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