The Art and Science of Mediation

"The notion of mediation as both an art and a science provides the foundation for this book. The proposition that even the most confounding and paradoxical of human conflicts may be resolved through the discovery and release of insights underlies Insight Mediation, the mediation approach outlined in this book. These insights cannot be discovered or explained entirely in theoretical, scientific ways. Instead, mediators use their minds, hearts, bodies, and spirits to intuit and surface them. Using case studies. scenarios, and discussion questions, this book encourages readers to experience and reflect on various elements of communication, collaboration, and mediation. Theories of conflict and its resolution are examined in the early chapters of the book, while the practical skills and artfulness required to conduct successful mediation processes comprise the latter half. We believe that the seeds of productive collaboration are embedded in even the most difficult conflicts, and we invite the reader to explore with us the nature of conflict, communication, and mediation." --