in. Grassroots intercultural dialogue programs between citizens living in different societies have flourished over the past decade as a response to the growing antagonism between some of those societies. Those programs aim at building mutual understanding and a sense of empathy among participants, creating bridges and fostering a new culture of constructive engagement between young citizens. Lately, online dialogue programs carried out by organizations like Soliya have received an official acknowledgment of their relevance in a fast changing world. Panelists involved as implementors of Soliya’s Connect Program will engage in an interactive discussion with participants on the lessons learned from Soliya's 13 years experience, the current evolutions of dialogue processes and the value of virtual exchange as a growing field in the world of intercultural dialogue and conflict resolution education.

Got Conflict? If you have a conflict with someone and are not sure how to handle it, then let us know. Here is your opportunity to ask your question with Conflict Management experts who are mediators, conflict coaches and facilitators on how to think about, analyze or resolve your situation.

Think about it. Are you currently engaged in an active conflict with your co-workers or boss? Ignoring your neighbor because of a conversation you don't want to have? In a disagreement with your spouse? Or simply afraid to bring up a concern with a friend in fear of stirring up problems.

Pattie Porter, LCSW, AAP is the President of Conflict Connections®, Inc. in San Antonio, TX. Pattie has worked extensively in the dispute resolution field for nearly 20 years providing mediation, team facilitation, negotiation training, and conflict management and abrasive leader coaching services to executives, businesses, government agencies and higher education institutions.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation and facilitation services, conflict coaching, training and somatic education to private and government clients. Helping people resolve problems and improve their performance is his passion and profession.Stephen has dedicated his professional career to the practice and study of conflict resolution.

What would it take to make you a more confident negotiator? Would you like to know …

Simple no-cost things you can do to save time, money

and energy before you ever think about negotiating?

The top 3 negotiation blunders, breakthroughs, and solutions
Tips on handling counter-productive behavior and the #1 thing you must never negotiate

Join Corine Wofford and discover how to Put Your Power On and Confidently Negotiate with Success for great results in your professional and personal life!

Corine Wofford is known as America’s “Be the Difference” Business Mentor. She is the CEO and Master Facilitator with Corine Wofford International, an award winning training and development consultancy, providing high performance training in sales, negotiation, service, and teams. Corine is celebrating 30 years as a 100% woman owned enterprise, helping business leaders like Apple, IBM, USAA and women entrepreneurs worldwide share their gifts, make more money and create a meaningful difference in the world.

Corine’s Wonderfully Outrageous Wealth Live Event is at the Eilan Hotel & Spa on Sept. 23 in San Antonio.

Couples often have differences about finances in their marriages, and those differences become exacerbated in divorce. In this program, we will look at the issues in divorce financial planning, the emotional components of financial decision-making, and how couples can resolve financial differences in both marriage and divorce.

Pam Friedman has over 20 years of financial planning and investment experience. She is author of new book "I Now Pronounce You Financially Fit". Prior to partnering with Silicon Hills Wealth Management, LLC, Ms. Friedman was on Wall Street in both New York and London structuring and raising capital for both public and private companies. Upon her return to Texas, Ms. Friedman spent six years on the faculty of the Finance Depart. in the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas. Ms. Friedman’s particular area of expertise is marital financial planning which includes planning for the risk of divorce and educating clients who may be unfamiliar with financial issues and investing during and after divorce. Pam is also a trained family law mediator. Pam holds an MBA, BBA and BA in Finance and Economics from The University of Texas at Austin.

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators.

By definition, negotiation is a conversation leading to agreement. But because we really have no need to negotiate unless we reach a dead end or an impasse, negotiation naturally occurs in the field of conflict, and this spells trouble for women, In this show negotiation trainers Victoria Pynchon and Lisa Gates will give you tips for dealing with your natural responses to conflict and strategies for faking it 'til you make it.

Lisa Gates is a negotiation trainer and coach who works with executive women and entrepreneurs to help them unravel the knot of business and knee-jerk to-do list living. She rigorously guides women to: show up powerfully and take a stand for themselves, design purposeful livelihoods that close the wage and income gap, and create a legacy of leadership and lasting change for themselves, their families and communities, and the world.

Victoria Pynchon is a lawyer, mediator, negotiation trainer and author of the just released "A is for Asshole, the Grownups' ABCs of Conflict Resolution. Though she primarily helps lawyers, executives and managers negotiate better deals than they could achieve in a court of law, she also consults privately with women on their specific negotiation challenges.

Got Conflict? If you have a conflict with someone and are not sure how to handle it, then let us know. Here is your opportunity to ask your question with Conflict Management experts who are mediators, conflict coaches and facilitators on how to think about, analyze or resolve your situation.

Join us live. Here is how: Call 347-324-3591; press 1 and wait for a HostUse the Reply box below to post your question or conflict situationJoin us in the chat room live on Blog Talk Radio.Post your comment or question here and we will bring it into the program.Join our Live Twitter chat using #ConflictChat. Pattie Porter, LCSW, AAP is the President of Conflict Connections®, Inc. in San Antonio, TX. Pattie has worked extensively in the dispute resolution field for nearly 20 years providing mediation, team facilitation, negotiation training, and conflict management and abrasive leader coaching services to executives, businesses, government agencies and higher education institutions.

Abigail R.C. McManus is a graduate of the University of Baltimore obtaining her master’s degree in negotiation and conflict management. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Human Services from Stevenson University. Abigail is passionate about analyzing, managing, resolving, and transforming conflict in everyday life. She uses her education and understanding to resolve productively and efficiently conflicts both at work and at home. She recently took a position as a compliance associate at a mortgage company.

Verbal Aikido is a means of communication that enables the practitioner to transform verbal attacks, both effectively and peacefully. This philosophy comes from the Japanese martial art of Aikido that seeks to transform ‘attackers’ into training partners. It’s a fun and easy-to-learn approach that can be learned from ages as young as 5 years old. Regular practice of Verbal Aikido considerably increases self-esteem, altruism, and the confidence to manage conflict in a self-affirming and harmonious manner.

Luke Archer is an Irish-born teacher trainer, writer and public speaker on communication, conflict management, and education development. He’s been living in Lyon, France since 1995, where he has innovated and pioneered Verbal Aikido training since 2009. He continues to work with companies, schools and students of all ages internationally spreading this way of peaceful communication to one boardroom or classroom at a time.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation and facilitation services, conflict coaching, training and somatic education to private and government clients. Helping people resolve problems and improve their performance is his passion and profession. He has dedicated his professional career to the practice and study of conflict resolution. Stephen is one of only two individuals to have been employed by both of the nation’s two largest Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) membership organizations – the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution and the Association for Conflict Resolution.

The University of Michigan’s Rackham School of Graduate Studies has created a position of Resolution Officer which is responsible for assisting graduate students and faculty members who have issues and conflicts with each other to resolve those conflicts. The Resolution Officer works directly with both faculty and students, and also facilitates conversations between them and mediates. Her job includes counseling students about available options, supporting students through difficult situations, and connecting students to appropriate resources.

Darlene Ray-Johnson, M.A., has been employed in higher education for 35 years. She has served as student affairs professional at the University of Michigan for 27 years. She currently serves as Graduate Student Affairs Officer and Resolution Officer in the Dean’s Office at Rackham Graduate School. Her professional areas of expertise include social justice mediation, dispute resolution, conflict management and diversity issues.

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators. She is the recipient of the Michigan Lifetime Achievement in Mediation Award; the National Education Association/Saturn Corporation Award for Union-Management Collaboration; the John Haynes Distinguished Mediator Award; and the Kumba Award from the National Conference on Minorities in ADR.

Join us to learn the key principles to building relationship and trust with any teenager, whether “troubled” or not. Want to know how to set effective boundaries, how to avoid ever getting into a power control battle, and how to have a whole lot of fun in the process? In a job where the average length of employment is measured in months, and many last only weeks, Mark Andreas not only survived but thrived while working round-the- clock with troubled teens. Whether you are a parent, a teacher, a youth leader, or anyone wanting to connect with and support the teens in your life, come learn how to build relationships that are simultaneously more empowering for you and the teens you work with.

Mark Andreas trains NLP around the country and runs an NLP Change Coaching private practice, working with people around the world both in person and over Skype to resolve limitations and achieve life goals. Mark is Author of the books “Sweet Fruit from the Bitter Tree: 61 stories of creative and compassionate ways out of conflict,” a collection of true stories of creative responses to conflict, and “Waltzing with Wolverines: finding connection and cooperation with troubled teens,” a collection of stories and principles for working with youth based on his two years leading groups of at-risk teens 24-7 for three week shifts at a wilderness therapy program in Colorado.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation and facilitation services, conflict coaching, training and somatic education to private and government clients. Helping people resolve problems and improve their performance is his passion and profession. More information at: www.stephenkotev.com

For decades, Peer Mediation Programs have helped students all over the world resolve conflicts. The Online Peer Mediation Platform is on the cutting edge, combining technology and peer mediation, breathing new life into programs. Learn more about the project’s goals, resources and how you can get involved in this innovative opportunity!

Guest: Dr. Cynthia Morton, Kristen Woodward, and Karen DeVoogd

Church congregations are not immune to conflict. Beth Padgett and Alexandria Skinner would argue that conflict is a sign of an active, engaged, and vital congregation. The question is not whether religious communities will have conflict, but how they will respond to it when it happens. Beth and Alexandria will discuss patterns of church conflict, as well as how mediators can invite clergy, staff, and members into trans-formative conversations where firmly held beliefs are part of the conflict and its transformation.

Beth Padgett works as a civil and family mediator. She is the Exec. Dir. of the Community Mediation Center in Columbia. Beth earned two degrees from the University of SC, a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Masters of Education. She also earned a Master of Arts in Human Behavior and Conflict Management from Columbia College. Beth has a background in education, mental health and addiction treatment services, domestic violence counseling, as well as curriculum and program development in these disciplines. Beth can be contacted at lizzieb.padgett@gmail.com

Alexandria Skinner, a mediator in Columbia, SC, focuses her practice on helping parties resolve conflict where future relationships are important.. She is also an IACP certified collaborative divorce attorney, has completed graduate studies in ethics. She views the most fundamental, basic ideals of mediation as being rooted in the same type of compassion and love that religious communities aspire to emulate in their relationships with one another. She volunteers at the Community Mediation Center, serves as Co-Chair of the Program Committee of the Elder Section of the Assoc. for Conflict Resolution, and also serves as Chair of the Peacemaking Committee for Trinity Presbytery..

Summer is ending and the school year draws near. Our kids have had lots of fun times together. Siblings can be the best of friends, but conflict and disagreements are also a natural part of their ever-changing relationships. We may not always realize it, but we have many ways to help our kids learn how to "fight fair" - to work out disagreements without punching or shouting.

Join me and my returning guest, Parent Coach Janet Bonnin of Fine-Tuned Families. We will dive into a great discussion with many tips and ideas you can take to head off big "blow ups" and guide constructive communication. We will also be joined by a super mother of eight, Maggie Luevano, and two of her kids who are part of the Hill Country musical group, "Mariachi 'L'". Maggie and her kids will share stories of growing up in this fantastic family, a brief history of the group's formation, and how the family has dealt with sibling disagreements over the years. Don't miss this great conversation!

Janet Bonnin is a Life Coach, Industrial Engineer and mother of three. She works with busy parents to strengthen family teamwork, parent more effectively, de-stress, and get more done with less effort at work and at home. Parents who work with Janet create deeper, more loving relationships and focus on raising awesome kids!

For more information visit: Fined-Tuned Families and Mariachi 'L'

Mariachi "L" Photo by: Bill Sullivan Photography

Sometime in our lives we will unfortunately witness or be impacted by a traumatic event. We hear about these situations in the media all of the time…a very disgruntled employee who kills their boss and then commits suicide; witnessing the terrorist attacks of the World Trade Center towers; a bank teller who is robbed at gun point; a bus accident involving the death of children; or a natural disaster like that of the recent earthquakes and tsunami that hit Japan. All of these situations create what is called critical incident stress.

We bring the topics of stress management and emotion management as part of National Stress Awareness month. And tonight, we focus on Handling Stress after a Traumatic Event. We will talk with Denise Thompson with Crisis Response Consulting, about how you can identify the signs and signals of this kind of traumatic stress; and mechanisms for coping during these difficult times.

Denise Thompson is the founder and owner of Crisis Response Consulting, a graduate of Florida State University, a licensed clinical social worker and a Lt Col in the Air Force Reserves. Recently she served 8 years of active duty, including 2 deployments following September 11, 2001. During this period of active duty, Denise served as Chief, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Deployment Operations and 5 years as Chief, Behavioral Health for the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) Surgeon General. Prior to her activation in 2001, Denise was in private practice working with adults and children affected by traumatic events. Denise has also provided crisis intervention and organizational consultation following airplane and helicopter crashes, homicides, suicides, line-of-duty deaths, man-made and natural disasters, robberies and combat.

Being in business with your family can bring lots of rewards, including financial security and personal pleasure in working with people you know well and love. But it can also be the source of misunderstanding, antagonism and painful conflict. The show looks at common causes of conflict in family businesses and how that conflict can be resolved and even prevented.

Join us as we talk with Jim Lea , a writer, speaker and advisor on family owned and closely held business. He’s the author of Keeping It In the Family: Successful Succession of the Family Business, a syndicated print and online family business columnist, and author of numerous articles. Jim advises family owned companies in the United States and other countries on human performance and relationships issues in management, including identifying, understanding and resolving causes of conflict. He is frequently invited to speak to trade and business groups. He’s a professor at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

Listener Assignment

With your business partner, sit down and discuss any one of the following questions:

What really important family and business values are being affected by the conflict?

2. What's the real cause of the conflict? (Be honest. Drill down past the obvious.)

3. What's the cost of continuing the conflict? Cost to the business? Cost to the family? Long term cost?

4. What's the first step we can take toward healing and reconciliation and who's big enough and wise enough to take it?

Got Conflict? If you have a conflict with someone, and are not sure how to handle it, then let us know. Here is your opportunity to ask your question with Conflict Management experts who are mediators, conflict coaches and facilitators on how to think about, analyze or resolve your situation.

Think about it. Are you currently engaged in an active conflict with your co-workers or boss? Ignoring your neighbor because of a conversation you don't want to have? In a disagreement with your spouse? Or simply afraid to bring up a concern with a friend in fear of stirring up problems.

Join us live. Here is how: Call 347-324-3591; press 1 and wait for a HostUse the Reply box below to post your question or conflict situationJoin us in the chat room live at Blog Talk Radio on the night of the program. Post your comment or question here and we will bring it into the program.Join our Live Twitter chat using #ConflictChat every Tuesday night at 5 pm Pacific/7pm Central/8 pm Eastern

Christie Asselin, the blogger and attorney behind YourWeddingLawyer.com will share tips designed to help engaged couples prevent and handle conflicts with wedding vendors. Christie has a background in business disputes and consumer law, and loves event planning and weddings. Her mission is to educate and empower engaged couples with legal know-how.

Christie has been a California licensed attorney since 2008. She has been seen and heard in many wedding and financial media resources, including, and most recently Slate. Her blog YourWeddingLawyer.com serves as a resource for engaged couples and newlyweds as they navigate the challenges presented during these time periods. She can speak from experience as she is a newlywed herself. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their adorable dog, Scout.

Tracy is an Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator at the Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO). Tracy also serves as a conflict coach, mediator, and promotes conflict resolution processes through trainings, outreach initiatives, and continuing education for conflict resolution practitioners.

Abigail R.C. McManus is a graduate of the University of Baltimore obtaining her master’s degree in negotiation and conflict management. Abigail earned her Bachelor’s degree in Human Services from Stevenson University. Abigail is passionate about analyzing, managing, resolving, and transforming conflict in everyday life. She uses her education and understanding to resolve productively and efficiently conflicts both at work and at home.

Are you currently, or soon to be, an Engaged or Newlywed Couple? While this is an exciting time, it can also bring certain stresses that can be difficult to navigate. We will discuss common conflicts you may experience in your relationship at this stage, as well as peace practices and prevention techniques. Join us to learn valuable tips to help you maintain the relationship of a lifetime!

Michelle and Dan Joy lead Marriage Prep 101 workshops for couples who want to establish communication skills for a lifetime together. The 10-hour weekend workshop helps couples improve communication, conflict management, and intimacy enhancement skills to build successful, enduring relationships. Michelle Joy, MFT is a licensed marriage and family therapist who has been working at The Couples Institute in Menlo Park, CA for 15 years. Dan Joy, co-leader, is educated in Communication Studies, Mediation, and Conflict Resolution.

Tracy Culbreath King is an Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator at the Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO). Tracy also serves as a conflict coach, mediator, and promotes conflict resolution processes through trainings, outreach initiatives, and continuing education for conflict resolution practitioners.

Abigail R.C. McManus is a graduate of the University of Baltimore obtaining her master’s degree in negotiation and conflict management.Abigail earned her Bachelor’s degree in Human Services from Stevenson University. Abigail is passionate about analyzing, managing, resolving, and transforming conflict in everyday life. She uses her education and understanding to resolve productively and efficiently conflicts both at work and at home.

Over the last 7 years, we have produced 280 podcasts with experts from all over the world. Each month we will feature one of these programs in our “The Best of the Past” episodes. Our theme for the month of June is: Wedding Conflict.

The breakup of a marriage almost always involves some level of conflict between spouses, but the process of litigation during divorce ratchets that conflict up to a level of devastation for all members of the immediate and even extended family. Instead of getting away from the turmoil by divorcing, the adversarial nature of a legal “fight” can actually create permanent emotional and financial damage. If the goal of divorce is to stop the daily conflict, then the process should reduce that conflict while helping establish better relationships for the children and their parents. We will discuss how parents can create an emotionally supportive divorce that promotes a healthy relationship between themselves and a loving future for their children.

Marilyn Miller, a psychotherapist, Steve Schechter, a lawyer and mediator, and Melynda Gulley, a mediator, have more than fifty years of experience between them in helping families. They recognized a critical need to help families survive the trauma of divorce and founded Mediators & Counselors, Inc. to provide a divorce that allows parents to maintain control of the outcome which promotes positive, loving relationships for their children.

Got Conflict? If you have a conflict with someone, and are not sure how to handle it, then let us know. Here is your opportunity to ask your question with Conflict Management experts who are mediators, conflict coaches and facilitators on how to think about, analyze or resolve your situation.

Think about it. Are you currently engaged in an active conflict with your co-workers or boss? Ignoring your neighbor because of a conversation you don't want to have? In a disagreement with your spouse? Or simply afraid to bring up a concern with a friend in fear of stirring up problems.

Ovver the last 7 years, we have produced 280 podcasts with experts from all over the world. Each month we will feature one of these programs in our "The Best of the Past" episodes. Our theme for the month of May is: Fights, Disagreements and Misunderstandings.

Crucial Conversations exist when the stakes are high, opinions vary, and when emotions run strong and it is in these conversations where our greatest potential lies, we will discuss ways to handle these conversations in a healthy and productive way. Crucial Conversations creates a new language around communications and how they can best be handled. It approaches the issue in a very human way that stimulates our desire to relate to others while feeling good about us. You will read some real and concrete methods for getting control of yourself and staying focused through those challenging moments that pop up in everyone’s life.

Randy Mayes works full time as an Executive Coach, consultant, and trainer. He is also an adjunct professor for William Woods University’s MBA program teaching classes in entrepreneurship, management, and marketing. His latest project is called Leadership Book of the Month. Leadership Book of the Month is a quick and easy way for business owners and busy professionals to keep up with the latest trends and developments in business and leadership without having to spend hours and hours reading.

Do you and your spouse spend differently? Fighting with siblings about inheritance? Can't decide how to split costs with a neighbor? Going out with friends who don't pay their fair share? Money is a common source of disagreement. Listen to Linda Gryczan and Tracy Culbreath King, and learn how to uncover and resolve the real issue behind money disputes.

Linda Gryczan is a mediator who has led consensus decision making for more than 40 years. She opened Mediation Works in 2007, and has helped hundreds of people transform their conflict into cooperation.

Gryczan is President of the Montana Mediation Association. She is a Certified Mediator with Family Designation and has earned Advanced Practitioner status with the Association for Conflict Resolution and Academy of professional Family Mediators.

Tracy Culbreath King has a passion for conflict resolution that began after pursuing her Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Central Florida in Interpersonal Organizational Communication. After observing the consequences of poor communication on a personal and professional level, she realized she needed additional skills to address the conflicts that often resulted from communication breakdowns. In 2014 Tracy graduated from the University of Baltimore with a Master’s of Science in Negotiation and Conflict Management.

Tracy is an Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator at the Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO). Tracy also serves as a conflict coach, mediator, and promotes conflict resolution processes through trainings, outreach initiatives, and continuing education for conflict resolution practitioners.

Do you ever feel like there’s not enough time in the day to get everything done? Do friends, family, or co-workers rely on you and lean on you for help? Find out how to deal with time challenges that others place on us – and the conflicts that can arise from these situations.

Time management expert Helene Segura delivers thought-provoking, yet entertaining time management keynotes and seminars that give busy professionals the powerful strategies and tactics they need to slay wasted time.

By improving efficiency, she helps companies lower employee stress levels, decrease absenteeism, improve retention, and increase profits. The author of two Amazon best-selling books, Helene has been the featured productivity expert in more than 100 media interviews including publications such as US News and World Report and Money Magazine, as well as on Fox, CBS, ABC and NBC affiliates. Helene’s third book, The Inefficiency Assassin: Time Management Tactics for Working Smarter, Not Longer (New World Library) was released in April 2016.

Raising children in a blended family can be challenging, frustrating, and overwhelming at times. It can be a real test of endurance to manage to stay together through some of the tough times that can erupt with your stepchildren. It can also be a time of growth and lasting relationships. Join Kim Abraham, Marney Studaker-Cordner and Zena Zumeta to hear how conflict is actually an opportunity to teach your children - step and biological - values and skills to last a lifetime.

Kim Abraham and Marney Studaker-Cordner are licensed child and family therapists, practicing for over twenty years. Specializing in children with severe emotional and behavioral disorders, Kim and Marney are published authors in the areas of parenting and codependency. They both have personal experience with stepparenting and blended families.

More Information about Kim Abraham and Marney Studaker-Cordner

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators. She is the recipient of the Michigan Lifetime Achievement in Mediation Award; the National Education Association/Saturn Corporation Award for Union-Management Collaboration; the John Haynes Distinguished Mediator Award; and the Kumba Award from the National Conference on Minorities in ADR.

Got Conflict? If you have a conflict with someone, and are not sure how to handle it, then let us know. Here is your opportunity to ask your question with Conflict Management experts who are mediators, conflict coaches and facilitators on how to think about, analyze or resolve your situation.

Think about it. Are you currently engaged in an active conflict with your co-workers or boss? Ignoring your neighbor because of a conversation you don't want to have? In a disagreement with your spouse? Or simply afraid to bring up a concern with a friend in fear of stirring up problems.

Join us live. Here is how: Call 347-324-3591; press 1 and wait for a HostUse the Reply box below to post your question or conflict situationJoin us in the chat room live at Blog Talk Radio on the night of the program. Post your comment or question here and we will bring it into the program.Join our Live Twitter chat using #ConflictChat every Tuesday night at 5 pm Pacific/7pm Central/8 pm Eastern

Our guest and author, Robert Batista will share his passion and journey to curb and stop gun violence through his writing and novellas called Street Angel and The City Game. He will talk about the “iron pipeline” and the collateral impact of gun violence. Gun violence is not the answer to disputes, disagreements and differences. Robert will discuss non-violent approaches to dealing with these differences and share his stories.

Robert Batista grew up in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. After attending Brooklyn College, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. While stationed at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California, he began his writing career; first with poetry, then short stories.

In 1992 he founded Word Is Bond Press and began writing and publishing positive, uplifting stories for teenagers and young adults. His books ‘The City Game’, ‘Street Angel’, and ‘Brooklyn Story’ were picked up by the NYC Department Of Education, and Robert’s powerful message of self-determination and non-violence is now required reading in schools throughout the country. He is currently working on his new young adult novel, ‘Crisis At Central High’.

More Information: Robert Batista, The Street Angel Project, The Funky Writer, The Funk Soul Cafe, Twitter

Appddiction Studio’s Stop Bullies district wide smartphone app empowers bystanders to capture bully events as they occur and report them to school administrators in real time. School administrators can then begin to investigate the incidents immediately utilizing the Stop Bullies secure dashboard which allows for the receipt, analysis and management of incidents across the district. With incident information captured by the bystander trained professionals within the school can put their training and intervention expertise to work thus making the campus safer. School counselors can then work on proactively preventing the next incident without spending valuable time on “He said-She said” type interviews.

Mr. Tim Porter recommends that every school district should consider implementing the Stop Bullies app. Stop Bullies can be downloaded by district students in grades K-12 to work on any smartphone regardless of platform including iPhone/iPad/iPad Mini/iPod Touch/Android/Android Tablets/Windows 8/Blackberry and is multi-language.

Mr. Tim Porter has over 20 years of leadership experience in the information technology industry. He proudly served for 10 years in the United States Army until he was honorably discharged in 1998 as a Platoon Sergeant. Tim earned his Masters of Business Administration from the University of the Incarnate Word. He currently serves a Board Member and the Technology Committee Chair for the World Affairs Council of San Antonio, Board Member of Bexar County Health Collaborative, and Conference of Minority Transportation Officials – HUB and Legislative Advisory Councils.

Join Rose Gordon and Zena Zumeta as they talk about what Restorative Justice and other Restorative processes are, how they work, why Restorative Justice is an effective intervention with youth who have engaged in violence and its impact on youth recidivism.

Rose Gordon has been facilitating Restorative Justice for youth for over a decade. Less than 5% of the hundreds of youth she’s worked with committed other acts of delinquency. Rose has facilitated Restorative Approaches trainings in New Mexico and Thailand. She views Restorative Approaches as a way of building peaceful communities and an “inoculation” against violence. She’s currently the Program Coordinator for the Taos County Juvenile Justice Continuum.

Read Rose Gordon's Blogs: Restorative Connections

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators. She is the recipient of the Michigan Lifetime Achievement in Mediation Award; the National Education Association/Saturn Corporation Award for Union-Management Collaboration; the John Haynes Distinguished Mediator Award; and the Kumba Award from the National Conference on Minorities in ADR.

Got Conflict? If you have a conflict with someone, and are not sure how to handle it, then let us know. Here is your opportunity to ask your question with Conflict Management experts who are mediators, conflict coaches and facilitators on how to think about, analyze or resolve your situation.

Think about it. Are you currently engaged in an active conflict with your co-workers or boss? Ignoring your neighbor because of a conversation you don't want to have? In a disagreement with your spouse? Or simply afraid to bring up a concern with a friend in fear of stirring up problems.

Join us live. Here is how: Call 347-324-3591; press 1 and wait for a HostUse the Reply box below to post your question or conflict situationJoin us in the chat room live at Blog Talk Radio on the night of the program. Post your comment or question here and we will bring it into the program.Join our Live Twitter chat using #ConflictChat every Tuesday night at 5 pm Pacific/7pm Central/8 pm Eastern

Our pets are family members. When conflicts arise involving this family companion in divorce, landlord tenant or neighbor issues (to name only a few) emotions are peaked and litigation is often the selected form of resolution. Yet courts view pets as property. This choice may prove not to be the best venue in which to discuss a disagreement over an animal. Join Debra Hamilton as she discusses how using mediation to resolve issues involving animals may be a safer, confidential and more user friendly means of reaching an agreement over a pet which helps everyone win.

Debra Vey Voda-Hamilton, principal at Hamilton Law and Mediation, practices and teaches an alternative means of resolving disagreements between people over animals. She works with pet owners, spouses, service providers, neighbors, rescues and governmental agencies to help them address misunderstandings, misstatements or oversights involving pets. Debra is the author of the bestselling book Nipped in the Bud-Not in the Butt-How to Use Mediation to Resolve Conflicts Over Animals.

Tracy CulbreathKing has a passion for conflict resolution that began after pursuing her Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Central Florida in Interpersonal Organizational Communication. After observing the consequences of poor communication on a personal and professional level, she realized she needed additional skills to address the conflicts that often resulted from communication breakdowns. In 2014 Tracy graduated from the University of Baltimore with a Master’s of Science in Negotiation and Conflict Management.Tracy is an Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator at the Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office.Tracy also serves as a conflict coach, mediator, and promotes conflict resolution processes.

Dealing with the normal stress of the holidays can be enough to handle. Then add those annoyances and disruptions you have to deal with in your neighborhood…loud holiday parties, cars blocking roads and your driveway, those bright holiday lights and decorations. All invading your peace and quiet. The holidays can bring people together just as equally as they can erupt into full blown holiday mayhem. Conflict coaching experts, Pattie Porter and Stephen Kotev, will discuss strategies to keep neighbor conflict at bay and help you manage your triggers to those nuisances you cannot control.

Pattie Porter, LCSW, AAP is the President of Conflict Connections®, Inc. in San Antonio, TX. Pattie has worked extensively in the dispute resolution field for nearly 20 years providing mediation, team facilitation, negotiation training, and conflict management and abrasive leader coaching services to individuals, businesses, government agencies and higher education institutions.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation, conflict analysis, facilitation, training and somatic education to private and government clients. He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and a black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido. He is a former employee of the Association for Conflict Resolution, the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, the Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Resolution and the D.C. Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency as an ADR Specialist.

In many communities around the country there are community mediation centers supported by volunteer mediators. Community Boards of San Francisco is the oldest community mediation center in the country, started in 1976. The philosophy of community mediation centers is to empower community members to resolve their own disputes rather than resorting to courts or other outsiders to do it for them. Participants in mediation have found that the process helps them feel heard, and increases their understanding of themselves and the other person as well. Community Boards has handled thousands of cases in its 36 year history, and has helped 85% of those who use their mediation services reach a successful agreement.

Cordell Wesselink, is Mediation Program Manager of Community Boards. He has a Master’s Degree in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peacebuilding from California State University at Dominguez Hills. He is a mediator and facilitator, and also teaches meeting facilitation skills for Community Boards.

For more information see Cordell Wesselink

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators. She is the recipient of the the Michigan Lifetime Achievement in Mediation Award; the National Education Association/Saturn Corporation Award for Union-Management Collaboration; the John Haynes Distinguished Mediator Award; and the Kumba Award from the National Conference on Minorities in ADR.

What can you do when your neighbors are noisy, don't respect your boundaries, commit illegal acts, and even threaten and harass you and your family? Bob Borzotta of ABC News is here -- he's the author of Neighbors From Hell - Managing Today's Brand of Conflict Close to Home. He will be speaking with Pattie and taking your calls about this age-old social problem that now shows everyday it is on steroids!

