Philip Mediation firmly believes that mediation is the single most effective process
for the peaceful and mutually beneficial resolution of conflict.
for the peaceful and mutually beneficial resolution of conflict.
What is Mediation?
Mediation is a voluntary and confidential process in which a neutral and objective third party guides the parties towards a mutually beneficial resolution of their conflict or dispute. A mediator does not impose solutions, but instead empowers the parties by facilitating a conversation between them, helping them to decide whether to reach an agreement and how to structure that agreement. The mediator assists the parties in identifying their underlying needs and interests, focusing on the issues necessary to resolution, emphasizing areas of commonality, and reaching durable agreements that can preserve and even repair ongoing relationships.
When Should You Mediate?
The earlier, the better! As a general rule, the earlier the parties to a dispute go to mediation, the more likely it is that they will be able to resolve their issues, and that the agreement they reach will be a durable one. The longer the dispute goes on, the more the parties tend to become committed to their positions, and the less willing they tend to be to consider other points of view.
Why Choose Mediation?
- Mediation preserves ongoing relationships
- Mediation gives parties control over the outcome
- Mediation permits flexible and creative solutions
- Mediation provides an opportunity for meaningful and reasonable dialogue
- Mediation is cost-effective
- Mediation is voluntary
- Mediation is confidential
- Mediation communications are privileged
- Mediation has an extremely high success rate

Consider the story of two sisters fighting over an orange. Each sister insists that she must have the entire orange for herself; any less is intolerable. Finally, the children's parent asks each of the two girls why she wants the orange. One explains that she wants to drink the juice; the other, that she wants to use the peel for cooking. The situation is turned into a "win-win" – the first sister receives all the pulp to make juice, while the second sister uses all the peel in her recipe.
We have all been trained to believe that "justice" is a zero sum game: One party wins and the other loses. Mediation, on the other hand, is premised on the belief that the parties to a dispute can and should be empowered to develop solutions uniquely appropriate to their specific situation, thereby turning a "win-lose" into the potential for a "win-win".
We have all been trained to believe that "justice" is a zero sum game: One party wins and the other loses. Mediation, on the other hand, is premised on the belief that the parties to a dispute can and should be empowered to develop solutions uniquely appropriate to their specific situation, thereby turning a "win-lose" into the potential for a "win-win".