Developed in Australia in the 1980s, narrative mediation is a branch of narrative therapy, which believed that our lives are mostly shaped by stories that we tell about ourselves. In narrative mediation training, the mediator is there to co-write stories with the people they are working with, changing the nature of the story being told, and help to turn tales which are full of conflict into something much more positive. For example, after you have received your narrative mediation training qualifications, you may be asked to turn a conflict-driven battle between two parties into something which is more focused upon co-operation and respect. Being able to channel the narration effectively into these more peaceful channels can help with conflict at work or during the divorce process.
Changing The Narrative
When you come into a situation as a counselor, you are attempting to change the narrative, providing a new way of speaking and looking at problems within workplace relationships, for example. In this type of mediation, you work with each party, allowing them to tell the ‘story’ of the conflict which they have created. You will see that everyone’s stories are not the same, and this is where resolution of the problem involves changing the narrative. That way, everyone is working together in harmony and their stories all end up the same or similar.
An Alternative Form Of Resolution
When you work as a mediator, it is helpful to have a variety of different conflict resolution tools at your fingertips, so you can use methods which seem the most likely to foster peace. In a conflict, individual ideas of the narrative can further increase the conflict, as disputes arise over the telling of the events. You use the stories of the people involved in the conflict to create a completely new story, destabilizing the original conflict narrative, and changing the story to one of positivity and togetherness. You work with the team to create a tale that involves all of them. Once the conflict has been narrated by you, the people in conflict can start to see how necessary a change in the story is, and this helps to bring resolution to the parties involved.
Changing The Story With Mediation
In a narrative of conflict, both parties tend to create a story which depicts the other party in a particular light, often showing them to be in the wrong. Rather than focusing upon the negative traits shown in the narrative, your narrative mediation training will allow you to help the parties to focus upon the positive lights of the story as well as the way in which each tale is completely different to the others. This is one of the gentlest forms of mediation, where you accept the stories that the parties tell you, and work with them to open up another chapter in the tale. If you are interested in learning how to turn conflict narration into something positive, then you should talk to Edwards Mediation training team by calling (877) 927-1362 today.
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