Bob Borzotta is the neighbor conflict troubleshooter for ABC's 20/20, author of Neighbors From Hell, and managing editor of the e-newsletter Neighbor Beat. He is a reporter who spends most of his time helping good neighbors in dealing with the "Jerks Next Door." He regularly appears on NPR, has helped guests with neighbor problems on the Steve Harvey Show, and gives one-on-one guidance to thousands who suffer from having Neighbors From Hell.

Social Media: Twitter: @robertborzotta

Facebook: Neighbor From Hell

Got Conflict? If you have a conflict with someone, and are not sure how to handle it, then let us know. Here is your opportunity to ask your question with Conflict Management experts who are mediators, conflict coaches and facilitators on how to think about, analyze or resolve your situation.

Think about it. Are you currently engaged in an active conflict with your co-workers or boss? Ignoring your neighbor because of a conversation you don't want to have? In a disagreement with your spouse? Or simply afraid to bring up a concern with a friend in fear of stirring up problems.

Join us live. Here is how: Call 347-324-3591; press 1 and wait for a HostUse the Reply box below to post your question or conflict situationJoin us in the chat room live at Blog Talk Radio on the night of the program. Post your comment or question here and we will bring it into the program.Join our Live Twitter chat using #ConflictChat every Tuesday night at 5 pm Pacific/7pm Central/8 pm Eastern

It is said that men and women speak different languages and if you don’t understand the subtle communication differences between the genders then general understanding, cooperation, productivity, and stress levels will surely be affected by the inevitable miscommunications that occur.

Join Gregg Catalano in this highly entertaining and informative program as he provides you with the insights, tools and strategies to better interact with the opposite sex, and become bi-lingual in the art of male/female communication

Gregg Catalano is a unique presenter whose high energy workshops are always entertaining, and informative. Named as “Teacher-of-the-Year,” & “Coach-of-the-Year” twice during his 12 year teaching career, Gregg also holds a Master’s degree in Counseling Education, and is licensed as a Chemical Dependency Counselor and Marital and Family Therapist. Blending activities, humor, insight and practical ideas into all his workshops, Gregg utilizes his teaching/therapeutic background and skills to help all participants better understand themselves, recognize the value in others, and how to truly succeed in their lives and jobs. As the “Physician of Phun,” he is truly what the doctor ordered and a presenter you won’t easily forget!

You feel it’s getting hot and you just cannot do anything to prevent the innocent exchange of opinions from boiling over and blowing up like a lump of lava thrown out by a volcano? And it hurts because it happens with people important for you, with whom you have a family, neighbor or work relationship. Join Maciej Tanski as he bring some examples of conflict escalation and a handful of tips how to prevent it. We will discover what it takes to keep focused during hot discussions and be aware of the other person’s and our own hot buttons.

Maciej Tanskiis a mediator, trainer and conflict consultant leading the Partners Poland Mediation Center in Warsaw, Poland. For the last 15 years he has been helping people in conflict to find their own way out without losing face. Maciej mediates marital, family and divorce disputes, as well as business ones especially in family owned businesses. He consults and coaches couples, parents or co-workers on conflict prevention and resolution. He is also a trainer in mediation and social skills who designed and conducted workshops for thousands of civic and business leaders. Outside of Poland, he led trainings in the Western Balkans, Caucasus, and Central Asia. He wrote guidebooks for divorced parents and lone fathers.

The Couples Therapist, Susan Lager and the Texas Conflict Coach®, Pattie Porter, discuss ways they each observe and deal with people who have difficulty managing differences about their respective truths regarding any situation. Because "reality" is so subjective, what happened, what was said, what may have been decided may look very different to each person in a situation, often resulting in an emotional standoff. Tune in to learn about indicators of this problem, and to get some vital tools to move through these separate realities more respectfully in your marriage, at work, with your family or friends.

Susan Lager is a psychotherapist, author, and relationship coach based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. She is the founder and principal of Couplespeak™, providing coaching services, and The Couples Center PLLC, which provides psychotherapy services to individuals and couples who want help with relationship problems and would like to achieve more fulfillment in life. Susan is noted for being a "tell it like it is" clinician who gets significant results for her clients.

Got Conflict? If you have a conflict with someone, and are not sure how to handle it, then let us know. Here is your opportunity to ask your question with Conflict Management experts who are mediators, conflict coaches and facilitators on how to think about, analyze or resolve your situation.

Think about it. Are you currently engaged in an active conflict with your co-workers or boss? Ignoring your neighbor because of a conversation you don't want to have? In a disagreement with your spouse? Or simply afraid to bring up a concern with a friend in fear of stirring up problems.

Join us live. Here is how: Call 347-324-3591; press 1 and wait for a HostUse the Reply box below to post your question or conflict situationJoin us in the chat room live at Blog Talk Radio on the night of the program. Post your comment or question here and we will bring it into the program.Join our Live Twitter chat using #ConflictChat every Tuesday night at 5 pm Pacific/7pm Central/8 pm Eastern

Compassionate rebels are the new real-life superheroes without the capes and the celebrity, with the super powers of compassion and courage and determination that can change the world in so many different ways that offer cause for hope in these troubled times. Their powerful stories, being told publicly for the first time, will encourage you to find and unleash the compassionate rebel that resides in all of us, guides us through tough times, helps us find solutions to our most pressing problems, and makes us all potential agents of social change.

Burt Berlowe is an author, journalist, educator and social change activist. He has been writing and publishing people’s stories for more than four decades.

His current book: The Compassionate Rebel Revolution: Ordinary People Changing the World has been honored as a finalist for a Midwest Book Award and the international Reader’s Favorite award. It follows its predecessor The Compassionate Rebel: Energized by Anger, Motivated by Love, co-authored by Berlowe, and honored as a finalist for the nationally-prestigious Nautilus Award, presented during Book Expo America in Los Angeles.

In all of his work, Berlowe’s ultimate objective is to use storytelling as a way to transform our culture. “I believe that everyone has a compassionate rebel story waiting to be told,” he says. “I want to help people find and share that story and turn it into action that will positively change our society now and for years to come.”

Tracy CulbreathKing has a passion for conflict resolution that began after pursuing her Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Central Florida in Interpersonal Organizational Communication. Tracy is an Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator at the Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO).

Conflict comes not only in major ways between groups and nations, but also in real and persistent ways between strangers, neighbors, friends, and family. Join author Mark Andreas as he shares from his book “Sweet Fruit from the Bitter Tree” a collection of true stories of how ordinary people resolved intense conflict in creative and surprising ways most of us would never think of. Whether you are experiencing conflict with others or within yourself, learn ways to resolve these challenging situations by staying connected through difficulty and drawing on creative inner resources.

Mark Andreas lives in Boulder CO, where he runs a Personal Change coaching private practice assisting people in achieving life-goals and resolving limitations using NLP, Core Transformation, and other methods for personal transformation and development (www.markandreas.com.) Mark trains NLP around the country, is instructor of NLP at Red Rocks Community College, and is a trainer for the NLP of the Rockies’ Real World Integrated NLP Practitioner Training program. Mark is Author of the books “Sweet Fruit from the Bitter Tree: 61 stories of creative and compassionate ways out of conflict,” a collection of true stories of creative responses to conflict, endorsed by Dan Millman and William Ury, and “Waltzing with Wolverines: finding connection and cooperation with troubled teens” about his experience working with “at risk” teens while leading a 24/7 wilderness therapy program in the mountains of Colorado.

CONFLICT…either you hate it and avoid it at all costs, or you thrive on it by pushing to get your point across to the detriment of others. How we recognize potential conflict or respond to ongoing conflict is a choice. It is a learned skill that challenges your thinking, taps into your emotions, and requires you to make strategic behavioral choices. These choices help build courage, confidence and competence to handle difficult, tension-filled situations.

What is conflict avoidance, and how can it create unintended damage to relationships and escalate situations? More often than not, it is used as a default defense mechanism which often leads to a much bigger problem. You will learn behavioral cues and underlying motivating factors that drive us to react in damaging ways. More importantly, you can make different choices and learn strategies to help you take courageous steps to address conflict confidently.

Patricia Porter is Founder and President of Conflict Connections® Inc. and is known as the Texas Conflict Coach®. Patricia is a subject-matter expert in the field of conflict resolution since 1994. Her experience includes working as a senior mediator, team facilitator, senior trainer, and conflict management and abrasive leader coach. Her primary emphasis is in supporting employees, teams and senior leadership in organizations to work through conflict and change productively. She is the author of Stop the Dreaded Drama: 55 tips for Ending Destructive Conflict.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation and facilitation services, conflict coaching, training and somatic education to private and government clients. Helping people resolve problems and improve their performance is his passion and profession.

Have you ever been called a "slut"? If so, how did you feel? Whether you are sexually active or not the term can be hurtful and embarrassing. If you’re a parent of a teen, have you heard about "slut" shaming and the dire effects it can have on your impressionable teenager?

"Slut" shaming and sexual bullying is occurring every day in America. Many teens are experiencing these issues and feel uncomfortable reporting it to their parents or other adults. Emily Lindin, who founded of The UnSlut Project in April 2013, found herself in this exact situation when she was eleven. She began journaling about these incidents of "slut" shaming and sexual bullying she faced in school.

As Emily published her journal entries, she hoped that her words would reach teens experiencing the same thing bringing awareness about this prevalent issue. The UnSlut Project started as a small online personal submission and has now grown to incorporate the stories of girls, women, and men of many ages, backgrounds, and nationalities. Emily will be discussing the UnSlut Project and her upcoming video project “Slut: A Documentary Film” and her soon to be released book, “UnSlut: A Diary and A Memoir”.

The program focuses on Zingerman’s Community of Businesses and its philosophies and Customer Complaint Process. The businesses include the original business, Zingerman's Delicatessen, plus Zingerman’s Bakehouse, Creamery, Catering, Mail Order, ZingTrain, Coffee Company, Roadhouse Restaurant, Candy Manufactory and the newest business—Events at Cornman Farms. Zingerman’s produces and sells all sorts of full flavored, traditional foods in its home of Ann Arbor, Michigan to the tune of $50,000,000 a year in annual sales. Effectively managing conflict has allowed Zingerman’s to grow from 2 employees to 700 over 33 years. Like Apple Computers, Zingerman’s delights its customers with its food and its customer relations. It has also been lauded by President Obama and others for its employee support, including its fair base salary, hours and benefits. Zingerman’s philosophy of Servant Leadership, Energy Management, Going Direct and Handling Customer Complaints is at the core of its popularity and success.

Ari Weinzweig is CEO and co-founding partner of Zingerman's Community of Businesses. Ari was recognized as one of the “Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America” by the 2006 James Beard Foundation and has awarded a Bon Appetit Lifetime Achievement Award among many recognitions. Ari is the author of a number of articles and books.

Mystery shopping can help companies avoid conflict - and negative customer experiences - before it becomes an issue. If you've ever found yourself wondering if mystery shopping is too good to be true, join us in a discussion with Rich Bradley, MSPA-NA Board President to learn the facts. Rich Bradley will explain what mystery shopping is, what it is not, how to avoid scams, and how a business can benefit from measuring their customer experience.

Rich Bradley leads the day-to-day functions and operations as Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel for one of Orlando’s premier public relations and marketing firms, Todd Persons Communications. He also serves as the Board President of the MSPA, North America, the largest customer experience trade association in the Western Hemisphere.

If you’ve been told not to take conflict personally, you only have half the story. Before you can do that, you have to take conflict more personally. In this program, Tammy Lenski, author of The Conflict Pivot: Turning Conflict into Peace of Mind, will discuss three simple practices you can do on your own, anytime and anywhere, to avoid the most common conflict resolution mistakes, understand why certain conflicts get their hooks into you, and figure out how to liberate yourself.

Dr. Tammy Lenski helps people excel at conflict resolution by mastering their reaction, problem solving creatively, and forging lasting results. A mediator, coach, speaker, author, and conflict resolution teacher, she has helped thousands of organizations, individuals, and mediators worldwide resolve conflict masterfully. Tammy was a founding faculty member of the world’s first master’s degree in mediation and has been featured in Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Inc, and numerous other publications. A member of the Association for Conflict Resolution’s Academy of Advanced Practitioners, Tammy was recognized in 2012 with the Association’s Mary Parker Follett Award for innovative and pioneering work in the conflict resolution field.

Disputes have existed as long as there have been people. Ways to resolve disputes have also existed just as long. But now, technology has made some of the oldest ways to resolve disputes new again and better than ever! Now you can settle differences with other people or businesses without ever leaving your home, office or business.

Mark Norych manages the operations of Arbitration Resolution Services, Inc., and oversees the experienced litigators, judges, and magistrates who make up the panel of arbitrators. He is also responsible for managing the company’s Arb-IT™ arbitration system.

For more than 30 years, Norych has been involved in the collection, litigation, and arbitration of claims on behalf of insurance, car rental, and other major industries. He has also coordinated and supervised litigation on a national and global level.

Norych is a frequent lecturer and sought-after professional speaker. He has provided seminars and workshops at several Fortune 500 companies on topics ranging from best practices for corporate operations to specific topics related to federal and state regulations and laws and their effect on company models and procedures.

Our century is permanently presenting paradoxical situations. Thanks to Globalization, the economical vicissitudes of Gambia can produce a decided influence in Bolivia. Even though the growth of the communication media is undeniable, people feel increasingly alone. Internet has burst into our lives to stay.

Alberto Elisavetsky, director of the non-profit social network ODR Latinoamerica, will speak with us about his experiences in the use of new technologies applied to conflict resolution in Hispanic America, and how this modality can provide quick and low-cost resolution to various sorts of conflicts.

Alberto Elisavetsky is the director of ODR LATINOAMERICA. Among his most remarkable achievements, there’s the agreement of professional capacitation in distance mediation with the Justice and Human Rights Ministries of the provinces of Salta and Córdoba, Argentina. Another training agreement was made with the School of Judicial Investigation of the Judicial Power of the State of Guanajuato, Mexico. He is the director of the Observatory of Conflict in the National University of Tres de Febrero, Argentina, dedicated to research and advance of conflict resolution through new technologies. He’s also a professor in the virtual modality of the University.

Tracy Culbreath has a passion for conflict resolution that began after pursuing her Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Central Florida in Interpersonal Organizational Communication. After observing the consequences of poor communication on a personal and professional level, she realized she needed additional skills to address the conflicts that often resulted from communication breakdowns. Tracy graduated from the University of Baltimore with a Master’s of Science in Negotiation and Conflict Management.

We continue our Dispute Resolution –Cyber Style series with David Puckett, Founder and CEO of ResolvNow. It is quite normal for conflict to occur between businesses, consumers and the ordinary person. Most of us don’t have the time, energy or desire to use the court system and enter a lawsuit. So how do we give the consumer and business easier access to resolving their dispute with technology-enhanced dispute resolution? How do we unite conflict resolution practices like negotiation and mediation with various forms of technology? Consumers are often unclear and confused about how dispute resolution processes can assist much less how advancing technology comes into play. In this episode “Where Does the Conflict Go? Consumers Using Technology Enhanced Dispute Resolution,” David will address 5 barriers which contribute to this confusion, and the ways to create consumer awareness and an environment that is safe for participation.

Dave Puckett has been in the enterprise technology consulting industry for more than 25 years. His area of concentration is utilization of Technology-enhanced Dispute Resolution and Dispute System Design for online dispute resolution systems for individual, Courts, and Fortune 1000 companies. Dave’s company ResolvNow Corporation launched “Settle-Now” one of the world’s leading online dispute resolution engine and their proprietary methodology Technology-enhanced Dispute Resolution (TeDR) which includes the option to include Emotional Intelligence and Electronic Negotiation in the dispute resolution processes.

Why do old, dysfunctional patterns for handling conflict re-emerge and persist in the workplace, even after providing training, policies or procedures for resolving differences constructively? This vexing phenomenon—a return to the status quo--plagues conflict professionals and team leaders alike. The main culprit is not individuals clashing; instead it is the team’s culture—the social environment—which sets communication patterns and strongly influences how members behave when they encounter conflict. But how do we get a handle on conflict at the work team level? First we need to concretely assess a team’s “conflict climate” and then take steps to improve aspects of the climate that are negatively influencing members’ conflict behavior. In this program Michael Dues will discuss a powerful online instrument for diagnosing conflict climate in the workplace. He will describe what it measures, how it can guide interventions to gain long term, sustainable improvement in conflict management, and why it is especially useful to use an online survey for this purpose.

Michael Dues: Former Head of the Department of Communication at The University of Arizona, Dr. Dues has extensive experience as an organizational ombudsman and management consultant. He is a Senior Partner at conflictclimate.com. He pioneered the concept of “conflict climate.” His recorded lecture course, “The Art of Conflict Management,” (in The Teaching Company’s “Great Courses” series) has been widely distributed throughout the English-speaking world.

Family Resolve connects parents and partners with mediators using webcam-enabled online dispute resolution to bring mediation processes to separating families. Participants will learn how to use the internet with mediators to resolve family issues when there are distances between the parties, domestic violence issues involved or cost factors become a concern.

As CEO of the Australian Mediation Association (AMA), CallumCampbell has been instrumental in the establishment of the Australian National Mediator Accreditation System as well as the introduction of new forms of technology in the resolution of disputes. He has established court-annexed and private sector mediation systems both in Australia and the South Pacific region and has actively mediated and participated in over 2,000 mediations in all areas of the commercial legal arena, the workplace sector and family law disputes as well as community consultations.

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators. She is the recipient of the the Michigan Lifetime Achievement in Mediation Award; the National Education Association/Saturn Corporation Award for Union-Management Collaboration; the John Haynes Distinguished Mediator Award; and the Kumba Award from the National Conference on Minorities in ADR.

Join us for a compelling and informative discussion about workplace incivility—those seemingly insignificant rude or disrespectful behaviors at work that can really get under our skin (eye rolling is a classic example). Sharone Bar-David, renowned expert on workplace incivility, will share fascinating data about the collateral damage that incivility leaves in its wake, what each and every one of us can to tame it, and what canaries have to do with it all.

Sharone Bar-David is of author of Trust Your Canary—Every Leader’s Guide to Taming Workplace Incivilityand president of Bar-David Consulting, a company specializing in creating civil work environments. Over the past 20+ years, Sharone has worked with over 30,000 people in a wide range of industries through training sessions, consulting, coaching and keynote speeches. With a background as a lawyer and social worker, she is also a regular guest commentator for the Canadian HR Reporter magazine and the author of a popular blog with a loyal international following.

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Control freaks, narcissists, manipulators, and bullies. It takes all kinds, they say, but can your organization afford to employ such toxic personalities? Often clever chameleons, who “kiss up” and “kick down,” they know how and when to disguise their infectiously bad natures. Like a disease, these employees spread negativity throughout the workplace, decreasing productivity and increasing turnover. In this program, Drs. Holloway and Kusy will share their national research study of toxic behaviors with over 400 participants. Learn why these individuals get away with bad behavior, how this occurs in organizations, and what to do about it to impact individual and team performance—and the bottom line.

Dr. Elizabeth Holloway, is a professor at Antioch Univ., Graduate School in Leadership & Change. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and Diplomate in Professional Psychology. She consults with leaders worldwide on systems approaches to supervision, mentoring, coaching, toxicity, and building communities of respectful engagement.

Dr. Mitchell Kusy, a Fulbright Scholar in Organization Development and professor at Antioch Univ., Graduate School in Leadership & Change, was previously head of leadership development for American Express Financial Advisors. Continuing to consult with leaders worldwide, he is author of several business books.

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators.

Brav is a new way for people of any age to find a solution to bullying, violence, and conflict. Find out why this is so important and join our guest, Remi Alli to learn how to settle family, school, and workplace disputes online.

Along with her JD, Remi Alli is a psychology graduate of the University of Michigan -- Ann Arbor. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Health Law and Policy from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. She has mediated for over 15 years, resolving thousands of cases, and is a trained and certified mediator through the Supreme Court of Ohio. She has written for Forbes, Neuroscience for Kids, among others, and received the top prize in the nation for her legal writing through the American Judges Association. She also served as a teacher of law through the Law & Leadership Institute.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation and facilitation services, conflict coaching, training and somatic education to private and government clients. Helping people resolve problems and improve their performance is his passion and profession.

Stephen is one of only two individuals to have been employed by both of the nation’s two largest Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) membership organizations – the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution and the Association for Conflict Resolution.

Stephen has conducted trainings to international and national audiences in, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Germany, Northern Ireland and across the United States.

Brav is a new way for people of any age to find a solution to bullying, violence, and conflict. Find out why this is so important and join our guest, Remi Alli to learn how to settle family, school, and workplace disputes online.

Along with her JD, Remi Alli is a psychology graduate of the University of Michigan -- Ann Arbor. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Health Law and Policy from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. She has mediated for over 15 years, resolving thousands of cases, and is a trained and certified mediator through the Supreme Court of Ohio. She has written for Forbes, Neuroscience for Kids, among others, and received the top prize in the nation for her legal writing through the American Judges Association. She also served as a teacher of law through the Law & Leadership Institute.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation and facilitation services, conflict coaching, training and somatic education to private and government clients. Helping people resolve problems and improve their performance is his passion and profession.

Stephen is one of only two individuals to have been employed by both of the nation’s two largest Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) membership organizations – the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution and the Association for Conflict Resolution.

Stephen has conducted trainings to international and national audiences in, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Germany, Northern Ireland and across the United States.

When children enter this world, the adults greeting them have many assumptions already in place about their future. If the child has a penis, projections about masculinity-driven biological and societal experiences prevail, if the child does not have a penis, a femininity-driven future is imagined with regard to biological development and social opportunities.

But in approximately 1.5-3% of families with a transgender child, those projected futures may not be in the cards, because their child simply does not identify with the gender role assigned to them based on their genitalia. In fact, enforcement of those gender expectations may cause the child profound distress. This is the world of a transgender child and their families.

Jenn Burleton is the founder and Exec Dir of TransActive Gender Center, a national provider of services to transgender and gender diverse children, youth and their families. After a 30-year career as a music industry professional, Jenn has returned to the work she literally feels she was born to do…advocating for children and youth who transcend societal gender stereotypes and expectations.

Tracy Culbreath has a passion for conflict resolution that began after pursuing her Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Central Florida in Interpersonal Organizational Communication. In 2014 Tracy graduated from the Univ of Baltimore with a Master’s of Science in Negotiation and Conflict Management. Tracy is an Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator at the Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO). Tracy also serves as a conflict coach, mediator, and promotes conflict resolution processes through trainings, outreach initiatives, and continuing education for conflict resolution practitioners.

Adolescent dating violence and teen dating abuse are real and deadly. Many parents and their teenage sons and daughters are unfamiliar with the red flags that signal a pattern of dating abuse and violence. In this special one-hour episode, you will learn about the cycle of teen dating abuse, recognize the signals in your teenage daughter or son, and learn what you need to do to start the courageous conversation with your adolescent. Bobbi Sudberry is an expert on teen dating violence as a result of losing her daughter Kaity to such a deadly relationship. She along with Vicki Owen and her daughter, Addison Naugle will share their personal stories of teen dating violence along with strategies to avoid these unhealthy relationships.

Addison Naugle is a young Prosecutor with Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. During her time as a Prosecutor, Naugle has been exposed to many victims that have suffered in violent relationships. Further, Naugle was the victim of teen dating violence when a young male classmate drove Naugle into the desert and physically assaulted her.

Vickie Owen has been working as an International Crime Prevention Officer for the past 15 years for the Gilbert Police Department in Arizona as well as a Technical Trainer for the National Crime Prevention Council. She has created a national police communications program called Bolo Cop.

Bobbi Sudberry is an accomplished mother of five, wife, and Executive Director of Kaity’s Way, a non-profit corporation she Co-Founded in honor of her murdered daughter, Kaitlyn Marie Sudberry. Bobbi shares Kaity’s Story to bring public awareness to the realities of teen dating violence.

As our children grow, they naturally push for more control over their own lives. Growing independence and natural curiosity may bring them to question why the family believes what we believe. They might even reach the point of changing or abandoning beliefs held dear. How do we, as parents, keep emotions in check and constructively engage our kids in a conversation about our beliefs? How might we turn a potential minefield into blessings in disguise?Join Guest Host Stephen Kotev and returning guest, Janet Bonnin, owner of Fine-Tuned Families and founder of the Families of The Way Christian ministry, for a fascinating and courageous conversation on beliefs. We’ll look at how to respectfully and lovingly share what is in our minds and hearts while giving our children the space to seek answers to the questions they have.

Janet Bonnin is a trained and accredited Life Coach, life-long Christian, dedicated wife and mother of three great kids. Her Families of The Way ministry program provides parents opportunities to foster spiritual growth in their children, learn to parent more effectively, and strengthen family teamwork and unity.

Janet has been working with busy parents since 2000. Trained as a Life Coach at the Coaches Training Institute, and certified by the International Coach Federation, she has turned her passion for helping busy people into a career coaching moms and dads.

With even more Millennials and young people between the ages of 18 and 34 returning home to live with older parents, there are all kinds of issues that arise around expectations, assumptions and stages of life.

According to a recent Fortune Magazine article, the share of younger adults living at home has increased from 24% to 26% over the last 5 years, while the number of young adults living independently has decreased by two percentage points from 69% to 67%. (The Pew Research Center Study)

While there has always been a population of younger adults living with their parents, this has become more acute since 2008, leading to the term “boomerang kids.” (Financial Literacy Tips for Boomerang Kids)

There are three actionable tips that both younger adults—and their older adult parents—can do to make this situation less conflict prone:

• Discuss and establish expectations early

• Address issues on an adult-to-adult level, rather than on a child-to-adult level

• Focus on individual situations as they happen, rather than attaching them to a family history, or a shared set of experiences that may no longer be relevant

Jesan Sorrells is the principal conflict engagement consultant at Human Services Consulting and Training (HSCT) based in Endicott, NY.

HSCT focuses on delivering solutions in the area of conflict communication and leadership through coaching, workshops, trainings and seminars for higher education organizations, nonprofits, small businesses and individuals.

Courageous Conversations between parents and their LGBTQ children regardless of age. The coming out conversation can be extremely difficult on both sides. This program will look at some of the repercussions the LGBTQ person faces from the conversation, as well as the gains that are made. We will also look at resources available to LGBTQ people and their friends and families

Priscilla Fernandez is a proud parent and President of the San Antonio, TX (PFLAG-Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) Chapter. Priscilla was driven to support and advocate for the LGBTQ community when her son came out at the age of 14. She experienced a spiritual epiphany that allowed her to be brave enough to dismiss judgmental societal norms about the LGBTQ community. She found her true passion and peace by quitting her job as a corporate executive and becoming a yoga instructor in order to devote her time to honor the light, love, truth, beauty and peace within others.

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Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators. She is the recipient of the the Michigan Lifetime Achievement in Mediation Award; the National Education Association/Saturn Corporation Award for Union-Management Collaboration; the John Haynes Distinguished Mediator Award; and the Kumba Award from the National Conference on Minorities in ADR.

Have you ever been called a "slut"? If so, how did you feel? Whether you are sexually active or not the term can be hurtful and embarrassing. If you’re a parent of a teen, have you heard about "slut" shaming and the dire effects it can have on your impressionable teenager?

"Slut" shaming and sexual bullying is occurring every day in America. Many teens are experiencing these issues and feel uncomfortable reporting it to their parents or other adults. Emily Lindin, who founded of The UnSlut Project in April 2013, found herself in this exact situation when she was eleven. She began journaling about these incidents of "slut" shaming and sexual bullying she faced in school.

As Emily published her journal entries, she hoped that her words would reach teens experiencing the same thing bringing awareness about this prevalent issue. The UnSlut Project started as a small online personal submission and has now grown to incorporate the stories of girls, women, and men of many ages, backgrounds, and nationalities. Emily will be discussing the UnSlut Project and her upcoming video project “Slut: A Documentary Film” and her soon to be released book, “UnSlut: A Diary and A Memoir”.

Emily Lindin is the founder of The UnSlut Project, ? an online community where survivors of sexual bullying and "slut" shaming can share their stories, and where girls who are currently suffering can find support and solidarity.

?The UnSlut Project's crowd-funded film, "Slut: A Documentary Film," is in post-production and Emily's book, "UnSlut: A Diary and A Memoir," will be published in Dec., 2015.

With the start of a new academic year, college athletes and coaches prepare for another season and often a whole new environment. They encounter new team members, the pressures of performance and a longing for home. During this program, Joshua Gordon, of the Sports Conflict Institute and Stephen Kotev will discuss what student athletes and coaches can do to optimize their performance on and off the field.

A conflict management professional for more than twenty years, Mr. Gordon is an experienced mediator, facilitator, educator, and organizational capability builder. Mr. Gordon specializes in sports related conflict management building on a history of contexts that have included business-to-business, organizational change, energy, environmental, real estate and housing, family, and gang-related conflict and disputes. He especially appreciates and enjoys complex, multi-party conflict that requires non-traditional solutions to impasse.

Mr. Gordon founded the Sports Conflict Institute (SCI) after previously directing the Competition Not Conflict (CNC) project at the University of Oregon School of Law Appropriate Dispute Resolution Center. Mr. Gordon has created a number of cutting-edge conflict management tools and curriculum, including, the Play-By-Play Model™, Outside the Box / Inside the Ring™, Stop Bully!™, Sports Conflict Observations Tools (SCOTs)™, and myriad others.

Mr. Gordon continues to teach undergraduates and graduates at the University of Oregon in Eugene, OR. He is the negotiation coach for the ABA Moot Court Negotiation Competition. In addition to his career, Mr. Gordon is a competitive runner. He competes as part of the University of Oregon Running Club, Team 2XU, and the Bowerman Athletic Club with consistent top 1% finishes

Mental health includes decision making, communication, and handling life’s pressure. When an adolescent has a mental health disorder, it may negatively impact the person’s ability to handle stress and interact with others. The National Advisory Mental Health Council estimates that 1 in 5 adolescents suffer from one or more mental disorders. Although mental illness can be mistaken as normal adolescent development, there are signs and symptoms that an adult can recognize. Recognizing these hidden mental health signs early can be important in preventing teen substance abuse, family conflicts, school violence, or even suicide in teens.

Dr. Cynthia Morton is a licensed professional counselor who works with adolescents in grades 9-12. In addition to her licensure, she is a certified mediator, peer educator, and youth mental health first aid trainer who trains adults and teens in peer mediation, peer helping skills, and peer listening. She conducts extensive training in the areas of suicide prevention, crisis, and youth mental health awareness for school personnel. Currently, she serves as the chair of the Education, Research, and Training Section for the Association for Conflict Resolution.

Youth Mental Health First Aid

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National Alliance on Mental Illness

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From top Corporate business woman, to internationally acclaimed author, Anita Telle talks to us about how her child being bullied, changed her and her son’s life as well as the lives of many people from around the world. She has a mission: To teach acceptance and love to children ages 4 – 9 so they will grow up to be amazing, supportive and loving teenagers, immune to peer pressure and bullying. She also has a story to tell. And it’s an important story; one that touches everyone, everywhere, from every culture. But it is especially important for children: Being different IS normal. We are all different, in different ways.

