There is a time for counseling and there is a time for mediation.  Recently, one of my mediation clients asked me a great question concerning the two!

“Could mediation actually help us (he and his wife) work on those components of our relationship that counseling has been unable to address concretely.”

In the right context, the answer is yes!  Due to its empowering and problem solving process,  mediation can be extremely effective in moving people forward through many sorts of relational issues. In fact, that is the heart of mediation; facilitating people in productive conversation that focuses around their true interests, the reality of their situation and their available options for resolution. Though different from counseling, mediation also yields excellent outcomes and often more tangible. Since the parties are driving the conversation, the solutions they generate tend to meet their specific interests best and therefore can result in higher satisfaction and compliance.