As a very involved mom, Anita realized just how much she loves children and created the first ever “feel good” Gnomy’s Boo-Boo Bears for children with a unique story for each Boo-Boo-Bear. Anita is furthering her love for children and is now focusing on anti-bullying because her son Branden was born with a cleft pallet/lip and was bullied for being different. As a mom, she asked herself what she could do to make a change in her son’s life. Anita decided to start writing children’s books with a “message of acceptance”.

Tracy is an Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator at the Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO). Tracy also serves as a conflict coach, mediator, and promotes conflict resolution processes through trainings, outreach initiatives, and continuing education for conflict resolution practitioners.

Learn how conflict coaching can help you change those dynamics to manage conflict and communicate more productively with your aging parents and adult siblings. You will learn what a conflict coach does, and will take away some tips on how to get unstuck from patterns of communication that aren't working as you navigate the difficult conversations that come with aging.

Carolyn is a mediator, teacher, trainer and conflict coach. Certified by the Maryland Council for Dispute Resolution, Carolyn is qualified to mediate for the Maryland Circuit and District Courts. She has been an active trainer for mediators and for service providers in elder mediation, issues around aging, and mediation skills since 2001. Carolyn was a co-founder and first tri-chair of the Elder Decision-Making Section of the Association for Conflict Resolution, and chairs its Training Standards Committee. She is an adjunct professor at Shepherd University and at Anne Arundel Community College where she has taught in the Institute for the Future and teaches in the Continuing Professional Education Department. She was a co-founder and served as Director of Training for Senior Mediation and Decision-Making. Carolyn authored a chapter in Pre- & Post-Retirement Tips for Librarians (American Library Association, 2012). A former public interest lawyer with the Legal Aid Bureau and the Office of the Attorney General of Maryland, Carolyn also holds a Master of Arts degree in Adulthood and Aging.

For More Information: Carolyn Rodis

Families today are assuming responsibility for the informal care of over 75 percent of elderly family members and are often faced with difficult decisions from a bewildering array of choices:? e.g. estate planning, financial issues, and guardianship.? In the best of circumstances, this can be a stressful process and sometimes leads to disagreements, confusion, and conflict at a time when the best intentions of the family are to work together for the needs of a loved and respected aging family member. With the help of a trained professional mediator, family members share information and perspectives, explore and evaluate options, and develop workable solutions through a process that promotes open and positive communication.? The mediator is a neutral, who does not offer advice and believes that each family is unique and knows best what solutions will work for their family as a whole.? For families in conflict or simply wanting help through a transition elder care mediation offers a process which can reduce stress and prevent a crisis.

Louise Phipps Senft, an attorney, is the founder of the Baltimore Mediation/Louise Phipps Senft and Associates, the first trans-formative mediation firm in Maryland. She designed and continues to teach what was the first certificated mediation training course offered by the law school. Ms. Senft was voted “Baltimore’s Best” mediator, 2002 by Baltimore Magazine and named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women for 2004, 2007 and 2009 by The Daily Record. She lectures extensively and was appointed by Chief Judge Robert Bell of the Court of Appeals to the Maryland ADR Commission and was later appointed as Chair of the first ADR Family Mediation Initiative for the State. Ms. Senft was the initiator, co-creator, lead trainer and supervisor for the Baltimore City Circuit Court Family Mediation Services Program.

In our third episode of the series Conflict and Empathy: Where Has Empathy and Compassion Gone? Edwin Rutsch, Center for Building a Culture of Empathy and I will discuss how do we foster empathy in a family? Edwin will share some personal stories of how he has personally fostered empathy in his extended family and how he used Restorative Empathy Circles to heal family conflicts.

Edwin Rutsch is the founding director of the Center for Building a Culture of Empathy. The CultureOfEmpathy.com is the largest website on the Internet focused on nurturing and fostering empathy. After spending 10 years as a seeker traveling, working and studying his way around the world, Edwin worked for many years in the computer technology field. After discovering the power of empathy, he has dedicated his life to raising the level of empathy in society and building a global culture of empathy.

For More Information: Edwin Rutsch

We hope that we, and our family and loved ones will come together in the kindest ways when someone we care about is dying. We hope the shared experience of loss will bring out the best in us. But grief and loss brings all kinds of feelings to the surface-sweet memories and shared pleasure right along with sorrow, old wounds and resentments. And of course, fears about our own mortality. There are ways to care for ourselves, clear the air before conflict arises and work together to tend our broken-open hearts and bring a healing balm to the dying time of life.

Rose Gordon is the founder of Circle of Compassionate Care, dedicated to serving people who are dying and their families. Rose acts as a midwife for the dying during this deeply meaningful and challenging time of their life. She has a degree in Hospice and Grief Counseling and over 2 decades of direct experience with the dying and their families. Rose worked with the Office of the Medical Examiner, served for 5 years as Director of the Being with Dying Program at a Zen Center, teaches Compassionate Care of the Dying and Self-Care for Caregivers to community members and healthcare professionals in the U.S. and overseas, and currently manages and trains Hospice volunteers and offers Spiritual Care through Mountain Home Health Hospice in Taos, New Mexico. Rose uses her life experience, her skills in deep listening and over a decade of work with Council process to illuminate the resiliency and capacity within the people she serves, helping them to bring forward the best of who they are to meet the dying time of life.

What constitutes a ‘good death’? How and where are people dying? Are the needs of the dying being met? How can we advocate for a “good death”? Considering we are all going to die and lose loved ones at some point in time in our journey through life, these are all important questions to explore. Recently there has been an increased emphasis on the importance of addressing healthcare disparities in end of life care. This increased emphasis is mostly as a result of a bountiful of research on how dying patients are invisible in many acute healthcare settings in the United States and are victims of healthcare disparities. That is, certain groups receive lower quality of care than others. Worse than being a dying patient, is being a dying patient who is perceived by medical personnel as belonging to a different race, culture or ethnicity. These biases that lead to disparate treatment are often present at a subconscious level.

Dr. Jacqueline N. Font-Guzmán is associate professor at the Werner Institute at Creighton University. She is a certified mediator and arbitrator by the Puerto Rico Supreme Court. She is a Fulbright Scholar who has actively participated in the field of conflict studies through national and international conferences and workshops, and has conducted a wide variety of trainings and seminars in the field.

Dr. Font-Guzmán conducts qualitative research with a focus on the fields of healthcare disparities, law, and conflict engagement. Specifically, how people construct meaning at critical points in their lives about their identity (e.g., professional and community), reflective learning/practice, and end of life to explore the manners in which meaning-making leads them to productively engage with conflict. She also explores how marginalized individuals create alternate stories and counter-narratives to address institutional injustices.

All over the world, people think about divorce and do not know what to expect from the process, what they will have to arrange and how long it will take. This anxiety comes on top of the stress of the divorce itself, worries about the costs or accessibility. And the possible contentious relationship. Today, the rapid changes in technology makes accessing the justice system amenable to all regardless of where you live in the world. Our guest, Jin Ho Verdonschot from the Netherlands will discuss how one can get their reasonable and fair divorce using online technology throughout the entire dispute resolution process. He will discuss the pros and cons of a virtual mediation experience based on an online divorce project developed in the Netherlands. Dr. Verdonschot will also share how this technology can be used for other types of disputes involving your neighbor, landlord-tenant and employer-employee disputes.

Dr Verdonschot is Head of Justice Technology and Justice Technology Architect at HiiL Innovating Justice in The Hague in The Netherlands. He designed dispute systems in the context of both the developed and the developing world, including countries like The Netherlands, Azerbaijan, India, Bangladesh, Philippines, Indonesia, Kenya, Uganda, Egypt, Mali, Canada, England and the US. He now designs and creates user-friendly platforms and interfaces for the justice system and developed the Rechtwijzer platform.

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators.

Persons aged 65 and older are the fastest growing part of the population, and many families confront sometimes difficult decisions about care-giving, housing, health care, estate planning, and end of life planning for aging parents and other family members. Bob Rhudy, president of Senior Mediation and Decision-Making, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, discusses the types of services that senior (or “elder”) mediators provide to help families manage and resolve conflict in these matters.

Robert J. Rhudy is in private practice as a lawyer, mediator, facilitator and consultant, and has been president of Senior Mediation and Decision-Making, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland since 2007. He is a past chair of the Association for Conflict Resolution's Elder Mediation Section (2008-2010). Bob developed and directed the Maryland Senior Mediation Project during 2005-2009 and created and directed the Maryland Court of Special Appeals Office of Mediation during 2009-2012. He has provided senior mediation training and consulting around the United States and Canada.

Additional Information: The Center for Social Gerontology Elder Mediation Today: Manual and Resource Guide

Tracy is an Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator at the Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO). Tracy also serves as a conflict coach, mediator, and promotes conflict resolution processes through trainings, outreach initiatives, and continuing education for conflict resolution practitioners.

Louise and William's new book, Being Relational, details seven ways of being in relation to others that capture the heart and soul of all that is self-help, grounded in method, and supported by relational conflict theory and brain science findings. The ways of being that promote quality face-to-face dialogue and lasting positive change are rooted in teachings from many sources and are also inspired by the experience of thousands of people for whom the Senfts have mediated, fostering personal strength and connectedness through quality interaction. In this program, Louise and William will share insights into their practical and inspiring approach that the listeners can immediately apply to their stressful interactions as well as, check in on and grow into, as a way of being in relation to others.

Louise Phipps Senft and William Senft (Baltimore, MD) are business and law professors, mediators, lawyers, entrepreneurs, parents of five children, and in William's case, youth sports coach and clergy. In their many years of experience at their firm, Baltimore Mediation, Louise and William have gained a unique perspective on the ways that leaders and others manage conflict, experience conflict, manage themselves in conflict, solve problems, build relationships, and make their way in the world. They are the founders of the nonprofit ORANS: The Campaign for Relational Leadership and the ORANS Institute for Relational Leadership.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation and facilitation services, conflict coaching, training and somatic education to private and government clients. He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and a black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido.

Family businesses are the backbone of many world economies. In the US, family businesses employ nearly 63% of the workforce and contribute 57% of GDP. They are also responsible for nearly 78% of new job creation. It is highly likely that many people listening may be part of a family business or will be working for a family enterprise of some description. There are some good reasons why they contribute so much and that creates special conditions, challenges and characteristics which makes mediation very effective in ensuring the ‘specialness’ is not consumed by disputes. In this program, Amanda Bucklow will discuss what that specialness is, how to identify the early warning signs for emerging problems and what you can do about them, wherever you are in the ‘business’.

Amanda Bucklow has been in full-time practice as a commercial mediator since 1995 and has specialised in negotiation and conflict resolution for most of her working life. She has worked in three family businesses including her own. Amanda is also an educator and entrepreneur - those two roles mean that she is constantly pushing the boundaries on how mediators are taught their skills so that they are able to practice in the real world as a ‘safe pair of hands’. Her active practice as a mediator feeds the development of her teaching and vice versa.

Like many conflict resolution or ADR professionals who start as a mediator, it doesn’t take long before a mediator doing workplace cases in one organization begins to wonder about the organization’s culture, communication, or leadership skills. “If only the organization had better practices, the mediation (or coaching or training or group facilitation) wouldn’t be needed”, many have thought. When working within an organization, the conflict resolution professional may begin to see issues or trends across departments that may suggest systemic issues. Now what? Explore the opportunities and challenges to communicate organizational issues to senior leadership by considering: When is an issue systemic? How is it assessed? How is it communicated? What next? Who is responsible? Consider these issues from the perspectives of an internal conflict resolution consultant at a company and an organizational ombuds at an educational institution and academic medical center.

Rita Callahan has been a conflict resolution professional for 20 years offering services including mediation, facilitation, training, conflict coaching, consulting and ombudsing. She was an independent Conflict Resolution and Collaboration Consultant for 13 years, spent 6 years in the Conflict Resolution group at the New York City utility, and is now in the Ombuds Office at the University of California Davis. Rita has been active in the Association for Conflict Resolution at state and national levels and she has been a speaker at the Association for Conflict Resolution, the American Bar Association – Dispute Resolution Section, and the International Association of Facilitators annual conferences.

Today’s organizations require that workers be adaptable. Truly effective leaders know how to follow and how it feels to be a follower. Conversely, in order to be a productive team member, one must understand the difficulties of being a team leader. The daily “dance” between leaders and followers requires mutual understanding and a balance of give and take. As the great Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu, said: “To lead, one must follow.” In this program, Yael Schy, creator of the Teamwork Tango® leadership training approach, shares her philosophy and methodology of using partner dancing principles and exercises for helping leaders and followers in organizations to work together more collaboratively and effectively.

Yael Schy is a leader in using expressive arts in organizational learning and development. She is principal of Dramatic Strides® Consulting, specializing in leadership development, communication skills, teambuilding and creative decision-making techniques that help people and organizations move forward together. Her unique Teamwork Tango® workshop, which teaches leadership and teambuilding skills through the metaphor of partner dancing, has been presented at numerous professional conferences and organizations in the U.S. and abroad for more than a decade.

Abigail Clark is a graduate student at the University of Baltimore obtaining her master’s degree in negotiation and conflict management. She left undergrad with the hopes of becoming an addictions counselor, which led her to the University of Maryland School of Social Work. While researching different possibilities, she discovered UB’s Negotiation and Conflict Management program. After reading two course descriptions, she was sold.

How long does it take to get defensive? What kind of impact does it have? Sharon Ellison will demonstrate how to defuse defensiveness, often instantly, whether you are talking to a co-worker or are a manager needing to give feedback to an employee.

Sharon Strand Ellison is an international consultant, pioneer in the field of eliminating defensiveness and the author of Taking the War Out of Our Words. A nominee for the Leadership in a Changing World, Sharon has been a keynote speaker for the Texas Bar Association; The Center for Dispute Resolution, London, England; and The Smithsonian Institute. She has provided training for organizations in more than a dozen professions, including: Hewlett Packard, the US Department of Justice, Wells Fargo, Kaiser Permanente, and United Way.

More Information: Sharon Strand Ellison

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation and facilitation services, conflict coaching, training and somatic education to private and government clients. He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and a black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido. Stephen is a nationally recognized expert on how to maintain your performance under pressure and the Chair of the Association for Conflict Resolution’s Taskforce on Safety in ADR.

Conflict in the workplace is inevitable, but Toxic, difficult workplaces are not. Mediation is a tool that can help. And sadly, most HR professionals don’t know this. They think mediation is not for them, when in fact they are effectively mediating all the time. Come learn why mediation is vital for your career and also your workplace!

John Ford is the founder of the HR Mediation Academy and author of Peace at Work: The HR Manager’s Guide to Workplace Mediation. He mediates; trains; and consults to organizations that have accepted the inevitability of conflict and are seeking to approach it with greater clarity and confidence. He was the managing editor of Mediate.com from 1999 to 2011, and is a past president of the Association for Dispute Resolution of Northern California.

More Information: John Ford

In a globally converging business environment, it is common to find multi-cultural and multi-generational talent pool. Managers may face challenges to effectively manage this diversity. Join us as our guest, Prabu Naidu will share his experience in helping managers and organizations in Asia navigate in this rough waters.

PrabuNaidu– CMF, CPF is the co-founder and CEO of Facilitators Network Singapore. He is an Organizational Development consultant working in the Asian region and is third generation Singaporean of Indian origin. He is also a Board Member of The International Institute for Facilitation (INIFAC).

More Information: PSP Singapore (Personal Strengths Publishing Singapore) and Learning Matters

Amid accelerating change and globalization, companies are faced with the difficult challenge of thinking globally while acting locally. Companies are in dire need of leaders who possess an exceptional ability to accelerate business in complex and multicultural environments. However, working in a multicultural environment is complex and causes many misunderstandings. Even if you never leave the US, the increase in the rate of globalization will likely have you working with a peer, employee or boss from a different national, cultural background. Join us to find out how these cultural misunderstandings take place and how you might prepare yourself to overcome them.

Dr. Katrina Burrus, PhD, MCC has a proven track record in coaching numerous international leaders. Her coaching career has taken her to Europe, Asia and the United States, and she is recognized for her distinctive capabilities with leaders and teams from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds. MKB Conseil & Coaching specializes in leadership coaching for Global Nomadic Leaders, Brilliant and Abrasive Leaders and Talents. Katrina is passionate about supporting leaders, increase their performance and find more meaning in what they do. Katrina teaches postgraduate courses at various universities and speaks and facilitates workshops on “Global Nomadic Leadership”, on “Brilliant and Abrasive Leaders”, and on “Successful Integration into a New Role”. She was the first ICF (International Coach Federation) Master Certified Coach in Switzerland, founder and Board Member of ICF Switzerland. She has published two books, “Global Nomadic Leaders” and “When the Visionary is Blinded.”

Andrew Lock, being the only Australian to summit all 14 of the world’s 8000m peaks has met with many challenges. Tragedy, exhaustions, sacrifices and his own near death experiences are all part of his “Mountaintop Adventure”. Teamwork and Leadership take on a new meaning when faced with such physical and mental demands. Join in as Andrew shares his achievements, why he does what he does and how he handles conflict while he travels the terrain.

Andrew Lock is the most accomplished high-altitude mountaineer in Australian history. He is the only Australian, the first person in the entire British Commonwealth, and just the 18th man in the world, to climb all fourteen of the world’s 8000 metre mountains. His achievements encompass 18 summits of those 8000 metre peaks, including Mt Everest (twice), three times that of any other Australian, placing him in a select group of the world’s best alpinists. Additionally, Andrew accomplished the first Australian ascent of 6 of those mountains, a record that can never be broken. In addition to being a professional corporate speaker, he is a regular speaker at charity events and is the official Ambassador for Scouts Australia, the Sir David Martin Foundation and the Australian Himalayan Foundation.

Theater of Witness is a form of performance in which the true life stories of people whose voices haven’t been heard in society are performed by the storytellers themselves as a way for audiences to bear witness to significant social issues. The theater productions are scripted from individual and group interviews as well as a variety of creative process techniques and consist of scripted text, music, movement, imagery and film projection. The productions are created with the performers who themselves have directly experienced the issues being explored. Theater of Witness invites audiences to put a face and heart to societal issues of suffering and to celebrate the power of the human spirit to grow and transform. Theater of Witness is a form of peace building and inspiration.

Teya Sepinuck is the founder and director of the Theater of Witness model of performance that gives voice to those whose stories haven’t been heard in society. Teya is the recipient of the Philadelphia Human Rights Award for Arts and Culture, a Local Hero Award from the Bank of America, and Cultural Arts Award from Women’s Way and the Mayor’s Commission on Women. She was just named the Chair of Theatrical Innovation by Holywell Trust. Her book, ‘Theatre of Witness – Finding the Medicine in Stories of Suffering, Transformation and Peace’ was published in February 2013.

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators.

In many situations we see our decisions as an ‘either/or’ dilemma. Author and Ph.D. Bernie Mayer argues in his new book, The Conflict Paradox, Seven Dilemmas at the Core of Disputes, that the real challenge is to find a new path that incorporates both approaches. These apparently opposing conflict practices need not be mutually exclusive—in fact, each is necessary to the other.

Bernie Mayer is aProfessor of Dispute Resolution, at The Werner Institute, Creighton University. For over thirty years he has been a leader in the conflict resolution field. Bernie has facilitated many complex environmental conflicts, commercial and organizational disputes, interpersonal conflicts, public decision-making processes, and has an extensive background in family mediation as well. He is a founding partner of CDR Associates, a pioneering conflict intervention firm. Bernie is the author of many books and articles. His lastest book is, The Conflict Paradox, Seven Dilemmas at the Core of Disputes.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation and facilitation services, conflict coaching, training and somatic education to private and government clients. He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and a black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido. Stephen is a nationally recognized expert on how to maintain your performance under pressure and the Chair of the Association for Conflict Resolution’s Taskforce on Safety in ADR.

Conflict is a dynamic and unfolding process which can be rich with opportunities to explore and understand perspectives. Cinnie Noble, a pioneer of conflict management coaching created the CINERGY™ model in 1999. In her own discovery and journey, she coined the term "conflict intelligence" to mean the competence in our self-awareness, insight into others, and the knowledge and skills to manage interpersonal conflict effectively. In her most recent book, Conflict Mastery: Questions to Guide You, she will discuss how questions and the use of metaphors can be skillfully used to explore how one might think or feel differently about the conflict they are experiencing.

Cinnie Noble is a lawyer, mediator (Advanced Practitioner - Association for Conflict Resolution), and Professional Certified Coach based in Toronto, Canada. She developed the CINERGY™ Model of conflict management coaching in 1999 and coaches people worldwide in their efforts to improve the way they engage in their interpersonal conflicts. Cinnie and her associates also train coaches, mediators, lawyers, HR professionals, psychologists, social workers, leaders, and others around the world to use her unique evidenced-based coaching model. She is author of 5 books including Conflict Management Coaching: The CINERGY™ Model.

If you’ve been told not to take conflict personally, you only have half the story. Before you can do that, you have to take conflict more personally. In this program, Tammy Lenski, author of The Conflict Pivot: Turning Conflict into Peace of Mind, will discuss three simple practices you can do on your own, anytime and anywhere, to avoid the most common conflict resolution mistakes, understand why certain conflicts get their hooks into you, and figure out how to liberate yourself.

Dr. Tammy Lenski helps people excel at conflict resolution by mastering their reaction, problem solving creatively, and forging lasting results. A mediator, coach, speaker, author, and conflict resolution teacher, she has helped thousands of organizations, individuals, and mediators worldwide resolve conflict masterfully. Tammy was a founding faculty member of the world’s first master’s degree in mediation and has been featured in Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Inc, and numerous other publications. A member of the Association for Conflict Resolution’s Academy of Advanced Practitioners. Tammy was recognized in 2012 with the Association’s Mary Parker Follett Award for innovative and pioneering work in the conflict resolution field.

What is the difference between communication when it's open and when it's closed? When our defensive barriers go up, we disconnect not only from other people, but also from our own humanity. In this program, we'll explore an innovative approach to communication and conflict resolution training that comes from the tradition of contemplative psychology and mindfulness practice, using simple methods that have profound results.

Susan Gillis Chapman has over thirty years experience as a contemplative psychologist in a variety of settings, from a maximum security prison in Alaska to a buddhist monastic retreat centre in Nova Scotia. She's currently on the teaching faculty for Karuna Training, Shambhala International and GreenZone Conversations, offering workshops in Europe and North America. Her book, The Five Keys to Mindful Communication, was published in 2012 and she's currently working on her second book,The Mindful Communication Workbook. She lives with her husband in Vancouver, Canada.

Everyday life is filled with interactions between superiors and subordinates.Whether you are up or down the food chain, you have to work with someone who has either more or less power than you.Join Columbia University Professor Peter Coleman, as we discuss his new book Making Conflict Work to learn what you can do in these difficult situations.

Peter T. Coleman is an expert in the field of conflict resolution; researching, writing, practicing and teaching on it for over 20 years. His work as a scientist, educator, mediator, and organizational conflict consultant set the stage for Making Conflict Work. Dr. Coleman holds a Ph.D. in Social/Organizational Psychology from Columbia University, where he today serves as Professor of Psychology and Education and holds a joint-appointment in Social-Organizational Psychology at Teachers College and at The Earth Institute. Dr. Coleman is Director of the Morton Deutsch International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution at Teachers College, Columbia University, Chair of Columbia University’s Advanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict, and Complexity, and a research affiliate of the International Center for Complexity and Conflict at The Warsaw School for Social Psychology.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation and facilitation services, conflict coaching, training and somatic education to private and government clients. He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and a black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido. Stephen is a nationally recognized expert on how to maintain your performance under pressure and the Chair of the Association for Conflict Resolution’s Taskforce on Safety in ADR.

People of faith have an extra resource to guide them successfully through conflict, if they choose to take advantage of it. For Christians, applying biblical principles – love, forgiveness, the “Golden Rule” – can turn a frustrating conflict into a satisfying resolution, and can make the difference between an uneasy truce and a reconciled relationship. The speaker, a lawyer-mediator, has been helping Christians resolve disputes outside of court for three decades and will describe how Christian peacemaking really works.

Anne Bachle Fifer is a mediator, facilitator, arbitrator, and mediation trainer based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her mediation experience includes business, family, and workplace disputes, as well as church-based conflicts integrating Christian principles with the mediation process. She frequently conducts basic and advanced mediation training, and she has long been a mediator, trainer, and Certified Christian Conciliator with Peacemaker Ministries.

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators. She is the recipient of the the Michigan Lifetime Achievement in Mediation Award; the National Education Association/Saturn Corporation Award for Union-Management Collaboration; the John Haynes Distinguished Mediator Award; and the Kumba Award from the National Conference on Minorities in ADR.

Churches and their congregational members are not immune to conflict and the collateral damage that can be caused from unresolved "heart" issues which can grow into monsters. In this episode, Dale Pyne, CEO of Peacemaker Ministries discusses how mediation is often the "triage" or emergency room to dealing with conflict. Dale will identify the guiding Biblical principles and steps to address these types of issues. Join us as we learn how Peacemaker Ministries' mission is to equip and assist Christians and their churches to understand, prevent and respond to conflict biblically.

Dale Pyne is the President and CEO of Peacemaker Ministries, whose purpose is to equip and assist Christians and their churches in understanding, preventing and resolving conflict biblically. Dale is an accomplished and experienced mediator whose work includes cases for Idaho and Washington state Supreme Courts, family courts, churches, businesses, government and tribal entities, families, and para-church organizations.

Yvette Watson is a graduate student at the University of Baltimore obtaining a Master’s Degree in Negotiation and Conflict Management. When she is not assuming the role of “grad student,” she works full-time at a financial management firm. She is a mother and a wife who enjoys spending quality time with her family. Yvette obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree from Morgan State University. Her goal is to become a certified mediator with a specialization in business.

What happens when deep differences in theology, politics or identity turn into divisions in communities of faith? What initiates and fuels division? What conversations can build connection and care in the midst of profound differences? This evening we will discuss rebuilding relationships by enhancing conversation with lessons and tips from the Reflective Structured Dialogue approach of the Public Conversations Project. PCP has been working successfully with deeply divided communities of faith at local, national and international levels for the past 20 years.

Bob Stainsis Senior Vice President for Training at the Public Conversations Project near Boston, MA. For the past 20 years Bob has created constructive conversations on divisive theological and identity issues in local, national and international arenas. He is a frequent conference and university speaker and provides consultation to academic, civic and religious leaders in the US and abroad. Bob consults to the Harvard Negotiation Project and is a Guest Scholar Practitioner for Kansas State University’s Dialogue, Deliberation and Public Engagement program.

Additional Information:

"How does dialogue help people constructively address conflict"

"How do differences turn into conflict?"

Feature Book:

Fostering Dialogue Across Divides: A Nuts and Bolts Guide from the Public Conversations Project

Churches are not immune to change and the conflict that comes with it. In this program, Joey Cope identifies the anxious people who will surface in times of controversy and will provide helpful strategies and techniques to bring resolution.

Joey Cope is the Executive Director of the Duncum Center for Conflict Resolution at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas. A Texas attorney, he is a past chair of the State Bar of Texas Alternative Dispute Resolution Section and is the co-author of West Publishing's "Texas Practice Guide: Alternative Dispute Resolution." Joey serves on the board of the Texas Mediator Credentialing Association and has consulted with churches in conflict for more than 15 years.

The program focuses on Zingerman’s Community of Businesses and its philosophies and Customer Complaint Process. The businesses include the original business, Zingerman's Delicatessen, plus Zingerman’s Bakehouse, Creamery, Catering, Mail Order, ZingTrain, Coffee Company, Roadhouse Restaurant, Candy Manufactory and the newest business—Events at Cornman Farms. Zingerman’s produces and sells all sorts of full flavored, traditional foods in its home of Ann Arbor, Michigan to the tune of $50,000,000 a year in annual sales. Effectively managing conflict has allowed Zingerman’s to grow from 2 employees to 700 over 33 years. Like Apple Computers, Zingerman’s delights its customers with its food and its customer relations. It has also been lauded by President Obama and others for its employee support, including its fair base salary, hours and benefits. Zingerman’s philosophy of Servant Leadership, Energy Management, Going Direct and Handling Customer Complaints is at the core of its popularity and success.

Ari Weinzweig is CEO and co-founding partner of Zingerman's Community of Businesses. Ari was recognized as one of the “Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America” by the 2006 James Beard Foundation and has awarded a Bon Appetit Lifetime Achievement Award among many recognitions. Ari is the author of a number of articles and books.

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Disputes have existed as long as there have been people. Ways to resolve disputes have also existed just as long. But now, technology has made some of the oldest ways to resolve disputes new again and better than ever! Now you can settle differences with other people or businesses without ever leaving your home, office or business.

Mark Norych manages the operations of Arbitration Resolution Services, Inc., and oversees the experienced litigators, judges, and magistrates who make up the panel of arbitrators. He is also responsible for managing the company’s Arb-IT™ arbitration system.

For more than 30 years, Norych has been involved in the collection, litigation, and arbitration of claims on behalf of insurance, car rental, and other major industries. He has also coordinated and supervised litigation on a national and global level.

Norych is a frequent lecturer and sought-after professional speaker. He has provided seminars and workshops at several Fortune 500 companies on topics ranging from best practices for corporate operations to specific topics related to federal and state regulations and laws and their effect on company models and procedures.

Articles

Mystery shopping can help companies avoid conflict - and negative customer experiences - before it becomes an issue. If you've ever found yourself wondering if mystery shopping is too good to be true, join us in a discussion with Rich Bradley, MSPA-NA Board President to learn the facts. Rich Bradley will explain what mystery shopping is, what it is not, how to avoid scams, and how a business can benefit from measuring their customer experience.

Rich Bradley leads the day-to-day functions and operations as Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel for one of Orlando’s premier public relations and marketing firms, Todd Persons Communications. He also serves as the Board President of the MSPA, North America, the largest customer experience trade association in the Western Hemisphere.

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Customers and traders have much more balanced relationship now than in the past, due to the role of social media and customer reviews. The key role of online social media forces traders to actively engage in partner dialogue with their customers. Customers will have more significant role also in resolving customer complains. How? Listen to our broadcast.

Zbynek Loebl - CEO of Youstice - founded Youstice as a globally available tool for efficient resolving of shopping issues. His experience with online dispute resolutions originates from managing the development of ADR.EU, the European ODR Centre attached to the Czech Arbitration Court. Zbynek has a 11+ years of knowledge regarding e-commerce law and practice, gained as Head of E-Economy Practice Group at Central European Advisory Group.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation and facilitation services, conflict coaching, training and somatic education to private and government clients. He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and a black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido. Stephen is a nationally recognized expert on how to maintain your performance under pressure and the Chair of the Association for Conflict Resolution’s Taskforce on Safety in ADR.

We negotiate every single day over important and routine requests. Spouses negotiate over household and financial duties, co-workers negotiate time off, job tasks, promotions and salaries. When a perceived disagreement or dispute erupts, know how to negotiate effectively and constructively by learning the very basic building blocks. Join Stephen and Pattie, as they outline and demonstrate how to listen beyond the demand, identify the common goals and negotiate to get what you need.

Pattie Porter, LCSW, AAP is the President of Conflict Connections®, Inc.Pattie has worked extensively in the dispute resolution field for nearly 20 years providing mediation, team facilitation, negotiation training, and conflict management and abrasive leader coaching services to individuals, businesses, government agencies and higher education institutions. She is a licensed clinical social worker and holds the Advanced Practitioner-Workplace Mediator designation from the Association for Conflict Resolution, the Credentialed Distinguished Mediator from the Texas Mediator Credentialing Association, and the CINERGY® certified advanced conflict coach and coach-mentor.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation, conflict analysis, facilitation, training and somatic education to private and government clients. He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. He is a former employee of the Association for Conflict Resolution, the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, the Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Resolution and the D.C. Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency as an ADR Specialist.

There has been an increased emphasis on teamwork and collaboration in the delivery of health services over the past decade. Much of this has been due to research that indicates the need for good communication and coordination in order to provide safe and effective care to patients. But for most health professionals, daily conflict can interrupt teamwork and make communication difficult creating risk for patients and diminishing morale for healthcare workers. In discussing this growing area of conflict resolution, Debra will talk about what conflict looks like in clinical work settings, why conflict is so hard to address among health professionals and what is happening to improve conflict management within healthcare organizations.

Debra Gerardi is a healthcare conflict engagement specialist and consultant providing executive coaching, mediation and facilitation services, conflict assessment, and professional development programs to healthcare organizations internationally. She is currently President and Chief Creative Officer for EHCCO (Emerging HealthCare Communities) a community of practice working to improve collaboration and conflict engagement among health professionals as a means of shifting the overall culture of healthcare.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation, conflict analysis, facilitation, training and somatic education to private and government clients. He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and a black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido.

Ken Cloke is renowned for his decades of work, passion and dedication to bring peacemaking tools to wherever he believes he can be of service whether it is in the U.S. or around the world. In this episode, The Language of Conflict, Ken will share his personal journey into conflict resolution and peace-making and what keeps him here is this field. He will also share his philosophy of peace-making and what he believes can bring us closest to peace. His global work, research and teachings lead Ken to write numerous books including his most recent The Dance of Opposites which explores a new vision for conflict resolution and the use of language in conflict.

Kenneth Cloke is a mediator, arbitrator, coach, consultant and trainer, specializing in resolving complex multi-party disputes, including marital, divorce, family, grievance and workplace disputes, collective bargaining, organizational, public policy, and school conflicts, and designing preventative conflict resolution systems. He has worked in over 20 countries, and is founder and first President of Mediators Beyond Borders. He has published 11 books.

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators.

We have all experienced the drama when we engage in destructive and dysfunctional conflict. It is draining, damaging and downright unhealthy. Zena Zumeta will talk with the Texas Conflict Coach, Pattie Porter to discuss her new Minibuk Stop the Dreaded Drama: 55 Tips for Ending Destructive Conflict and highlight strategies to withdraw from the drama, reevaluate the situation, and reenter the conflict from a healthier and constructive approach.

Pattie Porter, LCSW, AAP is the President of Conflict Connections®, Inc. Pattie has worked extensively in the dispute resolution field for nearly 20 years providing mediation, team facilitation, negotiation training, and conflict management and abrasive leader coaching services to executives, businesses, government agencies and higher education institutions. Pattie is a licensed clinical social worker and holds the Advanced Practitioner-Workplace Mediator designation from the Association for Conflict Resolution, the Credentialed Distinguished Mediator from the Texas Mediator Credentialing Association, and the CINERGY® certified advanced conflict coach and coach-mentor as recognized by the International Coach Federation (ICF).

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators.

"During the month of December, please enjoy these previously recorded shows...The Best of 2014. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning January 6, 2015. Enjoy the Holidays!"

Gratitude communication involves expressing appreciation or thanks to others. Hear powerful, real-life stories of individuals who shared moments of gratitude in their work lives. Take away tips to guide you in your own life, whether handling a difficult situation or simply savoring a situation that's already amazing.

Dr. Ross Brinkert is an associate professor of corporate communication at Penn State Abington. Ross recently completed a three-year research project on gratitude communication in the workplace and is currently writing a book titled The Gratitude Opportunity. Ross is a sought-after professional speaker with over 15 years of experience and is well-known for engaging participants with customized content, a lively style, and clear and practical takeaways.

Join us on November 25th at 8 pm Eastern as Katherine Josten, artist and founder of the Global Art Project for Peace discusses how local communities from across the globe actively join together to promote peace through art. Hear how this work inspires personal and social evolution through creativity and learn how you can participate in this project with thousands of others to share your own artistic expression of friendship and peace to form a Global Community.

Katherine Josten is an artist, educator, speaker and Founder/Director of the Global Art Project for Peace, a multi-cultural celebration of peace and diversity that has involved 130,000 participants in 85 countries on seven continents. The mission of the Project is to joyously create a culture of peace through art. Nominated for a UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence, the Global Art Project for Peace gives people in local communities an opportunity to join together to form a cooperative Global Community.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation and facilitation services, conflict coaching, training and somatic education to private and government clients. He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and a black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido. Stephen is a nationally recognized expert on how to maintain your performance under pressure and the Chair of the Association for Conflict Resolution’s Taskforce on Safety in ADR.

The program will explore how the Dances of Universal Peace can help to open the way toward conflict resolution. Over more than 45 years, the Dances of Universal Peace have traveled to as many as 50 countries, and more than 200 circles meet regularly in North America alone. The Dances help to bring people together in the spirit of understanding, cooperation, and peaceful co-existence, and help to awaken enduring peace in the hearts of all participants.

Adam Burke is a Certified Dance Leader and is in his 6th year serving on the Board of Directors of the non-profit org, Dances of Universal Peace North America, which serves the United States and Canada. Adam leads twice-monthly Dances in the Phoenix area and has led Dances, Kirtan and other sacred music as part of Peace gatherings and holiday celebrations at camps and retreats across the Southwest, Mid-West, Hawaii, and as far away as India.

Book Recommendation:

Spiritual Dance and Walk

Often it seems that all we see in the media are violence, conflict and competition, whether it's in the news, in entertainment or even in sports reporting. And this can have a significant impact on how we feel, how we see the world and how we deal with conflict. Marianne Perez de Fransius will share how exposure to so much violence in the media is negatively affecting us as individuals and as social beings and how to break the cycle. You'll learn where to find media that gives you food for creative, collaborative and compassionate thoughts, including two initiatives that Marianne is involved in: Peace is Sexy and the Peace Superheroes.

Marianne Perez de Fransius is a peace builder and educator. As the founder of Peace is Sexy and the Peace Superheroes, she steeps in peace media and the issues of how violence and conflict are portrayed in the media. Marianne got her Bachelors of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University in Washington, DC and her Masters in Peace and Conflict Studies at the European Peace University in Austria. She is currently living in Mozambique where in addition to working on her own projects, she is also training local journalists in Peace Journalism.

Book Recommendation:

16 Easy Shortcuts to a More Balanced, Happier, Saner, Life

Many have said that the judiciary often trails the private sector in its use of technology. Courts have been attempting to close this gap but need the help of the technology sector to succeed. David Slayton and Jeff Aresty will discuss how the technology sector can get involved and what plans they have for hacking for justice in Texas.

In May of 2012, David W. Slayton began serving in his current position as the Admin. Dir. for the TX Office of Court Administration. He has been employed by the judicial branch in various roles for over 15 years. He has published an article entitled “An Analysis of the Effective Use of Jurors in Lubbock County” and was instrumental in the publication of the 2007 version of the Nat. Assoc. for Court Management’s Model Code of Conduct. He currently serves as the Immediate Past President of the Nat. Assoc. for Court Management’s Board and was formerly the Secretary on the Board of Dir. for the TX Asso. for Drug Court Professionals.

Jeffrey M. Aresty, Esq. is a Massachusetts lawyer based in Houston, TX and has been involved in international business law and the role of technology in the transformation of the practice of law for almost three decades. Mr. Aresty is the founder and current President of Internet Bar Organization. Among Mr. Aresty’s accomplishments are initiating and directing the “ Computer College” program (1983-1987). He co-edited two books on cross cultural influence in Int.business and e-commerce for the ABA, including “The ABA Guide to International Business Negotiations”. As the Reporter of the ABA’s e-lawyering Task Force, he wrote several articles on the technical, legal and practical implications of the practice of law in Cyberspace.

PeaceTones is a nonprofit initiative that works with musicians living in communities fractured by social conflict and economic inequality, empowering voices that aren't traditionally heard through education on legal rights, marketing and technology. They give musicians with positive social messages the tools to protect their music and earn an income from it, fostering community development based on arts that is powerful, inspiring and valuable.

Molly Dow is a Program Manager with the Internet Bar Organization and serves as the Program Director for the PeaceTones Initiative. She rose through the ranks with PeaceTones joining as an intern in college years ago. Working on her inaugural PeaceTones project, Molly traveled to Kenya in March 2014 to help run Songs For Justice, our recent musician empowerment and education project in Nairobi. Molly earned her BA in International Relations and Music from Tufts University and she has over five years of diverse experience with several different nonprofits, working for a number of causes involving social justice for youth, adult education, immigrants’ and musicians rights, and civic participation.

Connect with PeaceTones: FacebookTwitterYouTubePinterestInstagram- @PeaceTones

The Conflict Information Consortium has a primary focus on complex, society-wide intractable conflict. It has pioneered efforts to use information technologies to provide people from all walks of life with the information that they need in order to deal with these incredibly difficult conflicts more constructively. The Consortium sees such efforts to enhance and mobilize the skills of the general population as critical to efforts to deal with these complex, society-wide conflicts.

Guy and Heidi Burgess both earned their Ph.D.s in sociology from the University of Colorado in 1979. They then did postdoctoral work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and worked for several years as public policy conflict consultants. In 1988, with support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, they established (along with others) the University of Colorado Conflict Research Consortium (now called the Conflict Information Consortium), which they have co-directed ever since.

For more information: Beyond Intractability

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators. She is the recipient of the the Michigan Lifetime Achievement in Mediation Award; the National Education Association/Saturn Corporation Award for Union-Management Collaboration; the John Haynes Distinguished Mediator Award; and the Kumba Award from the National Conference on Minorities in ADR.

The practice of mediation is largely unregulated throughout the United States. In contrast to more formalized professions, such as nursing, social work, law, medicine or accounting, mediators generally have a fraction of the training, have no required ethics code, and no minimum quality testing. Dr. Goetz will chronicle current efforts in voluntary mediator certification underway in California to raise the level of mediator education and training and require a binding ethics code to serve the public.

Dr. Goetz has trained hundreds of mediators during the last 7 years through the California State University system. Prior to developing the mediation program, he was the founding Dean and President of Concord Law School, the first nationally accredited online law school. Dr. Goetz advocates for a stronger sense of professionalism in the field of mediation, and recently co-authored with Dr. Jennifer Kalfsbeek the article “Serving the Public: The Case for Formally Professionalizing Court-Connected and Litigated Case Mediation.” He currently serves as the co-chair of a Southern California Mediation Association Ad Hoc Committee on Voluntary Mediator Certification.

Pattie Porter, LCSW, AAP is the President of Conflict Connections®, Inc. in San Antonio, TX.

Tracy Culbreath is currently a graduate student at the Univ. of Baltimore pursuing a Master’s in Negotiation and Conflict Management.

Narrative mediation is a culturally focused practice that is based upon the notion that our lives are shaped by the stories that people tell about us and by the stories that we tell ourselves. The goal of the narrative mediator is to co-author stories that highlight strengths and competencies, rather than conflict. It helps people separate themselves from conflict-saturated stories and gives them the opportunity to re-author relationships in more peaceful, cooperative, and respectful ways. From this alternative position, the resolution of conflict can often happen much more smoothly and effectively than in traditional problem-solving approaches.

Dr. Gerald Monk is a Professor in the Department of Counseling and School Psychology at San Diego State University and has a primary role in training Marriage and Family Therapists. Gerald is a practicing Marriage and Family Therapist in California and a mediator and trainer in collaborative divorce practices and a conflict resolution consultant in health care. Gerald worked as a psychologist and mediator in New Zealand for fifteen years prior to moving to the United States in 2000.

For more Information: Dr. Gerald Monk

In this digitally connected age, social media has become a powerful tool to advance peace. Join Dr. Craig Zelizer as we discuss how to move beyond the click and utilize these powerful tools to promote peace. Listen in on October 7th and meet us at this intersection of technology and peace.

Dr. Craig Zelizer is Interim Director of the Conflict Resolution Program, Georgetown University and Founder/CEO of the Peace and Collaborative Development Network, the world’s leading online network connecting over 33,000 peacebuilders around the globe.

For more information: Dr. Craig Zelizer

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation, conflict analysis, facilitation, training and somatic education to private and government clients. He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and a black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido. He is a former employee of the Association for Conflict Resolution, the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, the Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Resolution and the D.C. Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency as an ADR Specialist.

Globalization is making our world smaller with cross-cultural situations at the core. Even though diversity can be a powerful source for creativity, adaptability and innovation, the potential for conflict increases, requiring even more attention to how we deal with differences and how people work together. An “all-or-nothing” thinking and a right/wrong mindset lead people to play blame games and get stuck judging others instead of looking forward to resolve the matter at hand. Can we get “unstuck”?

Luis E. Ore is CEO of ORASI Consulting Group Inc., a training and development Consulting firm specializing in negotiation, consensus building, and dispute resolution. Luis Ore assists businesses and organizations with organizational negotiating capabilities building, cross-cultural and international negotiations, strategic alliances development, organizational changes, deal mediation, dispute resolution system design, foreign direct investment and international development, especially between the United States of America and Latin-American countries.

Yvette Watson is a graduate student at the University of Baltimore obtaining a Master’s Degree in Negotiation and Conflict Management. When she is not assuming the role of “grad student,” she works full-time at a financial management firm. She is a mother and a wife who enjoys spending quality time with her family. Yvette obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree from Morgan State University, and would like to use her business background and conflict management studies in a way that incorporates various conflict management strategies into the workplace.

Whether we are aware of it or not we live in a racial world, which proposes equality, but is firmly set on hierarchy, inequality, and separation. patterns of racial dysfunction have been handed down from generation to generation. How do we transform these patterns and begin to live the connection that is part of our natural human existence?

Milagros Phillips specializes in transforming relationships between the races using a powerful approach that leaves participants empowered and hopeful.

Nina has worked with many cultures in her decades of mediation work. She will share concepts such as the different ways of looking at fairness, how cultures respond to conflict and why they have dissimilar desires as to their goals and outcomes, how people express the same emotion in a variety of ways, and why it is a common mistake to "pretend to be in someone else's shoes". This very practical 30 minutes will help you understand some of the diversity across cultures that can create problems and explore positive steps in working through the conflict.

Nina Meierding has assisted in the resolution of thousands of disputes and has conducted training throughout the world, including Canada, Sweden, Ireland, England, Scotland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and India. She has been an Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine University School of Law in Malibu, California for almost 25 years, as well as Southern Methodist University's Dispute Resolution program for almost 20 years. For her many years of service and expertise, Nina was awarded the Peacemaker Award in 1992 by the Southern California Mediation Association for her outstanding work in the conflict resolution field and in 2005 she was awarded the John Haynes Distinguished Mediator Award which is an international award given annually by the Association for Conflict Resolution. In addition to her teaching and training, Nina is the mediation consultant and mediation partner for the Wisconsin Special Education Mediation System (WSEMS).

For More Information: Nina Meierding

Zeitouna is Arabic for "olive tree" or "olive". In the sumer of 2002, a unique sisterhood was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, comprised of six Arab and six Jewish women. Naming themselves Zeitouna, they unknowingly embarked on a life-changing journey, both personal and socio-political. Committing to learn to hear each voice in the group has permanently joined them across the divide of their ancestral communities. Zeitouna's mission is to embody and promote the peaceful and just coexistence of the Arab and Jewish peoples through connection, trust, empathy, and actions focused on supporting a sustainable future for Palestine and Israel.

Huda Karaman Rosen is a Palestinian living in America since 1962, an advocate for social justice and peace efforts, retired from the health care and education fields, and co-founder of Bustan al-Funun: Foundation for Arab Arts in America. She has been involved in mediation and conflict resolution since 2008.

Laurie White is a filmmaker, mediator, psychotherapist, community organizer, yoga practitioner and singer-songwriter. She was privileged to be entrusted with documenting the Zeitouna's evolution in her film "Refusing to Be Enemies -- the Zeitouna Story". She is a founding member of Zeitouna.

Wadad Abed was born and raised in Nablus Palestine and immigrated to the US in 1968. She is active in efforts that focus on crossing divides and building bridges. Wadad co-founded Bustan Al-Funun to support Arab Arts in America. She is a member of the Senate of the University Musical Society, and is past president of the Board of Directors of ACCESS.

"The Zeitouna Story" is available on DVD. To purchase please email: lauriewhite@eyedream1world.com

Conflict is inevitable in life. Our responses to it are affected by both our human nature and our cultural backgrounds. Cultural differences can be the cause of conflict and can complicate our efforts to resolve it. In this program, we will explore ways of addressing conflicts involving people from different cultures.

Craig Runde is the Director of the Center for Conflict Dynamics and Mediation Training Institute at Eckerd College. He is co-author of a series on books on conflict competence published by Jossey-Bass.

Bill Warters, an expert on conflict resolution in higher education, will describe the Master of Arts in Dispute Resolution program based in the Department of Communication at Wayne State University in Detroit. He will review dispute resolution in Higher Education generally and explore some current trends in the field. He will also describe a new community conflict resolution outreach initiative into the East Side of Detroit. Finally, Bill will introduce listeners to some very useful resources he maintains for educators interested in conflict resolution.

Bill Warters, Ph.D., is the Academic Director of Wayne State University's Master of Arts in Dispute Resolution program where he teaches courses on social conflict, mediation, and communication technologies. Bill is the author of Mediation in the Campus Community: Designing and Managing Effective Programs (Jossey-Bass, 1999). He is also webmaster of CREducation.org, a site supporting conflict resolution in educational settings.

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators. She is the recipient of the Michigan Lifetime Achievement in Mediation Award; the National Education Association/Saturn Corporation Award for Union-Management Collaboration; the John Haynes Distinguished Mediator Award; and the Kumba Award from the National Conference on Minorities in ADR.

With the start of a new academic year, college athletes and coaches prepare for another season and often a whole new environment. They encounter new team members, the pressures of performance and a longing for home. During this program, Joshua Gordon, of the Sports Conflict Institute and Stephen Kotev will discuss what student athletes and coaches can do to optimize their performance on and off the field.

A conflict management professional for more than twenty years, Mr. Gordon is an experienced mediator, facilitator, educator, and organizational capability builder. Mr. Gordon specializes in sports related conflict management building on a history of contexts that have included business-to-business, organizational change, energy, environmental, real estate and housing, family, and gang-related conflict and disputes. He especially appreciates and enjoys complex, multi-party conflict that requires non-traditional solutions to impasse.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation, conflict analysis, facilitation, training and somatic education to private and government clients. He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and a black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido. He is a former employee of the Association for Conflict Resolution, the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, the Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Resolution and the D.C. Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency as an ADR Specialist.

A child sits alone at the lunch table while peers snicker around him. Perhaps he understands that he is being excluded and feels sad. What about the child with a disability who may or may not understand what is happening around him? Join us to learn how we can “Dis-able Bullying” and protect our vulnerable population of children with special needs.

Tara Fishler is a conflict resolution specialist providing mediation services and training to schools, businesses and nonprofit organizations. She is the founder of Customized Training Solutions, a New York-based consulting firm that offers interactive training on a variety of topics related to communication and conflict resolution. She is currently President of NYSDRA (New York State Dispute Resolution Association).

For more Information: Tara Fishler

Often times, and without even knowing it, divorced or divorcing parents will put their own self-interests ahead of their children’s. Or fail to recognize the impact their divorce will have on the kids. This can kick off a dangerous cycle that may have long-lasting and far-reaching consequences for both children and parents alike.

Poor school performance, increased drug or alcohol use and an ever deteriorating relationship between the parties are just a few of the many significant downsides to not properly recognizing and addressing the impact divorce will have on your family. So what can you do to effectively co-parent your children and make their return to school as seamless as possible? Especially if your divorce was finalized over the summer like many divorces are?

Join us as we speak with Joe and Cheryl Dillon, Co-Founders of Equitable Mediation Services. Having each been personally touched by divorce, Joe and Cheryl understand the impact divorce can have on families. And will share with you effective strategies divorcing parents need to implement in order to reduce the tension and potential conflict that may arise when co-parenting school-aged children.

Listener Challenge: Think about a typical week in the life of your school aged children and complete the planner. Review the helpful links for tools and ideas that can help you effectively co-parent your children and ease the transition from one house to two.

Founder and Divorce Mediator, Joe Dillon oversees the firm’s practice areas of mediation and divorce financial analysis. Co-founder, Mediator and Certified Professional Coach, Cheryl Dillon oversees the firm’s Divorce Coaching practice area and coaches clients nationwide.

In YourBrain on Conflict series, we kick off with Scott Rogers, Founder and Director of the Institute for Mindfulness Studies. What happens in our brain when we are engaged in an emotionally-charged conflict? Neuroscience or brain science has emerged with answers that help us begin to understand the physiological, emotional, and cognitive impact on us in these types of situations. One method for dealing with these intense situations is called mindfulness. We will explore what mindfulness is and share tips for how to practically apply techniques to manage conflict and the emotions you experience.

Scott Rogers is founder and director of the Institute for Mindfulness Studies. He is also Founder and Director of the Mindfulness in Law Program at University of Miami School of Law. His concentration on mindfulness is rooted in his belief that it offers the most effective means of introducing a contemplative practice to attorneys and law students, and to encourage meaningful inner work and growth, both professionally and personally.

In 1998, Scott began developing the mindfulness techniques that form the basis for Jurisight, the mindfulness-based program designed for lawyers. In 2003 Scott founded the online community, The Mindful Parent®. In 2009 Scott published “Mindfulness for Law Students: Applying the Power of Mindful Awareness to Achieve Balance and Success in Law School” and “The Six-Minute Solution: A Mindfulness Primer for Lawyers.

The topic of emotional intelligence in the workplace is a evolving area of professional interest for leaders and employees alike. How do we engage the vital skills of communicating through crisis, empathy, perspective taking and self awareness just to mention a few? In 2011, the workplace continues to hold higher and higher expectations for us all. The necessity to manage countless stressors while also producing, leading, collaborating and resolve conflicts have become the competencies of that rank up there with knowing how to turn on your computer. The many facets of emotional intelligence can take us on a journey of meaningful relationships, job satisfaction, exciting creativity and improve our organizational output. Join us as we explore the tools and techniques that can boost your EQ and cultivate your workplace experiences.

Join us as we talk with Sheri Callahan, the owner of Horizon Consulting Group, based in Columbia SC. Sheri has over 16 years in HR consulting, training, and keynote speaking specializing in employee development and group dynamics. Her education is Bachelor’s in Speech Communication and a Master’s in Human Behavior and Conflict Management. Sheri is also a certified workplace mediator, facilitator of various 360 assessments and past president of the SC State Chapter of the Association for Conflict Resolution. Lastly, Sheri services clients across industry lines in the US and abroad.

More information about Sheri’s practice can be found on her website onthehorizon.net

During the month of July, please enjoy these previously recorded shows. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning August 5, 2014. Enjoy the summer!

Managing inter-communal conflict and violence is critical to national and international security in today's world. As societies are becoming more diverse, many more countries are facing ethnic, religious, cultural and social conflicts. The globalization of such conflicts is also increasing. Join me as I speak with Mari Fitzduff, the Program Director of the Coexistence and Conflict program at The Heller School of Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.

Professor Mari Fitzduff is a native of Northern Ireland who brings more than 20 years of international experience in conflict resolution policy and practice development to the program. Professor Fitzduff was the first chief executive of the foremost conflict resolution agency in Northern Ireland. More recently, she served as director of UNU/INCORE, a United Nations University Center and one of the world's leading organizations for international research and consultancy work on coexistence and conflict matters around the world. She has served as a consultant and trainer on conflict programs in the Middle East, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the Basque country, and the CIS states.

Click for more information on Mari Fitzduff

Listener Assignment:

To break through the barriers and learn how to coexist with someone so different from yourself, we suggest you take this challenge. Sit down with someone you might find difficult to listen to...maybe someone of a different faith or cultural background and engage them in a conversation with the intent of being curious. This is not about a debate.

During the month of July, please enjoy these previously recorded shows. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning August 5, 2014. Enjoy the summer!

In many communities around the country there are community mediation centers supported by volunteer mediators. Community Boards of San Francisco is the oldest community mediation center in the country, started in 1976. The philosophy of community mediation centers is to empower community members to resolve their own disputes rather than resorting to courts or other outsiders to do it for them. Participants in mediation have found that the process helps them feel heard, and increases their understanding of themselves and the other person as well. Community Boards has handled thousands of cases in its 36 year history, and has helped 85% of those who use their mediation services reach a successful agreement.

Cordell Wesselink, is Mediation Program Manager of Community Boards. He has a Master’s Degree in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peacebuilding from California State University at Dominguez Hills. He is a mediator and facilitator, and also teaches meeting facilitation skills for Community Board.

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators.

During the month of July, please enjoy these previously recorded shows. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning August 5, 2014. Enjoy the summer!

Using Hurricane Katrina as a model, this speaker will discuss the phenomenology of disasters in America. Various deleterious factors can be forecast that impede effective emergency response. These factors can be better managed when one person is placed in a role to oversee and manage the crisis phase of a disaster. A Conflict Management Professional can unify the ad hoc crisis management team and ensure its accountability and engagement. Provision of a structural solution of this nature would signify a commitment by our government to mitigate human misery in disasters.

Join us as we speak with Cindy Mazur, she has just earned her PhD from George Mason University’s Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution in Fairfax, Virginia. Her research is in Conflict Management and the emergency management challenges of Hurricane Katrina. Cindy is the Director for Alternative Dispute Resolution in Washington, D.C., at a federal agency that delivers emergency management services.

Click for more information on Cindy Mazur

Listener's Call to Action: We need to hold our government leaders/politicians accountable. We can do this by writing letters to our Congressman.

When to compromise and when to hold fast to our principles is one of the most difficult challenges we face when dealing with conflict. Listen in on June 24 at 8 pm Eastern as mediator, professor and author Bernie Mayer considers how these two values simultaneously prevent us and enable us to deal with some of the most difficult conflicts in our life.

Bernie Mayer is aProfessor of Dispute Resolution, at The Werner Institute, Creighton University. Bernie has facilitated many complex environmental conflicts, commercial and organizational disputes, interpersonal conflicts, public decision-making processes, and has an extensive background in family mediation as well. He is a founding partner of CDR Associates, a pioneering conflict intervention firm, located in Boulder, Colorado. Bernie is the author of many books and articles including The Dynamics of Conflict: A Guide to Engagement and Intervention;Beyond Neutrality: Confronting the Crisis in Conflict Resolution, and Staying With Conflict: A Strategic Approach to Ongoing Disputes. He is currently working on new book, The Conflict Paradox, which is due to be published early in 2015.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation, conflict analysis, facilitation, training and somatic education to private and government clients. He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and a black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido.

We have all experienced the drama when we engage in destructive and dysfunctional conflict. It is draining, damaging and downright unhealthy. Zena Zumeta will talk with the Texas Conflict Coach, Pattie Porter to discuss her new Minibuk Stop the Dreaded Drama: 55 Tips for Ending Destructive Conflict and highlight strategies to withdraw from the drama, reevaluate the situation, and reenter the conflict from a healthier and constructive approach.

Pattie Porter, LCSW, AAP is the President of Conflict Connections®, Inc. Pattie has worked extensively in the dispute resolution field for nearly 20 years providing mediation, team facilitation, negotiation training, and conflict management and abrasive leader coaching services to executives, businesses, government agencies and higher education institutions. Pattie is a licensed clinical social worker and holds the Advanced Practitioner-Workplace Mediator designation from the Association for Conflict Resolution, the Credentialed Distinguished Mediator from the Texas Mediator Credentialing Association, and the CINERGY® certified advanced conflict coach and coach-mentor as recognized by the International Coach Federation (ICF).

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Fami

For some of us the experience of being in conflict is daunting! We have learned through our families of origin, friends, teachers, and other sources how to manage our interpersonal disputes, including trial and error which are often our main teachers. The quest for engaging more effectively in conflict commonly begins when we realize our usual approaches are no longer working. Or, we are faced with situations that overwhelm us - or get us into trouble. In this show, Cinnie Noble will discuss her view of the meaning of conflict mastery - also referred to as conflict intelligence - and what helps optimize the quest to get there.

Cinnie Noble is a lawyer, mediator (Advanced Practitioner - Association for Conflict Resolution), and Professional Certified Coach based in Toronto, Canada. She developed the CINERGY Model of conflict management coaching in 1999 and coaches people worldwide in their efforts to improve the way they engage in their interpersonal conflicts. Cinnie and her associates also train coaches, mediators, lawyers, HR professionals, psychologists, social workers, leaders, and others around the world to use her unique evidenced-based coaching model. She is author of 5 books, the most recent being "Conflict Management Coaching: The CINERGY™ Model". Cinnie's book entitled "Conflict Mastery Quest(ions)" will be released later this year.

For More Information: Cinnie Noble

Why is there so much unresolved and destructive conflict? Why is it so hard for you to come to the table to talk about the conflict you have with someone? Karmit Bulman, Executive Director, The Conflict Resolution Center in Minnesota and the author of The Conflict Resolution Process: A Consultant's Handbook will help us understand what happens to us in our brains that builds a barrier to these uncomfortable situations. Through her story-telling, Karmit will share examples and educate you about a method she developed to work one-on-one with individuals. This 3-part road map is also a guide for skill-building and action planning. With this in mind, Karmit will share her top 3 tips to immediately use in dealing with your situation.

Karmit Bulman is the executive director of the Conflict Resolution Center (CRC) and is an attorney, qualified neutral under Rule 114, adjunct professor of Law at University of Minnesota School of Law and the author of The Conflict Consultant’s Handbook. Her work has involved facilitation of collaborative processes, conflict assessment, coalition building, executive coaching and consulting, new business development, organizational turnaround revenue expansion and legislative and policy development.

Resources: National Association for Community Mediation

Andy Friend, a member of the core team of the San Antonio Peace Center will share the work of the Peace Center , as well as insights around the tool of Compassionate Communication. He will also share some tips and strategies for approaching conflicts from a compassionate perspective, for the month of compassion! He will also answer questions via live call-in, and chat, about how to provide empathy in specific situations. You won't want to miss it!

Andy Friend started his career in the Peace Corps, working in Central America. After that, he worked in community development in northern California and decided to become a certified life coach. For the past 5 years, he has shared compassionate communication with groups of social workers, psychologists, the US Military, teachers, and students in Mexico and the US, giving conferences and workshops in English and Spanish. Currently, he is living in San Antonio, Texas, with his wife, a Mexican therapist, and they are both involved in compassion, art, dance and therapy activities in San Antonio.

Many people have encountered great challenges and unbearable pain from disputes as a result of strongly held values, belief systems and personal principles. And yet, people have the courage and ability to break through these barriers and create a common bridge. Eric Galton, renowned mediator, is a catalyst for these breakthroughs providing people with a safe environment where they can experience something different from what they know. Changing how we think about our experience is about great communication, deep listening and hope. You will hear about stories highlighted from Galton’s book Stories Mediators Tell and tips and strategies that will guide you in difficult situations.

Eric Galton is the Past President of the International Academy of Mediators, a founder of the Lakeside Mediation Center in Austin, Texas and has been a full time mediator for 25 years. Eric's newest book, Stories Mediators Tell, was published by the ABA in 2012. Eric is an adjunct professor at Pepperdine's Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution and teaches advanced mediation classes. All proceeds from Stories Mediators Tell are donated to the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution to advance the use of mediation.

For more information: Eric Galton

Tragedy not only destroys families it leaves aftershocks of substance abuse, violence and hatred within the community. Calling upon centuries of tradition and experience, Navajo Peacemakers use their traditional wisdom, methods and customs to help heal this tragedy. Navajo Peacemaker, Robb Redsteer will discuss how this tradition moves communities through denial and anger to heal old wounds and return to balance.

Robb Redsteer is the founder of the Naataanii Alliance for Peace and member of the Navajo Nation. He is an educator, trainer and tribal peacemaker with expertise in land use, environmental degradation, nutrition and cultural legacy.

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation, conflict analysis, facilitation, training and somatic education to private and government clients. He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and a black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido.

Gratitude communication involves expressing appreciation or thanks to others. Hear powerful, real-life stories of individuals who shared moments of gratitude in their work lives. Take away tips to guide you in your own life, whether handling a difficult situation or simply savoring a situation that's already amazing.

Dr. Ross Brinkert is an associate professor of corporate communication at Penn State Abington. Ross recently completed a three-year research project on gratitude communication in the workplace and is currently writing a book titled The Gratitude Opportunity. Ross is a sought-after professional speaker with over 15 years of experience and is well-known for engaging participants with customized content, a lively style, and clear and practical takeaways.

What can you do when faced with a conflict avoidant leader? Join us in a fast-paced discovery conversation of the avoidant personality symptoms as we explore how to work with and support them. Walk away with insight and techniques to master this frustrating phenomenon in the workplace AND personal relationships.

Rachel Schaming:

Organizational and individual change leader, accomplished senior human resource professional with over 30 years of proven success in leading people, processes, systems and cultures in innovative change initiatives. Rachel’s career has included positions at NASA/Houston, The Texas Medical Center, two New York City law firms and a high tech company.

Rachel speaks internationally on organizational management concerns.

Rachel’s international coaching practice focuses on coaching abrasive leaders and managers.

For more information: Rachel Schaming- Roadmap to Success

For more information: The Boss Whispering Institute, Daring Greatly, and North Star Facilitators

Someone makes an inappropriate comment, maybe a racist or sexist joke. You feel uncomfortable and hope that someone else will speak up. Everyone hopes that someone else will speak up. Uncomfortable silence falls. What does it take for active bystanders to speak up? When they do so, they can often avert brewing conflict. Learn more about how people can become active bystanders through awareness and practice.

For Further Reading: Bystander Training and Bystander Awareness

Maureen Scully is a Professor of Management and is currently the Interim Dean at the College of Management at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She coined the term "tempered radicals," with Debra Meyerson, to study how change agents inside the workplace take actions that push boundaries and make a difference. She conducts training workshops on how to be an active bystander – in universities, businesses, non-profits, and everyday life. Maureen is a coauthor of a textbook widely used in MBA programs, Managing for the Future: Organizational Behavior and Processes, now in its 3rd edition, and a coeditor of a volume on gendered approaches to work and change, Reader in Gender, Work and Organization.

For more information: Dr. Maureen A. Scully

It seems bullying is everywhere. We are actively addressing it in schools, in communities, and in families…and now also workplaces. Over the past several years, there has been a deluge of information about workplace bullying, some accurate and some not so much. In order to effectively address bullying, we need to ensure we have valid and reliable information. In this program, we will put on our researcher hats and examine what we know empirically about workplace bullying in terms of its prevalence, nature, antecedents, and consequences.

Dr. Loraleigh Keashly is an associate professor in the Dept. of Communication at Wayne State University, Detroit. Her research and consulting focuses on conflict and conflict resolution at the interpersonal, group and inter-group levels. Her current research focus is the nature, effects and amelioration of uncivil and bullying behaviors in the workplace with a particular interest in the role of organizational structure and culture in the facilitation or prevention and management of these behaviors. She has a particular interest in developing bystander efficacy to address negative work relationships. She has also focused her recent attention on the academic environment and works with universities on these issues. Her work has appeared in several top-tier academic journals. She has been a consultant to organizations and an expert witness on cases of workplace bullying and hostility.

For more information: Workplace Bullying

The term bullying is used often, in this show we will talk about the many faces that bullies use, it could be in the form of a alpha male/female, a mean boss or the power hungry bully. We will explain the underneath motivation that causes bullying and how to take care of yourself when you are face to face with this kind of workplace behavior.

Katherine Crowley is Harvard-trained psychotherapist and Kathi Elster is a management consultant and executive coach. They are the co-authors of Mean Girls at Work – How to Stay Professional When Things Get Personal, Working with You Is Killing Me, and Working for You Isn’t Working for Me. Their firm, K Squared Enterprises, is dedicated to helping clients manage interpersonal relationships in the workplace.

Join Founding Host Pattie Porter and Hosts Zena Zumeta and Stephen Kotev as we celebrate and honor the many guests during our 200th Episode. This is our 5 year anniversary of The Texas Conflict Coach and we invite you to call in, ask questions, give us feedback and share your favorite moment. We will also reflect and highlight key moments during our time together.

For more information: Pattie Porter, Zena Zumeta and Stephen Kotev

Family businesses move through many transitions as they grow from Founders to much larger family enterprise systems. The components of this shift include among others: a range of family dynamics issues that can de-rail business or families, clarifying roles, committing to various business competencies, reaching agreements about reasonable expectations, building solid governance structures and creating a solid plan for continuity. Most of the critical landscape issues get caught within the porous boundary between family and business, are places where history and differences are triggers for behaviors and require everyone to gain an ability to engage in thoughtful and constructive conversations, meetings and retreats. In our time together, we will explore some of the differences that can create conflict, and some principles that help family business owners stay with the task of continuing legacy.

Ann L. Begler helps individuals and organizations create both the vision and structures essential to forward movement. She is the founder and principal of the Begler Group, a Pittsburgh consulting firm that, through its work, builds and restores human connection, fosters individual accountability, supports personal development and culminates in energized and aligned organizations. The insight and skill Ann brings to her clients is built on a long career of personal and professional training and growth. After working for several years as a practicing lawyer, Ann completed initial and advanced training in mediation and other forms of conflict management processes. Ann left her practice of law in 2000 to devote her full attention to organizational consulting, mediation, conflict management, and executive coaching.

The Texas Conflict Coach radio program's mission is to raise awareness and educate the general public and our communities about conflict resolution and peace building. In doing so, we are collaborating with Mediation Station in Toronto, Canada to encourage deeper understanding through meaningful talk and deeper listening when we find ourselves in conflict. Join us as we introduce Gregg Fenten, Founder and Host of his 9 year live, radio program, Mediation Station on CHHA 1610 AM Voces Latinas.

Gregg works as a transformation consultant doing mediation, facilitation, training, conflict coaching, mentoring and consulting work focused on relationship and societal transformation.

Currently, Gregg’s professional activities include working at the Family Law Information Centre at the Family Courts in Toronto, Canada, as a coach with the York University Certificate in Dispute Resolution Program, as a Dispute Resolution Educator with the York University Advanced Certificate Program and as a consultant/trainer on the “Turning Things Around” Project assisting youth focused from the Somali, Caribbean and South Asian communities with skills and knowledge regarding conflict, violence and safety experiences and issues in the community.

In addition, Gregg produces and hosts a weekly radio program called Mediation Station on CHHA 1610 AM Voces Latinas performed live in English each Sunday from 8 to 9 p.m. EST in Toronto, Canada and also coordinates a community mediation walk-in service each Monday. Gregg utilizes his extensive work experience as a mediator and case manager to provide high quality services using a compassionate approach.

Please contact Gregg at (1)-647-227-4734 and greggf@primus.ca for more information.

Most of us understand when there is a conflict, but we have not looked at what keeps us locked into the conflict. Those three components are powerful magnets for us. The program today will examine how identity, emotion and power work in conflict, and how understanding each of them can reduce their pull on us and show us paths out of the conflict.

Tricia Jones is a Professor of Education at Temple University in Philadelphia and she is the Project Director of the CRETE Project -- Conflict Resolution Education in Teacher Education. CRETE has been funded since 2004 by the United States Department of Education and the JAMS Foundation. Dr. Jones has worked with thousands of teachers, helping them understand how to teach students constructive conflict management to help create safe and effective schools and communities. She is a member of the Peace Education Working Group of the Global Partnership for the Prevention for Armed Conflict working around the world to support conflict education and peace education.

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators. She is the recipient of the Michigan Lifetime Achievement in Mediation Award; the National Education Association/Saturn Corporation Award for Union-Management Collaboration; the John Haynes Distinguished Mediator Award; and the Kumba Award from the National Conference on Minorities in ADR.

We negotiate every single day over important and routine requests. Spouses negotiate over household and financial duties, co-workers negotiate time off, job tasks, promotions and salaries. When a perceived disagreement or dispute erupts, know how to negotiate effectively and constructively by learning the very basic building blocks. Join Stephen and Pattie, as they outline and demonstrate how to listen beyond the demand, identify the common goals and negotiate to get what you need.

Pattie Porter, LCSW, AAP is the President of Conflict Connections®, Inc.Pattie has worked extensively in the dispute resolution field for nearly 20 years providing mediation, team facilitation, negotiation training, and conflict management and abrasive leader coaching services to individuals, businesses, government agencies and higher education institutions. She is a licensed clinical social worker and holds the Advanced Practitioner-Workplace Mediator designation from the Association for Conflict Resolution, the Credentialed Distinguished Mediator from the Texas Mediator Credentialing Association, and the CINERGY® certified advanced conflict coach and coach-mentor.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation, conflict analysis, facilitation, training and somatic education to private and government clients. He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. He is a former employee of the Association for Conflict Resolution, the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, the Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Resolution and the D.C. Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency as an ADR Specialist.

If you experience medical malpractice, over billing, or denial of an insurance claim, what are your options? Who can help you, and how can you help yourself? Learn how to navigate the health care legal landscape.

Geoff Drucker has addressed disputes from the perspective of a lawyer, mediator, designer of dispute resolution programs, teacher, and trainer. He wrote Resolving 21st Century Disputes: Best Practices for a Fast-Paced World to fill key gaps he saw in our understanding of how disputes arise and get resolved. Geoff currently manages a health care dispute resolution program for the American Health Lawyers Association.Geoff is a returning guest at the Texas Conflict Coach Blog Talk Radio Program. He previously spoke about his book Resolving 21st Century Disputes.

For More Information: Geoff Drucker

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators. She is the recipient of the the Michigan Lifetime Achievement in Mediation Award; the National Education Association/Saturn Corporation Award for Union-Management Collaboration; the John Haynes Distinguished Mediator Award; and the Kumba Award from the National Conference on Minorities in ADR.

Medicine is more complex than ever and the complexity is only increasing due to healthcare reform, new technology, new medications, complex treatments to name a few. As health care continues its transformation, so will the relationship between physician and patient. Patients are finding that they have less time in which to present , discuss, or follow up on an health issue and, in addition, it's increasingly difficult to understand medical terms and treatment options. Given that time with healthcare providers is shorter than most patients prefer, it's critical to use that time wisely ... but how, given the constraints? It's important for both physicians and patients to understand the challenges that each face. Jetta will talk about how to maximize the use of limited time with a physician by using simple communication skills and techniques to avoid miscommunication and misunderstandings, get solid and understandable information, and to maximize your healthcare experience.

Jetta Todaro is a mediator who has worked in conflict management and conflict resolution for almost 25 years including healthcare issues. She has mediated patient -physician issues in the Texas Medicare Mediation Program; potential or perceived adverse or unexpected patient outcomes; physician practice issues; as well as private/nonprofit/governmental local, state and federal issues. Most recently, she was a Healthcare Ombuds/Mediator for Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, CA.

Quality patient care is critically important not only to the patient receiving services and the family navigating the health care system to support their loved one; but it is also very important to the physicians, nurses and myriad of health care providers who are dedicated to serving their patients. However, the complexity of managing and engaging in our health care system is all involved is chock-full of emotionally-driven conflict and escalated disputes. How can we engage in these conflicts constructively and collaboratively before they get to the courthouse? Our guest, Dr. Haavi Morreim, will share her wealth of experience in the health care industry. Listeners will learn how important it is for health care providers, hospital systems and families to work collaboratively together toward quality patient care and will discuss communication strategies to support conflict management and resolution.

Haavi Morreim, JD, PhD, is a Professor in the College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She does clinical teaching, consulting, and research, with special interests in conflict resolution, health care's changing economics, and the litigation issues surrounding clinical medical research. Dr. Morreim has authored two books and one hundred fifty articles in journals of law, medicine, and bioethics, and has presented hundreds of invited lectures nationally and internationally. Dr. Morreim is also a licensed attorney and an active mediator for both civil and family litigation.

There has been an increased emphasis on teamwork and collaboration in the delivery of health services over the past decade. Much of this has been due to research that indicates the need for good communication and coordination in order to provide safe and effective care to patients. But for most health professionals, daily conflict can interrupt teamwork and make communication difficult creating risk for patients and diminishing morale for healthcare workers. In discussing this growing area of conflict resolution, Debra will talk about what conflict looks like in clinical work settings, why conflict is so hard to address among health professionals and what is happening to improve conflict management within healthcare organizations.

Debra Gerardi is a healthcare conflict engagement specialist and consultant providing executive coaching, mediation and facilitation services, conflict assessment, and professional development programs to healthcare organizations internationally. She is currently President and Chief Creative Officer for EHCCO (Emerging HealthCare Communities) a community of practice working to improve collaboration and conflict engagement among health professionals as a means of shifting the overall culture of healthcare.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation, conflict analysis, facilitation, training and somatic education to private and government clients. He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and a black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido.

During our series, esteemed leaders in law and dispute resolution Ms. Debra Hamilton of New York and Mr. Gary Norman of Maryland will discuss applying traditional as well as virtual Alternative Dispute Resolution tools in resolution of conflicts among people involving their animals. We will focus on every day events that impact pet ownership including divorce, neighbor, kennel, groomer vet or dogwalker/dogpark issues and in particular conflicts involving service or assistive animals. The public as well as practitioners in the legal or Alternative Dispute Resolution fields will learn the importance of having these difficult conversations involving animal related conflicts. Debra and Gary will explore how alternative dispute resolution methods, mediation or collaborative practice, help progress these difficult conversations towards resolution without litigation. Our guests will address various legal issues that might be involved at the mediation of animal conflicts.

Debra Vey Voda-Hamilton, is the principal of Hamilton Law and Mediation, Debra provides an alternative means of resolving conflict in disagreements between breeders/owners and handlers, neighbors over barking dogs, divorcing couples arranging pet custody agreements, vets and their clients, condo/coop - tenant and management.

Gary Norman constitutes an attorney, licensed in Ohio, Maryland, and licensed before the US Supreme Court, seeking to leverage Alternative Dispute Resolution tools to resolve conflicts. He specializes in the full range of Alternative Dispute Resolution tools, he believes that animals may play a leading role both at a mediation table and in the courtroom. For more info. Gary Norman

During our series, esteemed leaders in law and dispute resolution Ms. Debra Hamilton of New York and Mr. Gary Norman of Maryland will discuss applying traditional as well as virtual Alternative Dispute Resolution tools in resolution of conflicts among people involving their animals. We will focus on every day events that impact pet ownership including divorce, neighbor, kennel, groomer vet or dogwalker/dogpark issues and in particular conflicts involving service or assistive animals. The public as well as practitioners in the legal or Alternative Dispute Resolution fields will learn the importance of having these difficult conversations involving animal related conflicts. Debra and Gary will explore how alternative dispute resolution methods, mediation or collaborative practice, help progress these difficult conversations towards resolution without litigation. Our guests will address various legal issues that might be involved at the mediation of animal conflicts.

Debra Vey Voda-Hamilton, is the principal of Hamilton Law and Mediation, Debra provides an alternative means of resolving conflict in disagreements between breeders/owners and handlers, neighbors over barking dogs, divorcing couples arranging pet custody agreements, vets and their clients, condo/coop - tenant and management.

Gary Norman constitutes an attorney, licensed in Ohio, Maryland, and licensed before the US Supreme Court, seeking to leverage Alternative Dispute Resolution tools to resolve conflicts. He specializes in the full range of Alternative Dispute Resolution tools, he believes that animals may play a leading role both at a mediation table and in the courtroom. For more info. Gary Norman

Ken Cloke is renowned for his decades of work, passion and dedication to bring peacemaking tools to wherever he believes he can be of service whether it is in the U.S. or around the world. In this episode, The Language of Conflict, Ken will share his personal journey into conflict resolution and peace-making and what keeps him here is this field. He will also share his philosophy of peace-making and what he believes can bring us closest to peace. His global work, research and teachings lead Ken to write numerous books including his most recent The Dance of Opposites which explores a new vision for conflict resolution and the use of language in conflict. Listeners will get an opportunity to think about how they might change their own language of conflict.

Kenneth Cloke is a mediator, arbitrator, coach, consultant and trainer, specializing in resolving complex multi-party disputes, including marital, divorce, family, grievance and workplace disputes, collective bargaining, organizational, public policy, and school conflicts, and designing preventative conflict resolution systems. He has worked in over 20 countries, and is founder and first President of Mediators Beyond Borders. He has published 11 books.

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators.

During our series, esteemed leaders in law and dispute resolution Ms. Debra Hamilton of New York and Mr. Gary Norman of Maryland will discuss applying traditional as well as virtual Alternative Dispute Resolution tools in resolution of conflicts among people involving their animals. We will focus on every day events that impact pet ownership including divorce, neighbor, kennel, groomer vet or dogwalker/dogpark issues and in particular conflicts involving service or assistive animals. The public as well as practitioners in the legal or Alternative Dispute Resolution fields will learn the importance of having these difficult conversations in divorce, the neighborhood, the tavern, and the workplace involving animal related conflicts. Debra and Gary will explore how alternative dispute resolution methods, mediation or collaborative practice, help progress these difficult conversations towards resolution without litigation. In discussing the kinds of arenas where conflicts about animals may arise, our guests will address various legal issues that might be involved at the mediation of animal conflicts, including a two-part episode looking at issues implicated by the misuse of service animal status by the general public.

In this episode, the co-speakers will introduce listeners to the subfield within Alternative Dispute Resolution of animal related conflicts. Debra Hamilton and Gary Norman will tell you the what, where and how to include animal related conflicts in to your practice and how you can use the full range of tools available to alternative dispute resolution practitioners to assist these parties find their own solution to such conflicts.

"During the month of December, please enjoy these previously recorded shows...The Best of 2013. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning January 7, 2014. Enjoy the Holidays!"

“The National Association of Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) is proud to be a founding partner of the National Youth Violence Prevention Campaign. The goal of this campaign is to raise awareness and to educate students, teachers, school administrators, counselors, school resource officers, school staff, parents, and the public on effective ways to prevent or reduce youth Violence. This week long national education initiative will involve activities that demonstrate the positive role young people can have in making their school and community safer.” Tune in to hear more about SAVE, Violence Prevention Week, and practical ways listeners can be a part of the violence prevention movement!

Argrow ‘Kit’ Evans has been connected to the National Association of Students Against Violence Everywhere for 16 years where she is now an active board member. She is a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill and holds a BA in Communications Studies, a Master of Arts in Teaching: Special Education, Master of Arts in Social Justice and Community Development, and a Master of Divinity degree. Her studies have taken her to England, Japan, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis. Kit is the founder of Testimonies of Hope: The Intercultural Christian Devotional.

More Information: Argrow ‘Kit’ Evans

"During the month of December, please enjoy these previously recorded shows...The Best of 2013. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning January 7, 2014. Enjoy the Holidays!"

In this age of instant communication and instant gratification sexting has become all too common for those in love. Teenagers are no different, while many teens openly admit that they know it's wrong to send these sexual photos, many feel the odds of getting caught are so low that they are willing to take the risk. Unfortunately, they are disconnected from the life-long consequences of their behavior and risks of hurting not only themselves but those they love. Join Raychelle Lohmann as she discusses how you can protect and talk to teens about this difficult issue.

Raychelle Cassada Lohmann, M.S., L.P.C., is a professional counselor, author, speaker, blogger for Psychology Today and contributor to Sharecare. She has also worked in middle school and high school settings as a school counselor. Raychelle is the author of three books The Anger Workbook for Teens, which has been translated into four languages, Staying Cool...When You're Steaming Mad, and The Bullying Workbook for Teens due out this May.

Follow Raychelle Cassada Lohmann on Twitter

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation, conflict analysis, facilitation, training and somatic education to private and government clients.

"During the month of December, please enjoy these previously recorded shows...The Best of 2013. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning January 7, 2014. Enjoy the Holidays!"

Home of McGruff the Crime Dog, the National Crime Prevention Council’s mission is to be the nation's leader in helping people keep themselves, their families, and their communities safe from crime. To achieve this, NCPC produces tools that communities can use to learn crime prevention strategies, engage community members, and coordinate with local agencies.

One of NCPC’s primary initiatives centers on preventing cyberbullying – what parents, educators and kids can do to combat the prevalence of bullying online and resolve interpersonal conflicts in a peaceful and respectful manner. Michelle Boykins from NCPC will speak about cyberbullying as part of the series on youth violence in support of the National Campaign to Prevent Youth Violence.

Michelle Boykins, Director of Communications at the National Crime Prevention Council, directs all operational aspects for promotions, media relations, and public service advertising symbolized by McGruff the Crime Dog®, his nephew Scruff®, and the “Take A Bite Out Of Crime®” slogan. The million-dollar public service campaign provides a tremendous return on investment by receiving an average of $60 million in donated media support.

Appddiction Studio’s Stop Bullies district wide smartphone app empowers bystanders to capture bully events as they occur and report them to school administrators in real time. School administrators can then begin to investigate the incidents immediately utilizing the Stop Bullies secure dashboard which allows for the receipt, analysis and management of incidents across the district. With incident information captured by the bystander trained professionals within the school can put their training and intervention expertise to work thus making the campus safer. School counselors can then work on proactively preventing the next incident without spending valuable time on “He said-She said” type interviews.

Mr. Porter recommends that every school district should consider implementing the Stop Bullies app. Stop Bullies can be downloaded by district students in grades K-12 to work on any smartphone regardless of platform including iPhone/iPad/iPad Mini/iPod Touch/Android/Android Tablets/Windows 8/Blackberry and is multi-language.

Mr. Porter has over 20 years of leadership experience in the information technology industry. He proudly served for 10 years in the United States Army. Tim earned his Masters of Business Administration from the University of the Incarnate Word. He currently serves a Board Member and the Technology Committee Chair for the World Affairs Council of San Antonio, Board Member of Bexar County Health Collaborative, and Conference of Minority Transportation Officials – HUB and Legislative Advisory Councils.

Our brains are changing all the time. We can be in control of those changes or we can have accidental brains, ruled by habit. Stephanie will show you how you can break bad habits, set and reach goals, and maximize your ability to handle conflict through the process of self-directed neuroplasticity. By using some basic techniques, you can take charge of how your brain changes. You can rewire your brain on purpose.

Stephanie practiced law for several years in CA, and has been a mediator since 1981. She has consulted with lawyers on a variety of topics, and spent a number of years as lawyer training director at a large firm. She also designs and presents Continuing Legal Education programs with a focus on conflict resolution. She is the author of Creating Your Own Funeral or Memorial Service: A Workbook and many articles on workplace and professional issues. She maintains a blog on neuroscience and conflict resolution and a law-related blog.

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators.

For more Information and Articles: Stephanie West Allen

On December 14, 2012, the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary school where 26 people lost their lives shook the Connecticut community to its core and the news spread around the world. What do you do to help in these times of pain, angst and profound loss? Denise Labrecque and her friend Evan Betts created and founded Voices for Heroes, a small non-profit organization dedicated to the heroes of the world. Voices for Heroes celebrate kindness, perseverance, love, and anyone who uses their voice to promote peace and change. We will talk with Denise and Evan about their story and the musical projects they have spearheaded to raise funds for Healing Newtown and their inaugural Power of Peace Festival which is to be held annually. Learn about their tribute CDs and listen to music from Connecticut Voices for Heroes and their 2-disc CD Voices from Around the World: Original Songs of Love for Newtown. Join us! Be inspired! “Be the change!”

Dealing with the normal stress of the holidays can be enough to handle. Then add those annoyances and disruptions you have to deal with in your neighborhood…loud holiday parties, cars blocking roads and your driveway, those bright holiday lights and decorations. All invading your peace and quiet. The holidays can bring people together just as equally as they can erupt into full blown holiday mayhem. Pattie and Stephen will discuss strategies to keep neighbor conflict at bay and help you manage your triggers to those nuisances you cannot control.

Pattie Porter, LCSW, AAP is the President of Conflict Connections®, Inc. Pattie has worked extensively in the dispute resolution field for nearly 20 years. Pattie is a licensed clinical social worker and holds the Advanced Practitioner-Workplace Mediator designation from the Assoc. for Conflict Resolution, the Credentialed Distinguished Mediator from the TX Mediator Credentialing Assoc., and the CINERGY® certified advanced conflict coach and coach-mentor. She is a current faculty member in the graduate dispute resolution program at Southern Methodist Univ. in Plano, TX.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation, conflict analysis, facilitation, training and somatic education to private and government clients. He holds a MS degree from George Mason Univ. School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. He is a former employee of the Association for Conflict Resolution, the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, the Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Resolution and the D.C. Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency as an ADR Specialist.

The holidays are a wonderful time to be with family but the stress of getting there can wreak havoc on an otherwise joyous occasion. Following my mottos of"Know before you go" and "Plan and Prepare" you can start the holidays off on the right path. Ja'Vonne Harley shares her experience on dealing with TSA, managing the family, toting gifts and even how to be a good house guest and host! Ja'Vonne Harley is President and founder of Advantage International, LLC, and Co-Host of The Traveling Eye. She is an experienced traveler and travel specialist with over 20 years of industry experience. She travels at least one third of the year, designing and escorting trips around the world, has a world of knowledge and the ability to make it easily understood. Ja’Vonne along with Bonnie DeShong created The Traveling Eye, a one hour radio show that’s all about travel.

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators. She is the recipient of the the Michigan Lifetime Achievement in Mediation Award; the National Education Association/Saturn Corporation Award, John Haynes Distinguished Mediator Award; and the Kumba Award from the Nat. Conf. on Minorities in ADR.

Social media and the Internet are transforming society, providing new benefits but also new hazards. Some have suggested that online communication and collaboration may lead to decreased civility, mutual understanding, and communicative clarity, as compared with face-to-face methods. Such negative trends can occur, but are they inevitable? We have been investigating whether online communication tools can actually support more skillful communication and deeper mutual understanding, especially in situations involving conflict, controversial topics, or differences in goals and perspectives. Leah Wing serves on the faculty at the University of Massachusetts/Amherst. She has been a mediator and trainer for educational institutions, government agencies, and non-profits since 1985. She is the founding director of the Social Justice Mediation Institute. Leah, co-director of the National Center for Technology and Dispute Resolution, heads it's Art of Conflict Transformation program. Tom Murray is a Senior Research Fellow at UMass with degrees in Computer Science, Educational Technology, and Physics. He has been PI for several federally funded research grants. He has an interdisciplinary orientation and has published in the areas of deliberative dialogue, cognitive tools, inquiry learning environments, adaptive hypermedia, online collaboration, ethics education, applied philosophy, and knowledge engineering over 25 years.

In this session, Dr. Patricia Adams will highlight the importance of preparing for the holiday season to save yourself from the amount of stress that can creep in with the season. By following the simple steps of Planning Early, Exercising Regularly, Accepting Help, Creating a New Tradition, and Enjoying Today, you can erase the stress and headache that can set in. Dr. Patricia Adams will highlight this method to use these tips to handle the holidays before they handle you! Patricia E. Adams, President of Zeitgeist Wellness Group is a family therapist and one of only ten women nationwide to be named 2011 Entrepreneurial Winning Women by Ernst & Young LLP. As a subject matter expert, Dr. Adams has more than 16 years of experience as a licensed marriage and family therapist. She is a certified mediator and crisis intervention specialist. Dr. Adams is the author of “ABCs of Change: Three Building Blocks to Happy Relationships.” The Zeitgeist Wellness Group is an authorized provider of 41 insurance/employee assistance programs (EAP) across the United States. Connect with Dr. Patricia E. Adams on social media: Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest

Whether you are at the water cooler, in the hallway or stuck in a never- ending meeting, we all have to deal with co-workers from hell. Join Pattie Porter and Stephen Kotev to learn lessons from conflict coaching experts on how to respond differently, effectively and constructively to the most challenging of coworkers. We will provide a couple of typical workplace scenarios and play out what typically happens, and then share lessons and strategies for how to do it differently. Pattie Porter, LCSW, AAP is the President of Conflict Connections®, Inc. in San Antonio, TX. Pattie has worked extensively in the dispute resolution field for nearly 20 years providing mediation, team facilitation, negotiation training, conflict management and abrasive leader coaching services to individuals, businesses, government agencies and higher education institutions. Pattie holds the Advanced Practitioner-Workplace Mediator designation from the Assoc. for Conflict Resolution, the Credentialed Distinguished Mediator from the TX Mediator Credentialing Assoc., and the CINERGY®. Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation, conflict analysis, facilitation, training and somatic education to private and government clients. He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. He is a former employee of the Association for Conflict Resolution, the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, the Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Resolution and the D.C. Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency as an ADR Specialist.

As part of our Workplace Conflict series, Lee Jay Berman with the American Institute of Mediation (AIM) will share his experience and expertise as an executive coach working with organizations and senior leadership in managing conflict in a proactive way. Typically, organizations and leaders have blind spots when it comes to understanding, recognizing and managing conflict constructively. It is not uncommon for leaders to be blind to how their behaviors, body language and communication impact staff in negative ways especially when it comes to rising conflict. Organizations have blind spots too when it comes to handling problem leaders. Not recognizing these blind spots perpetuate the situation. Organizations and leaders will learn the key blind spots and how to remove them. Lee Jay Berman became a full-time mediator 19 years ago. He has successfully mediated over 1,700 matters and is a panelist at PMA Dispute Resolution, a boutique firm based in Los Angeles. Also a prominent trainer in the field, Lee Jay founded the American Institute of Mediation in 2008, leaving his position as Director of Pepperdine Law School’s "Mediating the Litigated Case" program after 7 years. He has lectured and trained at a dozen different universities and law schools as well as for mediators, judges and business leaders across the U.S. and in India, Australia, Jordan, Croatia, Amsterdam and Dubai. Lee Jay was the inaugural ADR Director for the Santa Barbara County Superior Court, he had a radio talk show and now authors the popular blog Eye On Conflict.

Trust is a key element of our personal and professional relationships. Without it progress grinds to a halt and disagreements become rampant amongst friends, coworkers, and leadership. No matter if you are the newest hire or the CEO; you need to understand what trust is and how it is build and that distrust is not just the absence of trust, but a separate, malignant problem! This program will provide you with specifics on how to build trust and overcome distrust. John Settle is a certified mediator and mentor mediator who is an ACR Advanced Workplace mediator. He is on the faculty of George Washington University’s Center for Excellence in Public Leadership. He specializes in workplace applications, and speaks widely on trust, negotiation skills, mentoring, conflict management, and ADR subjects. Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation, conflict analysis, facilitation, training and somatic education to private and government clients. He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and a black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido. He is a former employee of the Association for Conflict Resolution, the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, the Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Resolution and the D.C. Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency as an ADR Specialist.

Whether it’s a difficult co-worker, a demanding boss or an angry client, you can learn to handle conflict at work effectively by managing your internal reactions first. Kathi Elster and Katherine Crowley show us how to cool down, then find the words to move a potentially hazardous work situation forward in a constructive manner. Join Kathi, Katherine and Pattie Porter for a lively discussion on how to apply proven techniques for successfully navigating your most challenging workplace relationships. Katherine Crowley is Harvard-trained psychotherapist and Kathi Elster is a management consultant and executive coach. They are the co-authors of Mean Girls at Work – How to Stay Professional When Things Get Personal, Working with You Is Killing Me, and Working for You Isn’t Working for Me. Their firm, K Squared Enterprises, is dedicated to helping clients manage interpersonal relationships in the workplace.

In the dynamics of organizations, there are times when divisions or departments or specific people within these divisions/departments appear to have differing agendas. Sales leadership implements a CRM system and the sales team views this as an impediment to selling and being in the field. A company division considered a cost center is competing for resources with a division that is revenue generating.These differing agendas can and most likely will create conflict between the divisions. This conflict can result in loss of productivity, low morale, and loss of key personnel. The other, more production option, is to use specific skills to transform that conflict into positive change. Dawn Miller Sander is a sales professional by trade. Dawn completed a 20+ year career with AT&T and moved to work in her area of passion, addressing conflict within families and organizations using various tools and training and dialog. Dawn is now leading the firm Conflict Transformation Associates, LLC. Nicole Perrotta has over 15 years of entrepreneurial experience opening markets and growing business revenues within Fortune 100 companies and start-ups. Now, Nicole enjoys coaching and training in sales, emotional intelligence and best business practices in cooperation with Solutions Training Group. For more information: Dawn Miller Sander and Nicole Perrotta

This program will examine the power of the individual consumer when confronted with local and regional disasters that directly affect themselves and their families. The speaker will address not only what the individual should know, but also the power of the consumer as part of their community in creating a conflict resolution process that provides quick relief in order to rebuild the community, while also guaranteeing the due process rights of each individual involved in that disaster. The program will also examine man-made situations, such as the recent mortgage foreclosure debacle, and insurance and real estate frauds on a large scale. Lastly, this will be examined as a new frontier for the ADR professional to explore as an additional source of work, income and satisfaction. Melvin A. Rubin, an attorney for over 40 years, has served as an ADR consultant, trainer and practitioner, for the past 28 years. He helped design and organize the Hurricane Andrew mediation recovery program for the state of Florida, and once again after the disastrous 2004 hurricane season. He and his family personally experienced these disasters, which gives him special insight in rebuilding communities after incredibly emotional and traumatic life-altering events. He assisted in the writing of the state emergency rules; training the mediators and monitoring the program. He also participated in the creation of the mortgage foreclosure program in Florida, as well as providing ADR services in a variety of other mass claims. Mr. Rubin has written and lectured extensively for over 13 years on disaster conflict resolution for government officials, insurance industry representatives and conflict resolution professionals, both nationally and internationally.

Arline Kardasis, mediator, trainer and co-author of Mom Always liked You Best, will discuss this guide for resolving family feuds, inheritance battles and eldercare crises. This practical book provides a treasure trove of do-it-yourself "mediator skills" for those with no previous training in conflict resolution. Arline will share some of the tools and strategies that have proven effective for family members wishing to get past entrenched disputes. Arline Kardasis is a mediator, trainer and founding partner of Elder Decisions, a Division of Agreement Resources, LLC in Norwood, Massachusetts. She has presented workshops and trainings around the United States on elder and adult family mediation. Arline served as a founding tri-chair of the Elder Decision-Making and Conflict Resolution Section of the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR). Arline co-authored Mom Always Liked You Best: A Guide for Resolving Family Feuds, Inheritance Battles and Eldercare Crises. Zena Zumeta, is both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Have you always wondered what the difference between arbitration and mediation is? Listen in as attorney, mediator and arbitrator, Daniel Preston Dozier, discusses the fact and fiction of arbitration. You’ll learn the pros and cons of arbitration and how mediation is similar to and completely different from arbitration and how both are different than going to court. Daniel P. Dozier, a member of the law firm of Press, Potter & Dozier, LLC, received his J. D. in 1971 from Wayne State University. He is an internationally-recognized pioneer in conflict management and collaborative decision-making, with nearly 35 years of experience as an attorney, negotiator, and mediator, and 25 years as a mediator and facilitator of complex multi-party environmental and public policy, employment, contract and commercial disputes. He has been appointed by United States District Courts throughout the United States to mediate complex environmental cases and is listed on numerous rosters of neutrals. Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation, conflict analysis, facilitation, training and somatic education to private and government clients. He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and a black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido.

You’ve seen it before, and you’ll see it again: • Someone digs in his heels and adamantly refuses to admit he’s wrong, even though the evidence is clearly against him. • Someone devotes far more resources to trying to defeat someone than she can possibly recover, even if she wins. • Someone gets into a heated disagreement with a relative or co-worker about how to address a situation even though he’s not sure what he really wants. • Someone fiercely resists a change that seems destined to make her better off. What’s going on? Our minds evolved to deal with differences in the small, simple, homogeneous communities our ancestors occupied thousands of years ago. So they are easily confused and overwhelmed by the complexities of life. We cannot alter how our minds work, but we can learn to overcome their limitations. Geoff Drucker has addressed disputes from the perspective of a lawyer, mediator, designer of dispute resolution programs, teacher, and trainer. He wrote Resolving 21 Century Disputes: Best Practices for a Fast-Paced World to fill key gaps he saw in our understanding of how disputes arise and get resolved. Geoff currently manages a health care dispute resolution program for the American Health Lawyers Association. For More Information: Geoff Drucker Assignment for week: Analyzing a 21st Century Dispute

National Crime Prevention Council has developed several initiatives to educate children and adults to help them be safe from crime. The McGruff Club curriculum for children ages six to ten provides prevention and safety education. When the Going Gets Scruff is a newly developed animated 3-minute DVD for kids ages five to eight to help them handle bullying situations. The Circle of Respect is designed to encourage respect and consideration for others. VOICES, a component of Circle of Respect, is geared to high school youth and is designed to allow teens to express themselves through poetry, rap, song, art – all original works – as it relates to their personal efforts to have a safe and happy lifestyle. Marcia Ellis serves the National Crime Prevention Council as the Program Manager for the Children and Youth initiatives. She has extensive experience in developing and implementing programs for youth and adults which address leadership development, program evaluation community outreach to name a few. At NCPC, she will collaborate in the organizations mission to help families and communities keep themselves safe from crime. Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. For more Information: McGruff® The Crime Dog

How can we use words and voice as tools for a more peaceful world? Laurie Schloff, communication coach, author of Smart Speaking, a book called "the best book ever written about speaking" will discuss the top five techniques for communicating in a peaceful, proactive way. Laurie is the author of Twenty Twinkling Stars, a children's book which celebrates the passions and interests of the Newtown children we lost on December 14, 2012. The book, a collaboration with National SAVE, Students Against Violence Everywhere is scheduled for release in late fall. Laurie Schloff, a coach with The Speech Improvement Company, works with individual and groups nationwide to enhance communication skills. She is the author of Smart Speaking and He and She Talk and has appeared on Oprah and the Today Show. Laurie's children's book, Twenty Twinkling Stars celebrates the Newtown students lost last December and is a fund raising project for SAVE, Students Against Violence Everywhere. .

Learn about truancy and how mediation can be a valuable process for students, parents, and schools. You will learn about typical cases referred to our juvenile truancy mediation program and possible outcomes. We will discuss the benefits of truancy mediation as well as take away tips to prevent truancy. Michelle Zaremba is the Director of the Dayton Mediation Center and has worked in the field for 14 years. She holds a BA in Applied Conflict Management and a Master of Public Administration. Michelle is a Certified Transformative Mediator. Trisha Werts is the Mediation Specialist for Juvenile Court Mediation Programs at the Dayton Mediation Center. She has worked in the field for 12 years and is a Certified Transformative Mediator. Trisha specializes in training, mediating, and youth programming For more information: Transformative Mediation and National Association for Community Mediation

As summer vacation ends, parents rush to prepare for another school year. You may have filled your child’s backpack, but missed the most important detail in your preparations. Join Jeanne Dexter and Paul Schweinler, to learn how parents, teachers, and other adults, can start conversations with their child that allow them to talk about what concerns them, express what they need, and build strength and confidence to face a new school year. Jeanne A. Dexter is the Founder and Co-Creator of The Talking Jar Series.Jeanne has worked with children books, toys and games for most of her life including managing an educational children’s book and toy store and is currently writing two children’s books. She is a public speaker and trainer. Paul J Schweinler is, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, a Nationally Certified Counselor, Diplomat of the American Psychotherapy Association and a Board Certified Expert in Traumatic Stress. Paul is an approved instructor with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, a Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator and Florida Supreme Court Approved Primary Mediation Instructor. Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation, conflict analysis, facilitation, training and somatic education to private and government clients. For more Information: The Talking Jar™ Follow: Twitter, Facebook Youtube

Conflict is at the heart of some of our best ideas and at the root of some of our worst failures. How can we improve our competence to make the best out of this inevitable part of our lives? During this show Tim Flanagan and Craig Runde will discuss how to improve cognitive, emotional, behavioral and normative skills required to manage conflict effectively. They will draw on stories and tips from their new book, Developing Your Conflict Competence.

Craig Runde, Director of the Center for Conflict Dynamics at Eckerd College, oversees training and development on the Conflict Dynamics Profile assessment instrument and other products and services of the Center.

Tim Flanagan, Director of Custom Programs for the Leadership Development Institute at Eckerd College, is a frequent presenter at professional conferences and has consulted with scores of leading national and international firms.

For more information about becoming Conflict Competent

During the month of July, please enjoy these previously recorded shows. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning August 6, 2013.

Victoria Pynchon’s new book is an adult primer on the difficult art of resolving, transforming or transcending conflict in your home, your workplace, your community, your state, your nation and your world. Victoria is an attorney who traded in her boxing gloves for the softer but no less difficult skills of helping lawyers and their business clients resolve their commercial disputes. Now she brings the wisdom of the courtroom and the mediation room to everyday conflicts and the difficult people in your life. Victoria mediates commercial disputes with ADR Services, Inc. in Century City, arbitrates business disputes for the American Arbitration Association and teaches women when and how to negotiate with her business partner Lisa Gates at SheNegotiates.com.

Join us as we talk with Victoria Pynchon, attorney-mediator and arbitrator who spent the first 25 years of her legal career litigating and trying business disputes for her clients. She now mediates and arbitrates those same disputes, helping business people resolve their conflicts as effectively and expeditiously as possible. Her book, A is for Asshole, the Grownups' ABCs of Conflict Resolution is an adult primer on resolving conflict and negotiating resolution.

For more information click on: : She Negotiates and ABC’s of Conflict

During the month of July, please enjoy these previously recorded shows. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning August 6, 2013. Enjoy the summer!

Listening is a skill. It is an art. It is a discipline. It is hard. It takes attention and practice. It takes awareness. It is particularly hard when you don't want to hear the person who is talking to you. It is particularly hard in disagreements, arguments and conflicts. How do we listen without being caught by the judgments, opinions, desires, justifications and stories rumbling around in our heads?

In this session we will be talking with Susan Shearouse, Frameworks for Agreement. We will explore the 3 C's of listening: how to prepare yourself and enter a difficult conversation able to hear what is being said, to be able to listen more effectively. Susan can be found at: Frameworks for Agreement

During the month of July, please enjoy these previously recorded shows. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning August 6, 2013. Enjoy the summer!

In this show, we kicked off March's International Listening Awareness month with Susan Young. Susan is a news and communications expert with 25 years of experience.

I spoke with Susan about the "new trend" in listening she calls "silent listening." The ability to quiet the mind, focus without distractions, and being in the moment...all with the purpose of improving business relationships.

Susan Young is the President of Get In Front Communications

During the month of July, please enjoy these previously recorded shows. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning August 6, 2013. Enjoy the summer!

We often long to solve conflict and the question becomes how. On today’s program Eileen Dowse will share her SOLVE™ model as an easy approach for you to work through issues and develop lasting solutions. This process offers techniques for expanding interpersonal communications and building better relationships in the future.

Join my Guest HostZena Zumeta as she talks with Eileen Dowse, an international consultant, author and speaker whose practice focuses on improving workplace dynamics. She works with individuals, and organizations throughout North America, Europe, Australia and Asia to help people work more effectively together. She is an award-winning author of "The Naked Manager, How to build open relationships at work". Her second book “The Agile Business Leader, The Four Roles of Successful Leaders” focuses on being responsive, adaptive and effective in an era filled with confusion, contradictions, and corruption. Eileen is widely regarded as one of the thought-leaders in international facilitation as well as being a co-founder, and Chair of the International Institute for Facilitation.

Click for more information on Human Dynamics

Learn about the SOLVE™ Model for Resolving Issues and How to SOLVE Your Conflicts

In our final episode of the series Conflict and Empathy: Where Has Empathy and Compassion Gone? Keiko Krahnke from the University of Colorado will join me and Edwin Rutsch, Center for Building a Culture of Empathy to discuss how do we foster empathy in a business, work and beyond? We will also look at the larger social systems andsee how we can build a truly global culture of empathy. Keiko Krahnke received her B.A. from Doshisha Women's College in Japan, and M.A. and Ph.D. from Colorado State University. She joined the faculty at Monfort College of Business at the University of Northern Colorado in1999 an associate professor of management. Keiko brings diverse knowledge and expertise to the classroom and to her research. Her academic background is in language teaching and applied linguistics, counseling, and human resource development. Keiko serves on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management. Edwin Rutsch is the founding director of the Center for Building a Culture of Empathy. The CultureOfEmpathy.com is the largest website on the Internet focused on nurturing and fostering empathy. After discovering the power of empathy, he has dedicated his life to raising the level of empathy in society and building a global culture of empathy.

In our third episode of the series Conflict and Empathy: Where Has Empathy and Compassion Gone? Edwin Rutsch, Center for Building a Culture of Empathy and I will discuss how do we foster empathy in a family? Edwin will share some personal stories of how he has personally fostered empathy in his extended family and how he used Restorative Empathy Circles to heal family conflicts. Edwin Rutsch is the founding director of the Center for Building a Culture of Empathy. The CultureOfEmpathy.com is the largest website on the Internet focused on nurturing and fostering empathy. After spending 10 years as a seeker traveling, working and studying his way around the world, Edwin worked for many years in the computer technology field. After discovering the power of empathy, he has dedicated his life to raising the level of empathy in society and building a global culture of empathy. For More Information: Edwin Rutsch

In our second episode of the series Conflict and Empathy: Where Has Empathy and Compassion Gone?, Edwin Rutsch and I will discuss how do we build empathy and compassion? Edwin will discuss a number of strategies he has implemented at the Center for Building a Culture of Empathy. One strategy has been the use of Empathy Circles using empathic reflective listening with individuals and groups. He will share real life examples and will model the skill.

Edwin Rutsch is the founding director of the Center for Building a Culture of Empathy. The CultureOfEmpathy.com is the largest website on the Internet focused on nurturing and fostering empathy. After spending 10 years as a seeker traveling, working and studying his way around the world, Edwin worked for many years in the computer technology field. After discovering the power of empathy, he has dedicated his life to raising the level of empathy in society and building a global culture of empathy.

For More Information: Edwin Rutsch

For many of us engaged in conflict or embroiled in a dispute, it can be very difficult to muster up empathy and compassion for the other side. The longer the conflict goes unresolved it seems the less empathy we have for them as a human being. In this first of our four episode series--Conflict and Empathy: Where Has Empathy and Compassion Gone?-- we will introduce the “wheel of empathy” and the “feel of empathy” as defined by Edwin Rutsch, Founder of a global empathy movement called The Center for Building a Culture of Empathy. We will also discuss how compassion intertwines with empathy and set the foundation for how you build empathy. Edwin Rutsch is the founding director of the Center for Building a Culture of Empathy. The CultureOfEmpathy.com is the largest website on the Internet focused on nurturing and fostering empathy. After spending 10 years as a seeker traveling, working and studying his way around the world, Edwin worked for many years in the computer technology field. After discovering the power of empathy, he has dedicated his life to raising the level of empathy in society and building a global culture of empathy. For More Information: Edwin Rutsch

Family businesses are unique and complex differing in many ways from non-family businesses. For those family businesses preparing for the next generation to transition and succeed, they need to expect all kinds of issues to arise that can cause conflict. Family members have questions and expectations: who is moving out? Moving in? Moving aside? The new generation has ideas and strategies which could very well be different from how Grandpa used to do it. Succession planning is key to this transition process. Change does not happen over night. Support from family business experts can frequently facilitate the way to a productive succession. Mary F. Whiteside, Ph.D. is a family therapist, consultant, and mediator affiliated with the Ann Arbor Center for the Family. She is a Fellow and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Family Firm Institute and has contributed significantly to the introduction of family systems concepts to the family business field. In her consultation practice she works with family firms to develop effective communication across and between generations. She works with Family Councils to coordinate family/business mission statements, and to set goals and guidelines for family career development, compensation, and ownership. Richard Segal is an accomplished speaker and consultant on family business issues at Segal Consulting. Currently, Rick maintains a successful insurance practice while he consults with and trains family business stakeholders and service providers. Rick chairs the Family Business Council – an organization of family firms and service providers he founded in 1992.

There has been much said regarding the ability of parties to mediate in cases where there has been domestic abuse. While no one believes abuse is an issue that can be mediated, the parties may have issues that can be resolved through mediation. Our program will discuss issues including the benefits of mediation in these situations, the structure of such mediations and preparation of parties, and the mediator. Christy Cumberlander Walker has over fifteen years of experience mediating family issues. She was previously a program coordinator for the Franklin county Domestic Relations and Juvenile Court. Her experience includes providing family, employment and community mediation as well as providing training in dispute resolution across the county. Christy was also a trainer for the Supreme Court of Ohio Domestic Abuse Issues for Mediators and Other Professionals. Christy was a member of the Advisory Council for the Association for Conflict Resolution’s Family Section. She is the co-chair for the annual conference “Making Peace Happen: New Normals” that will be held in Minneapolis Minnesota in October. Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators. She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators. She is the recipient of the the Michigan Lifetime Achievement in Mediation Award; the National Education Association/Saturn Corporation Award for Union-Management Collaboration.

As a licensed marriage and family therapist for nearly 20 years, Dr. Adams has discovered a common thread that binds us together—the power that relationships have in our lives. Through research, Dr. Adams began to unravel the complexity of relationships and to uncover the basic principles upon which successful relationships are built. By redefining these principles, she has developed simple and practical applications that those in military service (both current and former) and their families can use in their everyday lives. The ABCs of Change will alter forever the way you relate…and it will change your life. Patricia E. Adams, President of Zeitgeist Wellness Group is a family therapist and one of only ten women nationwide to be named 2011 Entrepreneurial Winning Women by Ernst & Young LLP. As a subject matter expert, Dr. Adams has more than 16 years of experience as a licensed marriage and family therapist. She is a certified mediator and crisis intervention specialist. Dr. Adams is the author of “ABCs of Change: Three Building Blocks to Happy Relationships.” The Zeitgeist Wellness Group is an authorized provider of 41 insurance/employee assistance programs (EAP) across the United States. Connect with Dr. Patricia E. Adams on social media: Facebook Twitter Google+

Parenting discipline decisions are sometimes among the toughest but also some of the most critical that parents make. Focusing on respect, empathy, communication, and collaborative problem-solving helps parents model effective conflict resolution skills for their children. Listen in to learn how to use these skills to build stronger lifelong relationships with your children. Barbara Sugarman Grochal, M.A.T., M.B.A., and C.P.C.C., is a professional life coach, conflict coach, mediator, parenting trainer and facilitator, and parent of three 20-somethings. Barbara is the principal of Anything’s Possible: Coaching and Training. In a segment of her training and coaching practice, she helps parents draw on their deep desires for their children and young adults learn to address independence and boundary issues. Barbara is Director of the Schools Conflict Resolution Education Program at the Center for Dispute Resolution at the University of Maryland King Carey School of Law. She provides training in Maryland and nationally and is a recognized as a Champion of Conflict Resolution Education. Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation, conflict analysis, facilitation, training and somatic education to private and government clients. He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and a black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido.

American voters have lost confidence in the ability of our political leaders to solve the most serious of problems: a staggering deficit, the need for jobs, a broken tax system. They feel frustrated, worried, angry and ashamed by the way our elected officials act. They blame a lack of respectful dialogue in the political system and politicians' unwillingness to engage across party lines for the Confidence Crisis in which we find ourselves.

In 1995, Dr. Carolyn Lukensmeyer, Founder and first President of AmericaSpeaks, created a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C. with a mission to reinvigorate American Democracy by engaging citizens in public decision-making and helping provide them with a real voice in our nation's governance. For over 15 years, AmericaSpeaks has convened large-scale initiatives to engage citizens and leaders on some of the most difficult and important policy issues. Their work has demonstrated that average citizens have the ability to understand complex policy issues, make reasonable judgments about how to resolve them and commit to supporting the solution. AmericaSpeaks works not only in the United States, but throughout the world. The international arm of the organization is called Global Voices and it has brought the AmericaSpeaks model to countries around the world.

Receive a 30% discount by ordering the book Bringing Citizen Voices to the Table directly through Wiley (please add hyperlink http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1118230876.html). Use the promo code CL252

Learn how conflict coaching can help you change those dynamics to manage conflict and communicate more productively with your aging parents and adult siblings. You will learn what a conflict coach does, and will take away some tips on how to get unstuck from patterns of communication that aren't working as you navigate the difficult conversations that come with aging. Carolyn is a mediator, teacher, trainer and conflict coach. Certified by the Maryland Council for Dispute Resolution, Carolyn is qualified to mediate for the Maryland Circuit and District Courts. She has been an active trainer for mediators and for service providers in elder mediation, issues around aging, and mediation skills since 2001. Carolyn was a co-founder and first tri-chair of the Elder Decision-Making Section of the Association for Conflict Resolution, and chairs its Training Standards Committee. She is an adjunct professor at Shepherd University and at Anne Arundel Community College where she has taught in the Institute for the Future and teaches in the Continuing Professional Education Department. She was a co-founder and served as Director of Training for Senior Mediation and Decision-Making. Carolyn authored a chapter in Pre- & Post-Retirement Tips for Librarians (American Library Association, 2012).

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation, conflict analysis, facilitation, training and somatic education to private and government clients. He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and a black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido.

Families today are assuming responsibility for the informal care of over 75 percent of elderly family members and are often faced with difficult decisions from a bewildering array of choices:? e.g. estate planning, financial issues, and guardianship.? In the best of circumstances, this can be a stressful process and sometimes leads to disagreements, confusion, and conflict at a time when the best intentions of the family are to work together for the needs of a loved and respected aging family member. With the help of a trained professional mediator, family members share information and perspectives, explore and evaluate options, and develop workable solutions through a process that promotes open and positive communication.? The mediator is a neutral, who does not offer advice and believes that each family is unique and knows best what solutions will work for their family as a whole.? For families in conflict or simply wanting help through a transition elder care mediation offers a process which can reduce stress and prevent a crisis.

Louise Phipps Senft, an attorney, is the founder of the Baltimore Mediation/Louise Phipps Senft and Associates, the first trans-formative mediation firm in Maryland. She designed and continues to teach what was the first certificated mediation training course offered by the law school. Ms. Senft was voted “Baltimore’s Best” mediator, 2002 by Baltimore Magazine and named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women for 2004, 2007 and 2009 by The Daily Record. She lectures extensively and was appointed by Chief Judge Robert Bell of the Court of Appeals to the Maryland ADR Commission and was later appointed as Chair of the first ADR Family Mediation Initiative for the State. Ms. Senft was the initiator, co-creator, lead trainer and supervisor for the Baltimore City Circuit Court Family Mediation Services Program.

We hope that we, and our family and loved ones will come together in the kindest ways when someone we care about is dying. We hope the shared experience of loss will bring out the best in us. But grief and loss brings all kinds of feelings to the surface-sweet memories and shared pleasure right along with sorrow, old wounds and resentments. And of course, fears about our own mortality. There are ways to care for ourselves, clear the air before conflict arises and work together to tend our broken-open hearts and bring a healing balm to the dying time of life. Rose Gordon is the founder of Circle of Compassionate Care, dedicated to serving people who are dying and their families. Rose acts as a midwife for the dying during this deeply meaningful and challenging time of their life. She has a degree in Hospice and Grief Counseling and over 2 decades of direct experience with the dying and their families. Rose worked with the Office of the Medical Examiner, served for 5 years as Director of the Being with Dying Program at a Zen Center, teaches Compassionate Care of the Dying and Self-Care for Caregivers to community members and healthcare professionals in the U.S. and overseas, and currently manages and trains Hospice volunteers and offers Spiritual Care through Mountain Home Health Hospice in Taos, New Mexico. Rose uses her life experience, her skills in deep listening and over a decade of work with Council process to illuminate the resiliency and capacity within the people she serves, helping them to bring forward the best of who they are to meet the dying time of life.

Elder mediation can enhance family communication skills and change the face of health care as we know it. It promotes dignity and respect and enhances the quality of life for all concerned. Elder mediation is a focused, preventative, respectful process – usually multi-party, multi-issue and intergenerational - whereby a trained elder mediator ensures, as much as possible, that all who need to be are present in the mediation. The mediator facilitates discussions focusing on present strengths and assists participants in exploring their stated issues or concerns. This form of mediation often involves the many people related to the issues, such as family members, caregivers, organizations, agencies and/or any named service providers. International trainer, bestselling author, guest lecturer and certified FMC (Family Mediation Canada) Comprehensive Family Mediator and Elder Mediator, Judy pioneered training for elder mediators in 1994 and drafted the Code of Conduct for Elder Mediators. She sits on the elder mediation certification committee, is a past president of Family Mediation Canada and Elder Mediation Canada, and is involved in several research initiatives on elder mediation. Judy is chair of the Elder Mediation International Network and co-chaired five World Summits with the 6th International Summit to be held in Adelaide, South Australia in 2013 (Apr29-May 1). Judy has twice represented Canada on the CARF International Accreditation Committee in Washington DC to develop international standards for long term care facilities.

In this age of instant communication and instant gratification sexting has become all too common for those in love. Teenagers are no different, while many teens openly admit that they know it's wrong to send these sexual photos, many feel the odds of getting caught are so low that they are willing to take the risk. Unfortunately, they are disconnected from the life-long consequences of their behavior and risks of hurting not only themselves but those they love. Join Raychelle Lohmann as she discusses how you can protect and talk to teens about this difficult issue. Raychelle Cassada Lohmann, M.S., L.P.C., is a professional counselor, author, speaker, blogger for Psychology Todayand contributor to Sharecare. She has also worked in middle school and high school settings as a school counselor. Raychelle is the author of three books The Anger Workbook for Teens, which has been translated into four languages, Staying Cool...When You're Steaming Mad, and The Bullying Workbook for Teens due out this May.

Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation, conflict analysis, facilitation, training and somatic education to private and government clients.

Appddiction Studio’s Stop Bullies district wide smartphone app empowers bystanders to capture bully events as they occur and report them to school administrators in real time. School administrators can then begin to investigate the incidents immediately utilizing the Stop Bullies secure dashboard which allows for the receipt, analysis and management of incidents across the district. With incident information captured by the bystander trained professionals within the school can put their training and intervention expertise to work thus making the campus safer. School counselors can then work on proactively preventing the next incident without spending valuable time on “He said-She said” type interviews. Mr. Porter recommends that every school district should consider implementing the Stop Bullies app. Stop Bullies can be downloaded by district students in grades K-12 to work on any smartphone regardless of platform including iPhone/iPad/iPad Mini/iPod Touch/Android/Android Tablets/Windows 8/Blackberry and is multi-language. Mr. Porter has over 20 years of leadership experience in the information technology industry. He proudly served for 10 years in the United States Army until he was honorably discharged in 1998 as a Platoon Sergeant. Tim earned his Masters of Business Administration from the University of the Incarnate Word. He currently serves a Board Member and the Technology Committee Chair for the World Affairs Council of San Antonio, Board Member of Bexar County Health Collaborative, and Conference of Minority Transportation Officials – HUB and Legislative Advisory Councils.

“The National Association of Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) is proud to be a founding partner of the National Youth Violence Prevention Campaign. The goal of this campaign is to raise awareness and to educate students, teachers, school administrators, counselors, school resource officers, school staff, parents, and the public on effective ways to prevent or reduce youth Violence. This week long national education initiative will involve activities that demonstrate the positive role young people can have in making their school and community safer.” Tune in to hear more about SAVE, Violence Prevention Week, and practical ways listeners can be a part of the violence prevention movement! Argrow ‘Kit’ Evans has been connected to the National Association of Students Against Violence Everywhere for 16 years where she is now an active board member. She is a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill and holds a BA in Communications Studies, a Master of Arts in Teaching: Special Education, Master of Arts in Social Justice and Community Development, and a Master of Divinity degree. Kit is the founder of Testimonies of Hope: The Intercultural Christian Devotional. Mia Brooms is currently a graduate student in the Negotiation and Conflict Management program at the University of Baltimore. She is originally from the Island of Barbados. She is a full-time employee of the University of Maryland, School of Dentistry.

Home of McGruff the Crime Dog, the National Crime Prevention Council’s mission is to be the nation's leader in helping people keep themselves, their families, and their communities safe from crime. To achieve this, NCPC produces tools that communities can use to learn crime prevention strategies, engage community members, and coordinate with local agencies.

One of NCPC’s primary initiatives centers on preventing cyberbullying – what parents, educators and kids can do to combat the prevalence of bullying online and resolve interpersonal conflicts in a peaceful and respectful manner. Michelle Boykins from NCPC will speak about cyberbullying as part of the series on youth violence in support of the National Campaign to Prevent Youth Violence.

Michelle Boykins, Director of Communications at the National Crime Prevention Council, directs all operational aspects for promotions, media relations, and public service advertising symbolized by McGruff the Crime Dog®, his nephew Scruff®, and the “Take A Bite Out Of Crime®” slogan. The million-dollar public service campaign provides a tremendous return on investment by receiving an average of $60 million in donated media support.

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We all have to manage conflicts in our brain on a daily basis, not only with others but with ourselves: making the right decisions, choosing between options, between objectives, allocating our time and resources, etc. Our session will cover what neuroscience has to tell us about how the brain manages all of those conflicts and how can we use those findings to improve our well-being and effectiveness from a social, emotional and cognitive standpoint. François Bogacz is an IMI certified mediator, a Harvard PON graduate and the co-founder and CEO of Neuroawareness Consulting Services. His company offers consulting services and designs professional development programs to help individuals, teams and organizations maximize their potential by understanding the human brain at the emotional, social and cognitive levels. Steven Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation, conflict analysis, facilitation, training and somatic education to private and government clients. He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University's School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and a black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido. He is a former employee of the Association for Conflict Resolution, the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, the Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Resolution and the D.C. Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency as an ADR Specialist. More Information: François Bogacz, Steven Kotev

Our brains are changing all the time. We can be in control of those changes or we can have accidental brains, ruled by habit. Stephanie will show you how you can break bad habits, set and reach goals, and maximize your ability to handle conflict through the process of self-directed neuroplasticity. By using some basic techniques, you can take charge of how your brain changes. You can rewire your brain on purpose. Stephanie practiced law for several years in CA, and has been a mediator since 1981. She has consulted with lawyers on a variety of topics, and spent a number of years as lawyer training director at a large firm. She also designs and presents Continuing Legal Education programs with a focus on conflict resolution. She is the author of Creating Your Own Funeral or Memorial Service: A Workbook and many articles on workplace and professional issues for such publications as Lawyer Hiring and Training Report, Colorado Nurse, The Complete Lawyer, National Law Journal, Of Counsel, The Jury Expert, Law Practice, Denver Business Journal, and TRIAL. She maintains a blog on neuroscience and conflict resolution and a law-related blog; and presents at places such as the Smithsonian Institution, and for bar associations around the country. For more Information and Articles: Stephanie West Allen

Every conflict contains a seed that in the right conditions can germinate into a new understanding, deeper awareness, and creative possibilities. The inner workings of the brain can advance or hinder this process. This program will explore implications of current neuroscience research for communication, social interactions, conflict management, and influence. This program will help you more effectively: - Communicate and think clearly under pressure. - Regulate emotions. - Overcome cognitive biases and improve decision-making. - Unleash the creative potential in conflicts and facilitate insights and breakthroughs. Additional Resources: Amy Cuddy: Your body language shapes who you are Anastasia Pryanikova, M.A., J.D. is a lawyer, linguist, certified coach, and the founder of E-Studio, LLC, a coaching and training company that translates neuroscience insights into solutions in the areas of performance, collaboration, social networking, and conflict management. From a linguist and an ESL instructor, to a corporate lawyer working internationally, to a U.S. Small Business Administration legal adviser, Anastasia has been in the business of "changing people's minds" to facilitate high-stake conversations and decisions across borders, cultures, and industries. As a self-proclaimed tech-geek, Anastasia explores how technology and social media can boost influence, visibility and strengthen human connection. For more Information: Anastasia Pryanikova

In YourBrain on Conflict series, we kick off with Scott Rogers, Founder and Director of the Institute for Mindfulness Studies. What happens in our brain when we are engaged in an emotionally-charged conflict? Neuroscience or brain science has emerged with answers that help us begin to understand the physiological, emotional, and cognitive impact on us in these types of situations. One method for dealing with these intense situations is called mindfulness. We will explore what mindfulness is and share tips for how to practically apply techniques to manage conflict and the emotions you experience. Scott Rogers is founder and director of the Institute for Mindfulness Studies. He is also Founder and Director of the Mindfulness in Law Program at University of Miami School of Law. His concentration on mindfulness is rooted in his belief that it offers the most effective means of introducing a contemplative practice to attorneys and law students, and to encourage meaningful inner work and growth, both professionally and personally. In 1998, Scott began developing the mindfulness techniques that form the basis for Jurisight, the mindfulness-based program designed for lawyers. In 2003 Scott founded the online community, The Mindful Parent®. In 2009 Scott published “Mindfulness for Law Students: Applying the Power of Mindful Awareness to Achieve Balance and Success in Law School” and “The Six-Minute Solution: A Mindfulness Primer for Lawyers.

Please join us for our Diversity, Race and Conflict Series to hear Jonathan Haidt, author of The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom, and of The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion. JonathanHaidt is a professor of psychology at the NYU-Stern School of Business. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992 and then did post-doctoral research at the University of Chicago and in Orissa, India.His research focuses on morality - its emotional foundations, cultural variations, and developmental course. He is the co-developer of Moral Foundations theory, and of the research site YourMorals.org. He uses his research to help people understand and respect the moral motives of their enemies (see CivilPolitics.org, and see his 2008 TED talk). He was the 2004 winner of the Virginia "Outstanding Faculty Award." This week's Call to Action is to complete the quiz at www.YourMorals.org and use your results to explore your morality and how it influences your relationships with others. For more information see Jonathan Haidt or visit www.RighteousMind.com.

Creativity, culture and collaboration are themes that run through Michelle LeBaron's work. She is an internationally renowned scholar/practitioner, currently serving as a professor of law and Director of Dispute Resolution at the University of British Columbia. Previously, she was a tenured professor of conflict analysis and resolution and women's studies at George Mason University in Virginia after practicing law and psychotherapy. Michelle has done seminal work in many areas of conflict resolution including intercultural, international, family and commercial. Her books include Bridging Cultural Conflicts: A New Approach for a Changing World and Bridging, Troubled Waters: Conflict Resolution from the Heart and Conflict Across Cultures: A Unique Experience of Bridging Differences, which is the product of collaboration among five authors from four continents. Her current research explores the arts and contemplative practices as vital resources for transforming cross-cultural conflicts and is the subject of a forthcoming book with Carrie MacLeod and Andrew Acland titled "The Choreography of Resolution: Conflict, Movement and Neuroscience." Michelle teaches and speaks internationally, and is a published poet. Learn more about Michelle LeBaron

Often times religion has been cited as a cause of violence. More and more scholars are exploring religion's potential for peace. In her new book, Civil Society in Malerkotla, Punjab: Fostering Resilience through Religion,Bhangoo looks at a diverse religious community in Northern Punjab that became legendary for it's commitment to peace under the threat of violence. Karen Bhangoo Randhawais originally from British Columbia, Canada and is currently a professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of California, Berkeley and adjunct Professor of Law at Pepperdine University. She has a PhD from the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University. Steven Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation, conflict analysis, facilitation, training and somatic education to private and government clients. He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University's School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and a black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido. He is a former employee of the Association for Conflict Resolution, the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, the Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Resolution and the D.C. Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency as an ADR Specialist.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights," this is the first statement of Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Since this declaration's adoption in 1948, political rights have been foregrounded. Now the time has come for humankind to give dignity sustainable attention. Human rights are embedded in dignity, but dignity has a larger humanizing scope than rights. Dignity entails justice and peace, and it manifests as unity in diversity and supports an ethics of care.

Evelin Lindner's work focuses on human dignity and humiliation. She is the Founding President of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies (HumanDHS), a global transdisciplinary fellowship of concerned academics and practitioners who wish to promote dignity and transcend humiliation. She is a Co-founder of the World Dignity University initiative . She has a dual education as a Medical Doctor and a Psychologist and carries two PhDs (Dr. med. and Dr. psychol.). She teaches globally. She is a research fellow at the University of Oslo, Norway, is affiliated, among others, with Columbia University in New York City (with the Advanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict, and Complexity, AC4), and with the Maison des Sciences de l'Homme in Paris.

For More Information: Evelin Lindner

Listen to our PRE-RECORDED Show on January 1st at 7:00pm CST at Blog Talk Radio. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning January 8, 2013. Enjoy the Holidays! In today’s show, we are going to help you develop a plan for “Becoming Conflict Competent” in the new year. So, if you want to stop running away from those tense situations or maybe even curb your sharp or sarcastic tone when you are defending yourself, then listen in for a simple plan to help you change how you will deal with these conflict situations in the coming year. I am asking you to make 4 commitments on your journey to becoming conflict competent.

Forgiveness is a powerful tool for clients who are up against difficult, and seemingly insurmountable, conflicts. It creates a pathway from conflict to a deeper place of understanding and compassion. Because Forgiveness integrates all levels of conflict -- physical, emotional, mental and spiritual–it uniquely enables clients to experience the opportunity for transformative healing that is latent in every challenging conflict. Learn more about how to work with Forgiveness to help clients in your practice.

Eileen Barker has been writing and speaking on forgiveness, and guiding people who need to either forgive themselves or someone else, for many years. A practicing litigation lawyer who rejected the traditional adversarial role, Eileen has focused her practice on mediation, helping thousands of people resolve disputes outside of court. This work led her into a deep exploration of forgiveness as it relates to resolving conflict and making peace, both with others and oneself.

Eileen has been a leader in the movement to integrate emotional healing and forgiveness in conflict resolution. She has led numerous trainings on forgiveness both for individuals and organizations and is the author of the Forgiveness Workbook and Forgiveness Meditation CD.

For more information: The Path of Forgiveness

To find out more about the: Forgiveness Meditation & CD

Negative emotions arise all too frequently in our daily lives, feelings such as anger, irritation, fear, confusion and worry, to name a few. These emotions trigger stress and simultaneously block our ability to feel grounded and centered. They also negatively impact our health. EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) is a powerful, fast, portable and easy to use tool to handle stress and to reduce the hold such negative emotions have on our well-being. Once learned, you will be able to use it whenever the need arises

Brady Mikusko is a divorce coach and a certified personal life coach with the International Coaching Federation (ICF), helping her clients live life with greater competence, ease, joy and well-being. EFT is one tool that she teaches most of her coaching clients because of its practical, easy-to-learn and easy-to-use nature. Brady is no stranger to conflict, having mediated divorces for over 14 years, and has written a user-friendly workbook on mediation: Be Smart: Prepare Yourself for Divorce Mediation.

Listen to our PRE-RECORDED Show on December 11th at 7:00pm CST at Blog Talk Radio.

During the month of December, please enjoy these previously recorded shows. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning January 8, 2013. Enjoy the Holidays!

This show highlights the works of Rebecca Shafir, neurotherapist and speech and language pathologist. She is author of the book, “The Zen of Listening: Mindful Communication in the Age of Distraction.” We will explore listening myths, the 4 characteristics of being a mindful listener, examine listening stoppers, and tips for listening to difficult people.

To learn more about Rebecca Shafir or to sign up for her newsletter The Mindful Communicator’s Minute, click here. www.MindfulCommunication.com

During the month of December, please enjoy these previously recorded shows. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning January 8, 2013. Enjoy the Holidays!

Our conversation will focus on what to do to prepare for those family gatherings so that you don't lose your cool.

Have you ever felt you have to perform like Martha Stewart and be the perfect hostess? Or, maybe you wanted to start a new tradition but it is met with resistance because “we’ve always done it this way!” Do you get tired of the constant battle of who to visit, so instead you rush around to 3 or 4 family households in a day? Exhausting! We all certainly have those relatives we see during the holidays that make us want to cringe. They’ll never change! Donna Tuites is a licensed professional counselor of mental health (LPCMH) in the State of Delaware. She is also a certified employee assistance professional (CEAP). She has been in private practice with a group of other licensed professionals since 2006. Prior to that she worked as an employee assistance counselor and administrator in the Office of Women's Affairs, both at the University of Delaware, for 23 years. Her areas of specialization include women's issues, blending families and step-parenting, parenting skills, assertiveness, communication skills, and managing anxiety in everyday life.

Does your family argue or fight about money or finances during the Holidays? Expectations about what kinds of gifts to buy, how much you can afford to spend on travel or even when siblings or other family members ask for money can cause conflict. Dave and Pattie will talk about some of the causes of Holiday financial conflicts, some strategies to keep from being sucked into the drama and even some tips about how to calm family members down when emotions about money are high. Dave Hilton, the Financial Conflict Coach, is a Conflict Engagement Specialist, Mediator, Dispute Resolution Trainer and Speaker. He is the host of the "Financial Conflict Coach Show" and the "Conflict Specialists Show". Dave is also the founder and Chairman of the Texoma Dispute Resolution Center (a non-profit community mediation center serving parts of North Texas and Southern Oklahoma) and is a volunteer Mediator for the Southern Methodist University Mediation Center in Dallas, TX. For More Information: Dave Hilton

The holidays bring together families with long-held traditions, customs and celebrations. These holiday traditions are founded in our roots…our cultural identity, religious beliefs, and family values. The customs and traditions are sacred. But what happens when two families merge a multi-cultural or interracial marriage? Each family brings with them their own cultural expectations with different values and priorities. The pressures to conform and to honor those traditions of the other family can cause stress and fracture points not only in the marriage but between the in-laws and extended families. Multi-cultural families have a unique need to bend, flex, compromise and accommodate one another’s contrasting ways. Daniel Huerta works at Focus on the Family and has a private counseling practice. He was born in Mexico City, and is a bilingual Licensed Clinical Social Worker, specializing as a counselor in the treatment of disruptive behavior disorders, anxiety and depression in adolescents, children and their families. With degrees from the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs and the University of Denver, Daniel has worked as a social worker in a low-income school district, directed a mentor program at a child placement agency, and served as an adjunct faculty member at Pikes Peak Community College. He is one of the authors in the books the First Five Years of Marriage, The Smart Grooms Guide to the First Year of Marriage, and The Savvy Bride’s Guide to the First Year of Marriage. He and his wife, Heather have been married for 15 years and have two young children. Daniel is also the creator of Together 4 Ever Bands , which is a symbol of commitment within the family.

Every holiday season, workplaces around the country ponder whether to have their annual Christmas party and whether to decorate with all of the glitter and bows that accompanies the traditional American celebration. Employers’ stress and anxiety rises as they think of the potential conflict lurking around the Christmas tree...the Grinch. The fall and winter season brings about a number of holiday and globally recognized celebrations…Christmas, Hanukkah, Ramadan, Kwanzaa, and Bohdi Day. In a global workplace, multiple cultures are represented honoring a number of traditions, religious beliefs, and cultural expectations. In preparation of this season, we will discuss things to consider and strategies to put into place at your workplace for a more peaceful season. Pattie Porter, Founder and President of Conflict Connections, Inc.and host of The Texas Conflict Coach® invites you to call-in with your holiday stories, issues or questions.

Using mediation and collaborative practice we enable our clients to be part of the solution process, not powerless bystanders. The advantage of using Mediation and Collaborative practice over litigation is the processes ability to respect the emotions of the people in conflict over an animal and recognized that emotions power over the parties. Listen in as Debra explains how using Alternative Dispute Resolution, in the emotionally charged venue of conflicts between people about animals, will enable party driven resolutions in less time, for less money, while retaining relationships between the parties currently at odds. Attorney Debra Vey Voda-Hamilton is an experienced litigator, turned mediator/collaborative professional with years of animal conflict experience. She brings vast and varied experience in the animal world to the table, as a neutral in mediation or as a representative of a party in a collaborative process. She is an Attorney Mediator focusing on helping people in conflict over an animal. She helps resolve their conflict without litigation. Debra works with divorcing couples, neighbors, vets, dog owners, breeders and handlers to name a few of her clients. She is admitted to practice law in all New York State Courts. Debra is certified as a mediator and collaborative professional, and has worked with various court based mediation programs in NYC (Queens-Community Mediation Service) Westchester and Rockland (Cluster of Westchester & Rockland). For More Information: Debra Vey Voda-Hamilton, Esq

Join us as two died-in-the-wool technology enthusiasts explore communication technology and conflict in our everyday lives. We'll think together about some of the core principles that promote constructive conflict resolution across the interwebs and share examples of communication strategies that can either make or break online relationships. Communication tools or apps that may help smooth out the daily rough patches will be shared and discussed/debated. Bill Warters, Ph.D., is a faculty member at Wayne State University's Department of Communication where he teaches courses on social conflict, mediation, and communication technologies and conflict among others. He is webmaster of CREducation.org, a site supporting conflict resolution in educational settings and developer of a new iPad app for conflict resolution educators. Colin Rule is CEO of Modria.com, an online dispute resolution provider based in Silicon Valley. He was eBay and PayPal's first Director of Online Dispute Resolution from 2003 to 2011, and he's the author of Online Dispute Resolution for Business (Jossey-Bass, 2003). For More Information: Bill Warters, Ph.D. and Colin Rule

The breakup of a marriage almost always involves some level of conflict between spouses, but the process of litigation during divorce ratchets that conflict up to a level of devastation for all members of the immediate and even extended family. Instead of getting away from the turmoil by divorcing, the adversarial nature of a legal “fight” can actually create permanent emotional and financial damage. If the goal of divorce is to stop the daily conflict, then the process should reduce that conflict while helping establish better relationships for the children and their parents. We will discuss how parents can create an emotionally supportive divorce that promotes a healthy relationship between themselves and a loving future for their children. Marilyn Miller, a psychotherapist, Steve Schechter, a lawyer and mediator, andMelynda Gulley, a mediator, have more than fifty years of experience between them in helping families. They recognized a critical need to help families survive the trauma of divorce and foundedMediators & Counselors, Inc. to provide a divorce that allows parents to maintain control of the outcome which promotes positive, loving relationships for their children.

Each year, community mediators help nearly a million people in conflicts all manner of vexing variation. From schoolyard bullying to co-worker conflicts, nuisance neighbors to deeply personal family fights, community mediation programs bring constructive conflict resolution services to the masses. They mediate, facilitate, coach, train, and much more. These programs and volunteers do all this with industry-leading credentials and dogged dedication, but, often, not much more. Tune in to hear Justin R. Corbett, Executive Director of the National Association for Community Mediation, speak about the State of Community Mediation within the U.S., the potential which motivates its momentum, the pitfalls which keep it from even greater progress, and the future of this influential field. Justin is the Executive Director of NAFCM, the National Association for Community Mediation. There, he advocates for and works to network volunteer mediators and the community programs which lend their expertise to the public for all manner of conflicts. He previously opened a community mediation program in Indianapolis, served as a mortgage foreclosure consultant with the Indiana Supreme Court, and taught negotiations and conflict resolution at Indiana University. He has graduate degrees from Pepperdine University's Strauss Institute for Dispute Resolution, Indiana University, and the University of Cambridge. He lives in Mesa, Arizona with his wife Wendy, who is also deeply passionate about community mediation. For more Information: Justin R. Corbett

Have you ever heard someone threaten “I’ll see you in court!”? If this has happened to you, or if you have ever thought of suing someone, join us on October 2nd as Stephen Kotev interviews attorney and mediator Daniel Preston Dozier to find out how much litigation really costs, and the hidden pitfalls of actually taking someone to court. Daniel P. Dozier, a member of the law firm of Press, Potter & Dozier, LLC, received his J. D. in 1971. He is an internationally-recognized pioneer in conflict management and collaborative decision-making, with nearly 35 years of experience as an attorney, negotiator, and mediator, and 25 years as a mediator and facilitator of complex multi-party environmental and public policy, employment, contract and commercial disputes.

Have you ever heard someone threaten “I’ll see you in court!”? If this has happened to you, or if you have ever thought of suing someone, join us on October 2nd as Stephen Kotev interviews attorney and mediator Daniel Preston Dozier to find out how much litigation really costs, and the hidden pitfalls of actually taking someone to court. Daniel P. Dozier, a member of the law firm of Press, Potter & Dozier, LLC, received his J. D. in 1971. He is an internationally-recognized pioneer in conflict management and collaborative decision-making, with nearly 35 years of experience as an attorney, negotiator, and mediator, and 25 years as a mediator and facilitator of complex multi-party environmental and public policy, employment, contract and commercial disputes. Mr. Dozier has written numerous articles and monographs, including Stakeholder Collaborative Processes for Consensus Building on Planning Issues with James L. Ariail III, AICP and Allyn Finegold in the on line journal of the American Planning Association, Practicing Planner, Finding the Common Good: the Sugarbush Water Withdrawal Case with John H. Fitzhugh, 1996 and a chapter in Mediation Ethics: Cases and Commentaries Edited by Ellen Waldman, Jossey-Bass, 2011

We all have at least one person we wish we could make disappear...without getting in trouble! It’s not magic. It’s proven methods to communicate, mediate, and resolve stressful misunderstandings, happily ever after, and so no one gets fired or mired in continuous conflict. This show, based on the recent book release, will dig deeper than personalities, include the impact of stress, and remind you of the power of your habits, and perceptions, while sharing tips to succeed with even the most “challenging breed” of co-workers. Monica Wofford has been a manager since 1989. Her training firm, Contagious Companies, was founded on the premise that leadership isn’t something you’re born with, but is developed. Author of Contagious Leadership, andMake Difficult People Disappear, she’s been called “The best trainer ever seen!” Winner of numerous awards in business and training, Certified Speaking Professional, Monica Wofford engages, entertains and transforms participants in her presentations.

Stephen Kotev and I help you figure out how to resolve conflicts in the workplace. In this episode we pick up where “A Manager’s Dilemma: How do YOU figure out what’s wrong in the office?” left off. You now understand the problem, what’s next? Listen in and learn effective responses to problems involving difficult relationships, bad data, mismatched values, cross-purpose interests and ineffective systems.

This broadcast will feature a lively discussion of tough issues related to race and conflict. The presenters will posit that much of today's race-based conflicts are rooted in fear. Marvin E. Johnson, J.D. is a nationally recognized mediator, arbitrator and trainer with over 25 years of dispute resolution experience. He is the founder and Executive Director of the Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution and serves on the JAMS panel of resolution experts. Mr.Johnson handles public and private sector disputes in the areas of employment, labor-management, consumer, business, and community relations. He provides diversity and dispute resolution training and lectures extensively on the subject of conflict management. Two Presidents of the United States, a Secretary of the United States Department of State, a Governor of Maryland, and the Chief Judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals have recognized Mr. Johnson's dispute resolution expertise by appointing him to various dispute resolution panels and boards. Lou Gieszl is Deputy Executive Director of the Maryland Judiciary’s Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO), a statewide resource for conflict resolution programs and mediator excellence. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Baltimore’s Master’s Degree Program on Negotiations and Conflict Management and at the University of Maryland Baltimore County's (UMBC) Department of Public Policy.

Most of us go about thinking that life happens to us, that conflict is a negative event, and that our reactions are not under our conscious control. In this conversation with Judy Ringer, author, trainer, conflict coach, and Aikido black belt, we'll discuss how life events, troublesome people, and difficult problems can be gifts that help us strengthen relationships, open communication, and invent life in more purposeful ways. Judy's book, "Unlikely Teachers" offers stories and practices for turning life's challenges into life teachers. Judy Ringer is the author of Unlikely Teachers: Finding the Hidden Gifts in DailyConflict, and provides conflict, communication, and presentation skills training internationally. Using principles from the martial art Aikido, in which she holds a second-degree black belt, Judy brings to life key concepts such as self-management under pressure and appreciation of other viewpoints. The founder of Power & Presence Training in Portsmouth, NH, she’s also a singer and the author of two CDs, Managing Conflict in the Workplace, and Simple Gifts: Making the Most of Life's Ki Moments. For More Information: www.judyringer.com

What fuels bullying? Why do kids bully, and how can we help them stop? On this segment we'll be providing answers to these questions along with effective tools you can use at home and in schools. Find out: - The difference between conflict and bullying - The number one reason kids bully - Other factors that can fuel bullying - How to help kids manage the anger that can lead to bullying - How to determine if a child or young adult is bullying Naomi Drew is recognized around the world for her work in conflict resolution, peacemaking, and anti-bullying. She is the award-winning author of seven widely-used books, including the critically acclaimed, No Kidding About Bullying. Her work has been featured in magazines and newspapers across the United States, including Time, Parents, and The New York Times. She has been a guest on syndicated radio and national TV, and has served as a parenting expert for “Classroom Close-ups,” an Emmy-winning public television show. She consults to school districts, parent groups, civic organizations on the topic of bullying. Read more about Naomi’s work and experience with bullying at the Philadelphia Bullying Enquirer. Learn tips and strategies on her Naomi Drew Blog Site: For More Information please visit: www.LearningPeace.com

Many kids don't know "the language of social success" -- how to send and receive nonverbal communication that helps them make friends and manage their social relationships. They are often isolated and targeted for teasing and bullying. We can help you to identify these children and give you resources to teach them how to use nonverbal communication more effectively. Tricia Jones is a Professor of Education at Temple University in Philadelphia and she is the Project Director of the CRETE Project -- Conflict Resolution Education in Teacher Education. CRETE has been funded since 2004 by the United States Department of Education and the JAMS Foundation. Dr. Jones has worked with thousands of teachers, helping them understand how to teach students constructive conflict management to help create safe and effective schools and communities. She is a member of the Peace Education Working Group of the Global Partnership for the Prevention for Armed Conflict working around the world to support conflict education and peace education. For More Information:www.creducation.org

What is an organizational ombudsman? Tune in and listen to Linda Falkson and Adam Kleinberger from the Cornell University Ombudsman Office, as they talk about how their office helps people regarding a problem or conflict, as part of the caring community serving students, faculty and staff. They offer an explanation of the ethical principles that guide their work-- independence, neutrality, confidentiality and informality and how they are helpful to those that visit with them by offering a safe place to discuss their concerns.

Linda Falkson received a Juris Doctor from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Before joining the Cornell Ombudsman Office, Linda served as Cornell's Associate Judicial Administrator and then as Deputy Judicial Administrator, where she worked with community partners regarding the living and learning environment for students.

Adam Barak Kleinberger first studied conflict resolution at the United World College and Brandeis University. He has a masters degree in Dispute Resolution from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. He also graduated from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. His research has involved improving mediation skills through the use of improvisation and clowning.

You will hear about all kinds of situations and strategies to deal with those stressful conflict tensions that show up in our everyday lives whether it be at work, in our relationships with family or neighbors, in our communities and church, in your business partnerships, or just simply the conflict we deal within ourselves.

Listen to our Pre-Recorded Show on August 7th at 7:00pm CST at Blog Talk Radio. As an educator, is conflict in the classroom interfering with teaching? Is your child missing out on classroom instruction because of conflict? Does your child come home upset, with hurt feelings and or just down-right angry because they are feeling powerless to fix a difficult situation? Then, why not use peer mediation? In our Back to School series, Got School Conflict? Kids Mediate! young people need to understand that conflict is a natural human state better approached with skills than avoidance or violence. They need to know there is a better or different way to deal with their anger about the conflict. Peer mediation gives them the competence, courage and skills which empower them to deal with difficult situations so that they can realize how to better fulfill their needs and interests. In this pre-recorded show, we have a number of very special guests. Anita Sitz-Castillo is a mediator of ten years, and the Peer Mediation Coordinator for the Amigos In Mediation (AIM) Peer Mediation Program for the past four years at the Bexar County Dispute Resolution Center (BCDRC) in San Antonio, Texas. Our second special guest is Adele Pama Gomez. She is the Assistant Principal which includes her roles as a Peer Mediation Coordinator and Dean of Discipline at a Charter School in San Antonio, Texas. Adele served in Operation Iraqi Freedom II, and served in the countrys Army Reserves for 10 years. Finally, we also welcome three high school students, Rebecca, Ramcy, and Gabriela who are specially-trained peer mediators involved in the AIM Peer Mediation Program at their Charter School.

During the month of July, please enjoy these previously recorded shows. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning August 7, 2012. Enjoy the summer!

Whether they want higher salaries, better career opportunities or more help at home, women hesitate to ask for what they want, and they pay for this reluctance in every aspect of their lives—from under-utilization of their skills at work to strained relationships and health problems at home. They advance more slowly professionally and often fail to rise into positions for which they’re well qualified—and where they have a lot to contribute. Sara Laschever will discuss the causes of women’s reluctance to negotiate on their own behalf and describe the high price women pay as a result. In the second half of this two-part show, she’ll show women how to recognize more opportunities to negotiate, increase their confidence, and use negotiating approaches and techniques that have been shown to work well for women.

Sara Laschever is an author, editor, and cultural critic who has written about women’s life and career obstacles for The New York Times, The New York Review of Books, The Harvard Business Review, Vogue, Glamour, and many other prestigious publications. She is the co-author, with Linda Babcock, of two highly praised and influential books, Women Don’t Ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiation—and Positive Strategies for Change and Ask for It! How Women Can Use the Power of Negotiation to Get What They Really Want. She lectures and teaches workshops about women and negotiation for corporate audiences, colleges and universities, law firms, and women’s leadership organizations in the United States and around the world.

During the month of July, please enjoy these previously recorded shows. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning August 7, 2012. Enjoy the summer!

Join us as we speak with international speaker and published author, Barbara Hofmeister, from Germany. We will discuss her book To be or not to be: The Choice is YOURS!

Learn more about Barbara and her book, To Be Or Not To Be - The Choice Is Yours on her site.

During the month of July, please enjoy these previously recorded shows. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning August 7, 2012. Enjoy the summer!

Got Conflict? In this episode, we will be talking with Debra Dupree, Relationships That Matter, LLC. She is a certified master trainer for the Conflict Dynamics Profile (CDP). This profile identifies the hot buttons, and conflict behaviors that one uses when they are confronted by conflict. Are your behaviors constructive or destructive when you are confronted with conflict? How do we identify these behaviors and how do we begin to change.

Debra Dupree, Founder and President of Relationships That Matter, represents a specialty firm active in working with San Diego’s business communities working out relationships as a Mediator, Meeting Facilitator, Business/Conflict Coach, Trainer and Organizational/Family Therapist. Debra is a former chairperson of the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) Workplace Section and Past-President of ADR-San Diego. She professionally trains people internationally to become mediators, is a frequent speaker at local and national conferences, and is on the faculty of two major San Diego educational institutions. Debra possesses a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology & Education from the University of California-Santa Barbara, Pre-doctoral training in Organizational Development & Disability Management from San Diego State University, and holds ACR’s designation for Advanced Practitioner in Workplace Mediation (AP). She is a Master Trainer of Eckerd College’s Conflict Dynamic Profile (CDP) and currently specializes in “high conflict” relationships.

It is said that men and women speak different languages and if you don’t understand the subtle communication differences between the genders then general understanding, cooperation, productivity, and stress levels will surely be affected by the inevitable miscommunications that occur. Join Gregg Catalano in this highly entertaining and informative program as he provides you with the insights, tools and strategies to better interact with the opposite sex, and become bi-lingual in the art of male/female communication. Gregg Catalano is a unique presenter whose high energy workshops are always entertaining, and informative. Named as “Teacher-of-the-Year,” & “Coach-of-the-Year” twice during his 12 year teaching career, Gregg also holds a Master’s degree in Counseling Education, and is licensed as a Chemical Dependency Counselor and Marital and Family Therapist. Blending activities, humor, insight and practical ideas into all his workshops, Gregg utilizes his teaching/therapeutic background and skills to help all participants better understand themselves, recognize the value in others, and how to truly succeed in their lives and jobs. As the “Physician of Phun,” he is truly what the doctor ordered and a presenter you won’t easily forget! For more information on Physician for Phun

During the month of July, please enjoy these previously recorded shows. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning August 7, 2012. Enjoy the summer!

Differences and disagreements – we deal with them all the time. They are conflicts, though we don’t bother to label them as such. We listen and consider, we build solutions, we problem solve, and then we move on. Other times, something snaps – and we suddenly find ourselves standing in the middle of an ugly mess, arguing perhaps, or getting out of the room as quickly as possible. In this segment of the Texas Conflict Coach, we’ll consider what turns a simple disagreement into a conflict, and strategies to keep conflict at the lowest possible level.

Susan Shearouse has over twenty years experience helping people resolve their differences. Her expertise is in improving working relationships, creating a safe place for thorny conversations, managing strong emotions, and providing collaborative problem-solving processes. Susan often explains that she earned a life degree in conflict – on the job, at home and in her community. After completing a Masters degree in Conflict Resolution from George Mason University, she has applied her academic knowledge to real world challenges inside government agencies, and major corporations as well as small businesses and nonprofit organizations.

Based on her experience, she recently authored Conflict 101: A Manager’s Guide to Resolving Problems So Everyone Can Get Back to Work, published by AMACOM (a division of the American Management Association).

To learn more about Susan Shearouse, Frameworks for Agreement

The Diversity, Race and Conflict show series for June is brought to you in partnership with the Maryland Judiciary’s Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO) in Maryland, and with great appreciation to Lou Gieszl and Cheryl Jamison for their dedication and passion to this topic. During the month of June, we have looked at some tough issues related to diversity. We started the month looking at the fear embedded in racism. Next, we moved to the political arena and discussed why good people are divided. On June 19, there was a discussion of the meaning and importance of Juneteenth. Now, it is time to hear from you. We will be taking your calls as we have a conversation with Cheryl Jamison and Lou Gieszl about race, conflict, reconciliation and the roles we can all play in promoting and celebrating diversity. Lou Gieszl is the Deputy Executive Director of the Maryland Judiciary’s Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office and is the immediate past-president of the Association for Conflict Resolution. He has a Masters of Public Policy Degree and teaches graduate-level courses on conflict management at two universities in Maryland. Cheryl Jamison, also works at MACRO and is responsible for a statewide program designed to assist mediators enhancing their mediation practice. She is the former Vice President of the Association for Conflict Resolution. An attorney, mediator and trainer, Cheryl is currently teaching a class on Race and Conflict at the University of Baltimore.

On the anniversary of Juneteenth, the day that commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S., Texas Conflict Coach will host a conversation with Anna Spain, Associate Professor of Law at the University of Colorado Law School about race, conflict and resolution in America. Introducing the concept of an identity- based approach, Prof. Spain will discuss techniques for engaging in difficult conversations about these themes in a responsible way and why such conversations are vital in today's world. Anna Spain is an Associate Professor at the University of Colorado Law School who has over 17 years of mediation experience. She teaches, writes and practices in the fields of mediation, international dispute resolution and identity-based conflict. She was previously an Attorney-Adviser at the U.S. Department of State and served on the Board of Mediators Beyond Borders. Anna has a J.D. from Harvard Law School and is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations. For more Informations: www.annaspain.com, http://www.courts.state.md.us/macro/webinar.html, http://www.juneteenth.com/history.htm

Please join us for our Diversity, Race and Conflict Series to hear Jonathan Haidt, author of The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom, and of The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion.

The Diversity, Race and Conflict show series for June is brought to you in partnership with the Maryland Judiciary’s Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO) in Maryland, and with great appreciation to Lou Gieszl and Cheryl Jamison for their dedication and passion to this topic.

In many communities around the country there are community mediation centers supported by volunteer mediators. Community Boards of San Francisco is the oldest community mediation center in the country, started in 1976. The philosophy of community mediation centers is to empower community members to resolve their own disputes rather than resorting to courts or other outsiders to do it for them. Participants in mediation have found that the process helps them feel heard, and increases their understanding of themselves and the other person as well. Community Boards has handled thousands of cases in its 36 year history, and has helped 85% of those who use their mediation services reach a successful agreement. Cordell Wesselink, is Mediation Program Manager of Community Boards. He has a Master’s Degree in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peacebuilding from California State University at Dominguez Hills. He is a mediator and facilitator, and also teaches meeting facilitation skills for Community Boards.

In our show "Come As You Are" - The Mediation Experience I will be speaking with Louise Phipps Senft about the mediation experience. Louise was voted as Baltimore's Best Mediator and named as Maryland's Top 100 Women. If you are considering engaging in mediation then learn what a mediator is actually doing and how their own worldview impacts how they work with disputants. This is important to understand especially when you are looking to work with a mediator. We will also explore what you, the mediation participant, are doing in the mediation. Hear mediation stories that have inspired and transformed the conflict dynamics. Returning to the show is Louise Phipps Senft from Louise Phipps Senft and Associates, and founder of the Baltimore Mediation Center, the first mediation firm in Maryland with a focus on relational approaches to conflict resolution. Louise is an amazing woman and I am honored to know her. She has been voted, awarded and honored with numerous recognitions for her incredible work. For example, in May 2010, Louise was inducted into the Greater Baltimore Area's Young Women's Christian Association's Academy of Leaders with a Special Leader of the Year award for her work in the field of conflict resolution with effects that empowered women and eradicated racism. Her work with family businesses is featured in the documentary, Resolutionary People (2002), produced by Emmy award winner Richard Chisolm; and Louise's work in elder care mediation was the featured story on ABC World News with Charles Gibson. Finally, you can see her articles in the monthly column for The Daily Record, The Negotiating Table: Turning Problems into Opportunities.

In an earlier show So You Need to Mediate...HELP...Now What?, we discussed what mediation is, the benefits and values to you as a party in a dispute, the questions to consider when finding a mediator and whether to hire a private mediator or use a community-based mediator. Now that you have decided to go to mediation, what do you need to do to prepare? Why is it important to prepare for these difficult conversations, and what do you need to consider when going into the mediation so that it is the most productive, constructive and has the greatest potential for success for you and the other side.

Join Pattie Porter and Stephen Kotev give you valuable tips and strategies for thinking through and preparing you for the mediation discussion.

We all have conflict in our lives, some disputes are more explosive and destructive than others. Maybe it is a long-term conflict with your neighbor over the property line, or a parenting plan has gone awry between you and your ex-spouse, or your business partners don't like how the business is run or being run down. In each of these potential scenarios, parties are stuck in a cycle of destruction and contribute to the escalation of the dispute. YOU need help. You have heard about mediation and think it might be worth getting help before things get completely out of control. What now? Where do you find a mediator? You don't want to have to go to court or file a lawsuit. What do you need to know to hire a mediator? How does this work? How much does it cost? Join Pattie Porter and Zena Zumeta discuss how mediation can be a valuable process in handling your conflict situation privately, confidentially, out of the court system, and give all parties a chance to speak and be heard. More importantly, it supports the parties making their own decisions on how to solve the problem and move forward. To find a mediator check out resources such a: Association for Conflict Resolution Advanced Practitioner Directory Texas Mediator Credentialing Association (TMCA) Mediate.com Directory

Brad will provide overview of the New York Peace Institute, the city's largest civilian peacebuilding force -- which gets in the middle of thousands of neighborhood, family, community, and business disputes each year. The Peace Institute provides free mediation services, trains and credentials peace building professionals, and hosts events that raise awareness of creative ways to resolve conflict. Brad has worked to promote mediation in more than 20 countries, and he'll discuss how his international work influenced the development of the Peace Institute. Brad Heckman is the CEO of the New York Peace Institute, one of the nation's largest community mediation agencies. He's also an adjunct professor of Global Affairs at New York University, and on the boards of the National Association for Community Mediation and the New York City Peace Museum. Formerly, he was International Director at Partners for Democratic Change, for which helped build the first mediation centers in the former Soviet bloc, and Vice President of Safe Horizon, a New York-based victims services agency. For more information go to NY Peace Institute and The Heck List

Barbara Raye will talk about the Restorative Justice practice of Victim Offender Mediation. VOM engages those who have been harmed by crime or other actions, those who have offended or harmed others, and the communities they live in. Its goals are to empower people to define their own needs for healing, prevent future harm, and build community connections for the long term health of everyone involved. She will share with us what it means, how it works, and some of the creative ways victims have found to heal the harm that has been done to them. Barbara Raye started her restorative justice work while establishing shelters for battered women and their children and a violent partner program. She has extensive training in restorative justice, mediation, and conflict resolution. She served for 4 years as the Director of Victim Services at the Minnesota Department of Corrections and helped introduce RJ in Minnesota. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Center for Policy, Planning, and Performance with offices in Minnesota, Kenya, and Romania. She is also the Executive Administrator of the Victim Offender Mediation Association and teaches Conflict and Collaboration at St. Mary's University in Minneapolis, MN. She has written articles for two textbooks on Restorative Justice: The Handbook of Restorative Justice (Willan Publishers) and Critical Issues in Restorative Justice (Criminal Justice Press.) For more information go to: Victim Offender Mediation Association

The growing practice of arresting students for disruptive behavior in school has led to the so-called "School to Prison Pipeline." The larger issue is that our criminal justice system is focused on punishment instead of accountability, and it is biased based on race and income. For 14years the Community Conferencing Center in Baltimore has worked to provide effective Restorative alternatives to school suspension, court, and incarceration--producing 60% lower recidivism at 1/10th the cost. Learn about their work and how you can mobilize this work in your community. As the Founding Director of the Community Conferencing Center in Baltimore, Lauren Abramson has seen first-hand : a) that the "Jerry Springer Model" of dealing with each other is not working, b)that our discipline and justice systems are broken, and c) that we have very effective, low-cost ways to fix them. Now all we need is the political will to do so. With the Community Conferencing Center, Lauren has been using Community Conferencing and Daily Rap dialogue circles to effect system reform and empower victims, offenders, and family members to actively participate in fair, accessible community justice. Click to learn more about Community Conferencing Photo of Lauren Abramson taken by Sue Culig.

If our current legal system was effectively delivering justice, why is crime and violence continuing to spiral out of control all around the Globe? What are the demands of justice? What does justice feel like? When is justice satisfied? In order to find answers to these questions we need to reframe the debate about what constitutes this concept we call justice. Join Dr. Carl Stauffer as he explores a justice that restores from his varied expereinces of working within the criminal justice system, with police, gangs, ex-combatants, militias, truth commissions, and post-war reconstruction in many parts of the world. Dr. Carl Stauffer teaches Justice and Development Studies at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding = (CJP) at Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Virginia USA. Porfessor Stauffer has practiced in the fields of peace, justice and reconciliation for 20 years. His work in restorative and transitional justice has taken him to over 25 countries world-wide. Read this great article: Taiwan Presentation - Theme 2 - RJ, Society & Culture Click to learn more about Dr. Carl Stauffer and The Center for Justice and Peacebuilding

Is it possible to turn murderers into peacemakers? Is it possible to find world peace? Is peacemaking just a happy thought or a hard-nosed, pragmatic approach to intractable conflicts? Listen to an internationally renowned mediator, author, and speaker talk with Pattie about his work as a lawyer turned peacemaker. Learn some quick ideas on finding peace to the conflicts in your life. Doug Noll is a lawyer turned peacemaker, specializing in difficult, complex, and intractable conflicts. He graduated from Dartmouth College, earned his law degree at University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law where he was a member of the law review, and earned his M.A. in Peacemaking and Conflict Studies from Fresno Pacific University. He is an author of three books. The most recent is the award winning book Elusive Peace: How Modern Diplomatic Strategies Could Better Resolve World Conflicts. Doug is an international conflict and negotiation trainer and lecturer. As a lawyer, Doug is AV rated by Martindale Hubbell and has been voted as one of the Best Lawyers in America since 2005, by bestlawyers.com. In February 2012, Doug was honored by California Lawyer Magazine as a California Attorney of the Year for pro bono service in his Prison of Peace project, co-founded with Laurel Kaufer. Doug is also a second degree black belt in Chinese kung fu and has taught tai chi for over 10 years. He is a certified Pranic Healer. He has a variety of other interests and accomplishments including certification as a Level III ski instructor, instrument-rated private pilot with multi-engine and helicopter ratings, Irish fiddle and jazz violinist, whitewater kayaker and rafter, and steelhead fly fisherman.

March marks the return of Kate Reed and the second season of the USA network television show Fairly Legal. Kate continues to mediate disputes on the small screen between estranged lovers to large corporations. Since the majority of real-life mediations are kept confidential, most folks won't know what is mediation fact or fiction. Join Pattie Porter and special co-host, Stephen Kotev, as they discuss how Kate solved the problem and what a professional mediator would have done. The next season starts on 3/16 at 9/8 central. Here is a clip with highlights of the upcoming season: Fairly Legal Preview Listen to archived radio shows: Fairly Legal: Mediation Truth or Fiction? and Fairly Legal: Is Fairly Legal Fairly Relevant - Part 2

For those of you who work with youth (K-12) and anyone in higher education you know that cyberbullying is a current, ever changing challenge to your field. We will discuss research on bullying, cyberbullying and homophobia and cite examples of this emotionally charged topic. Creative techniques such as the the Jeopardy Game, read arounds and interactive quizzes will model innovative teaching methods that merge theory and practice. Join us as we talk with Priscilla Prutzman, the co-founder and executive Director of Creative Response To Conflict in Nyack, NY.She was a member of the ACR board for several years and is currently the Equity and Diversity Point person for the Education Sectionof ACR. She was on the committee which produced the Standards For Peer Mediation Document for the Education Section of ACR. She is the recipient of the ACR William Kreidler award and the ACR Equity and Diversity award. Currently she is on the Fulbright Roster for Peace Education and Conflict Resolution and she teaches Conflict Resolution education at The State University at New Paltz, New York.

Stories of attacks on the way home from the bus stop, bullying in the classroom, and assaults in school hallways are all-too-frequent reminders that our community and many others throughout the US are still not safe places for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people. Perhaps what is most heartbreaking is that some youth have come to believe that this is normal, that this is just part of growing up, or that this is how life is for LGBTQ individuals. SMYAL is working to change all that by providing an inclusive environment and empowering DC-area LGBTQ youth to be leaders and advocates for themselves and their peers in the broader community. We provide youth with the opportunities, support, and skills they need to de-escalate conflicts as they occur and to work within their community to root out these conflicts from their source.

Andrew Barnett is the Executive Director of SMYAL, the only community-based organization solely dedicated to supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth in the metro Washington, DC area. Mr. Barnett joined the SMYAL staff in 2005 and as named Executive Director in February 2009. Native to the Washington, DC metro area, Barnett began his involvement in LGBT youth ad ocacy by co-founding a Gay-Straight Alliance as a senior in high school, and continued his involvement in LGBT student organizing while obtaining his B.A. at the Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. In 2010, Barnett received the Metro Weekly Next Generation Award, which recognizes the accomplishments of LGBT activists, artists, and leaders under 30.

When we see someone who is different from us, we as human beings react with curiosity, concern and caution based on what we may know or have been taught. Forty years ago, not many talked about sexual orientation or gender identity but today Lesbian, Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) employees are in the workplace and looking for workplace equality. Find out what are the best policies and practices are, how to address questions as they come up and preempt conflicts to enhance the workplace for everyone! Pat Baillie, Associate Director of Training & Professional Development, has been with Out & Equal Workplace Advocates for over 4 years. Bringing a depth of experience in training and diversity, Pat is a retired Air Force Major and former government contractor who now works with corporations to build their diversity programs and increase the engagement of their LGBT employees. Dealing with change through education, story-telling and approaching workplace equality from a positive, strengths based philosophy is at the core of the O&E Training programs! Find more information at: The Texas Conflict Coach

In this show, we'll be talking with gay couples therapist and author Rik Isensee about the various challenges and opportunities gay men face in their relationships: how to resolve conflicts, and also how to deal with the in-laws who may or may not accept their relationships. Rik Isensee, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist in San Francisco who has specialized in working with gay men and couples for over thirty years. He is the author of Love Between Men, among other titles, which you can see at his website: Gay Therapist

It is increasingly common for transgender workers to undergo gender transition while keeping their jobs. Not everyone in the workplace adapts easily to this change, however. The Center for Gender Sanity was founded 15 years ago to help organizations manage gender transitions. We have assisted small businesses, Fortune 500 companies, state and local governments, police and fire departments, schools and churches. In this program we'll talk about some of the more common obstacles to smooth gender transition in the workplace and how they can be resolved. Janis Walworth has a BA in Biology from Antioch College and an MS in Counseling from Fitchburg (Massachusetts) State College. She has written two books, Transsexual Workers: An Employer's Guide and Working with a Transsexual, as well as a white paper for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and a chapter in Training Tough Topics on the subject of transgender issues in the workplace. For more information visit: Gender Sanity

"This is a previously recorded show. This show highlights the conflict in a church community where the religious beliefs of the elder population of the church and the growing LGBT population of the church began to divide the church into two factions. Community mediators worked closely with this community to open the dialogues for a deeper understanding." Church congregations are not immune to conflict. Beth Padgett and Alexandria Skinner would argue that conflict is a sign of an active, engaged, and vital congregation. The question is not whether religious communities will have conflict, but how they will respond to it when it happens. Beth and Alexandria will discuss patterns of church conflict, as well as how mediators can invite clergy, staff and members into trans-formative conversations where firmly held beliefs are part of the conflict and its transformation. Beth Padgett works as a civil and family mediator. She is the Executive Director of the Community Mediation Center in Columbia. Beth earned two degrees from the University of South Carolina, a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Masters of Education. Alexandria Skinner, a mediator in Columbia, South Carolina, focuses her practice on helping parties resolve conflict where future relationships are important, such as divorce and parenting, elder mediation, family businesses, and church congregational mediation. Alexandria, also an IACP certified collaborative divorce attorney, has completed graduate studies in ethics, which she also applies in helping parties understand and make decisions about how to respond to conflict.

Mediators Beyond Borders International (MBB) is a not-for-profit corporation which brings together mediators and allied professionals to volunteer worldwide to collaborate on building conflict resolution capacity in underserved areas to make local peace-building more effective and sustainable. MBB also advocates to advance the use of mediation. MBB works in partnership with local organizations and leaders in each area where it has a project. It generally serves groups located in areas where there are difficulties as a result of war, major civil conflict, or significant natural disaster. MBBs core mission is to help these local organizations and leaders build effective and sustainable conflict resolution systems. Rachel Wohl is the founding Executive Director of the Maryland Judiciary’s Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO). MACRO helps create, strengthen, expand and fund ADR programs in Maryland within and beyond the courts. In 1998, she directed the Maryland ADR Commission’s statewide collaborative process involving approximately 700 people in creating an action plan called “Join the Resolution” to advance the use of ADR in Maryland. MACRO was created to implement the plan. In 2001, she was chosen by the International Association for Conflict Resolution to receive the Mary Parker Follett Award for Innovation in the Field of Conflict Resolution. For more information visit Mediators Beyond Borders

Join in as Lou Gieszl and Cheryl Jamison examine conflict dynamics when race is an issue. Racism is less overt and yet more complex than at any other time in our history. Because racism tends to be implicit, it often gets overlooked or mislabeled. How can we recognize when race is an issue? Are there landmines that can be avoided? The presenters dispute the notion of a post-racial society and argue that effective conflict management often depends on acknowledging race as a divisive issue. Focusing especially on Black-White relations, the show includes tips for identifying racial issues that underlying interpersonal conflicts as well as ideas for building positive connections across racial lines. Lou Gieszl is the Deputy Executive Director of the Maryland Judiciary's Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office and is the immediate past-president of the Association for Conflict Resolution. He has a Masters of Public Policy Degree and teaches graduate-level courses on conflict management at two universities in Maryland. Cheryl Jamison, also works at MACRO and is responsible for a statewide program designed to assist mediators enhance their mediation practice. She is the former Vice President of the Association for Conflict Resolution. An attorney, mediator and trainer, Cheryl is currently teaching a class on Race and Conflict at the University of Baltimore. For more information you can reach both them at 410-260-3540 or email at cheryl.jamison26@gmail.com.

For over two years, my non-profit has trained counselors in Rwanda in narrative psychology, for the sake of Rwanda's newest generation. So far we have collected and publicly archived 100 intergenerational dialogues between young adults and their elders, and our evaluations suggest this has been very positive for both generations, as a spur toward reconciliation, and healing. We will discuss the Questions young people in Rwanda are asking about the post, and the answers from their elders in a dialogue project. Patricia Pasick is a clinical and family psychologist, and the Director of Stories For Hope Rwanda, an international non-profit she began in 2008, for the sake of Rwanda's newest adult generation. She's the author of a book for parents about how to support their children as they leave home, and publishes on the topic of untold stories, her specialty as a narrative psychologist. Dr. Pasick lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and was educated at both Harvard University, and the University of Michigan. In 2010 she was the recipient of a humanitarian service award from the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, and has been awarded several grants for her project, one from Psychology Beyond Borders; another from the African Studies Center, at the University of Michigan. For more information on Stories For Hope, Patricia Pasick and Global Giving

Front-line managers to CEOs are all asked to put out fires and fix problems. Stephen Kotev, my guest co-host and I will discuss a simple way to determine what is going wrong in the workplace. We will focus on what managers can do to unravel their problems and understand new ways of breaking down issues into resolvable segments. We will review 5 areas that are the most common root causes to conflict. Identifying the right one is crucial to resolving the conflict effectively. Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation, conflict analysis, facilitation, training and somatic education to private and government clients. He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University's School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and a black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido. He is a former employee of the Association for Conflict Resolution, the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, the Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Resolution and the D.C. Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency as an ADR Specialist.

Stephen can be reached at www.StephenKotev.com

Robert Fulghum, an American author, is quoted as saying “Sticks and stones will break our bones, but words will break our hearts” not to mention our spirits. Name calling, mudslinging, defaming and insulting words are all about impulsively responding to someone or something that is a threat to the beliefs, values or attitudes we hold dear. We learn it as kids as way to protect ourselves and to hurt others intentionally or not. Unfortunately, we carry these deep wounds and/or bad behaviors with us into adulthood. If you are someone who habitually uses name-calling as a defense mechanism, explore what is behind this behavior. We will share some questions for your consideration. If you are someone who holds deep wounds from the act of name-calling, then explore how to move beyond the hurt and change how you engage with someone who continues to insult you. Join Pattie Porter, The Texas Conflict Coach, as she discusses the importance of putting an end to name calling. No Name-Calling week is January 23-27, 2012 and is aimed to end name-calling and stop bullying in schools. Learn more at No Name Calling Week

"Got conflict?" We all have conflict in our lives…some more complex than others. Sometimes, we are so entrenched in our problem that we lose sight and it feels too complicated to figure out or we solve the wrong problem. Stephen Kotev, my guest co-host and I will discuss a simple way to begin to unravel the problem and look at it from different perspectives which will help you think through how to resolve your conflict. Stephen Kotev is a Washington D.C. based conflict resolution consultant offering mediation, negotiation, conflict analysis, facilitation training and somatic education to private and government clients. He holds a Master of Science degree from George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and a black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido. He is a former employee of the Association for Conflict Resolution, the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, the Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Resolution. Stephen can be reached at www.StephenKotev.com

"For December, we have chosen some of our favorite past shows to support you through the holiday season. Enjoy!"

Victoria Pynchon’s new book is an adult primer on the difficult art of resolving, transforming or transcending conflict in your home, your workplace, your community, your state, your nation and your world. Victoria is an attorney who traded in her boxing gloves for the softer but no less difficult skills of helping lawyers and their business clients resolve their commercial disputes. Now she brings the wisdom of the courtroom and the mediation room to everyday conflicts and the difficult people in your life. Victoria mediates commercial disputes with ADR Services, Inc. in Century City, arbitrates business disputes for the American Arbitration Association and teaches women when and how to negotiate with her business partner Lisa Gates at SheNegotiates.com.

Join us as we talk with Victoria Pynchon, attorney-mediator and arbitrator who spent the first 25 years of her legal career litigating and trying business disputes for her clients. She now mediates and arbitrates those same disputes, helping business people resolve their conflicts as effectively and expeditiously as possible.

"For December, we have chosen some of our favorite past shows to support you through the holiday season. Enjoy!"

Dr. Abuelaish talks about his education as a Palestinian, becoming a doctor, his work at an Israeli hospital delivering babies and going back and forth over the border to Gaza, and the night that 3 of his daughters were killed in an Israeli attack on Gaza. Despite this tragedy, Dr. Abuelaish, who now lives in Toronto, Canada, still speaks out for peace. His book, I Shall Not Hate, is a testament to the human spirit and its belief in the good in people that lies behind even hatred and war. He speaks of building bridges between peoples, instead of succumbing to hatred. He now has a website for the memorial and foundation he has set up in memory of his daughters and his niece who died in 2009, www.daughtersforlife.com.

"For December, we have chosen some of our favorite past shows to support you through the holiday season. Enjoy!"

Summer is here and with it comes more opportunities for great get-togethers with the extended family. Swim parties, barbecues, family reunions, picnics – the possibilities are endless. With multiple generations and all the different personalities, conflict may seem inevitable – but it isn't!

Join my guest Janet Bonnin of Fine Tuned Families and myself as we explore ways to minimize the friction at your next family gathering. Call in and join us with your questions and comments. We look forward to hearing you on the call!

For more information, check out her website Fine Tuned Families and her blogspot.

"For December, we have chosen some of our favorite past shows to support you through the holiday season. Enjoy!"

Our conversation will focus on what to do to prepare for those family gatherings so that you don't lose your cool. Have you ever felt you have to perform like Martha Stewart and be the perfect hostess?Or, maybe you wanted to start a new tradition but it is met with resistance because “we’ve always done it this way!”Do you get tired of the constant battle of who to visit, so instead you rush around to 3 or 4 family households in a day? Exhausting!We all certainly have those relatives we see during the holidays that make us want to cringe. They’ll never change! Donna Tuites is a licensed professional counselor of mental health (LPCMH) in the State of Delaware. She is also a certified employee assistance professional (CEAP). She has been in private practice with a group of other licensed professionals since 2006. Prior to that she worked as an employee assistance counselor and administrator in the Office of Women's Affairs, both at the University of Delaware, for 23 years.

Forgiveness is a powerful tool for clients who are up against difficult, and seemingly insurmountable, conflicts. It creates a pathway from conflict to a deeper place of understanding and compassion. Because Forgiveness integrates all levels of conflict -- physical, emotional, mental and spiritual–it uniquely enables clients to experience the opportunity for transformative healing that is latent in every challenging conflict. Learn more about how to work with Forgiveness to help clients in your practice.

Eileen Barker has been writing and speaking on forgiveness, and guiding people who need to either forgive themselves or someone else, for many years. A practicing litigation lawyer who rejected the traditional adversarial role, Eileen has focused her practice on mediation, helping thousands of people resolve disputes outside of court. This work led her into a deep exploration of forgiveness as it relates to resolving conflict and making peace, both with others and oneself.

Eileen has been a leader in the movement to integrate emotional healing and forgiveness in conflict resolution. She has led numerous trainings on forgiveness both for individuals and organizations and is the author of the Forgiveness Workbook and Forgiveness Meditation CD.

For more information visit The Path of Forgiveness

Cinnie Noble is a pioneer of conflict management coaching (also known as conflict coaching). In this show, Cinnie will talk about her coaching model that was well researched and designed to help people on a one-on-one basis to improve the way they manage their interpersonal disputes. Cinnie will also share 7 important things she has learned about people in conflict.

Cinnie is a lawyer-mediator and certified coach based in Toronto, Canada. She developed the CINERGY Model of coaching in 1999 and since that time has coached hundreds of people worldwide in their efforts to improve the way they engage in their interpersonal conflicts. Cinnie and her associates have also trained thousands of coaches, mediators, lawyers, HR professionals, psychologists, social workers, leaders and others around the world to use her unique evidenced-based coaching model. Cinnie's philosophy aligns with that of the International Coach Federation, which acknowledges people as creative, resourceful and whole.

Learn more about the CINERGY Coaching

It has been quite the journey since April 2009 when The Texas Conflict Coach Blog Talk Radio show launched with its inaugural episode. We have had fabulous guests, great topics, and a wonderful special guest host, Zena Zumeta join us this year. We invite you to join us for this special celebration anniversary show by calling in, joining us in the chat room, or e-mailing me at pmporter@conflictconnections.com with your favorite show and how it impacted you. We would love to hear your comments and feedback.

Past guests will be joining us on the show to give us updates since we last spoke to them. And, we will have a special gift for the 5th and 10th caller that night. Don't miss out...join us for the celebration!

Crucial Conversations exist when the stakes are high, opinions vary, and when emotions run strong and it is in these conversations where our greatest potential lies, we will discuss ways to handle these conversations in a healthy and productive way. Crucial Conversations creates a new language around communications and how they can best be handled. It approaches the issue in a very human way that stimulates our desire to relate to others while feeling good about us. You will read some real and concrete methods for getting control of yourself and staying focused through those challenging moments that pop up in everyone’s life. Randy Mayes works full time as an Executive Coach, consultant, and trainer. He is also an adjunct professor for William Woods University’s MBA program teaching classes in entrepreneurship, management, and marketing. His latest project is called Leadership Book of the Month. Leadership Book of the Month is a quick and easy way for business owners and busy professionals to keep up with the latest trends and developments in business and leadership without having to spend hours and hours reading. Click for more information on TheSuccessCoachNetwork AND LeadershipBookOfTheMonth