fbpx

Samantha Hardy

Transformative mediation – separating the myth from the reality

Many mediators know about transformative mediation, but in my experience, not many mediators really understand it. I was certified as a transformative mediator in 2010 (Baruch Bush was my assessor) and was approved to teach transformative mediation by the Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation (ISCT) a few years later. Since then, I have […]

Transformative mediation – separating the myth from the reality Read More »

WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: Look Again: The Power of Noticing What Was Always There by Tali Sharot and Cass R. Sustein

This book is about how we easily we become habituated to our surroundings, and how this can be problematic for many reasons (although it’s also practical in some ways). We can habituate to good things, and then reduce our appreciation of them. We can also habituate to bad things, and then become less motivated to

WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: Look Again: The Power of Noticing What Was Always There by Tali Sharot and Cass R. Sustein Read More »

WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: Fight Right: How Successful Couples Turn Conflict Into Connection by Julie and John

John Gottman is a very well known researcher in the field mental health and relationships. Julie, his wife, is an award winning psychologist. Together, they founded the Gottman Institute, which includes the “Love Lab” in which they have observed over 3,000 couples interact, especially when in conflict. Their analysis of these couples’ behaviours has enabled

WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: Fight Right: How Successful Couples Turn Conflict Into Connection by Julie and John Read More »

WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: Mental Health and Conflicts: A Handbook for Empowerment by Dan Berstein

I honestly cannot say enough about this book.  This book is ESSENTIAL reading for anyone working in the conflict space. There is a lot of current interest in topics like trauma-informed practice, neurodiversity, difficult people, high conflict personalities and mental health.  This book cuts through the often misguided popular culture and easy fixes and gets

WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: Mental Health and Conflicts: A Handbook for Empowerment by Dan Berstein Read More »

WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: A Curious Mind by Brian Grazer

Brian Grazer is an American film and television producer, who founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 with Ron Howard.  While you may think him an usual candidate for authoring a book about curiosity, it turns out he is perfect for this task.  For the past 35 years, Grazer has been sitting down and having ‘curiosity conversations’

WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: A Curious Mind by Brian Grazer Read More »

CRITICAL REFLECTION: No settlement, no fee in mediation?

In the past couple of weeks, I have come across a few different mediators in Australia and other countries who have offered, or are currently offering, some version of a contingency fee for their mediation services. This got my attention, and I decided to explore the phenomenon in more detail.  I’ve done some research, and

CRITICAL REFLECTION: No settlement, no fee in mediation? Read More »

WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: Cracking the Curiosity Code by Diane Hamilton

This book focuses on the importance of curiosity in business, for transformational leadership, and for personal growth. Hamilton asks: How do we recognize the things that hold us back from exploring our curiosity? How do we maintain and develop our natural sense of curiosity? How do we keep our spotlight bright and ready for deployment?

WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: Cracking the Curiosity Code by Diane Hamilton Read More »

WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: Curious: The Desire to Know and Why Your Future Depends On It by Ian Leslie

This book is in three parts: the first part covers how curiosity works, the second the curiosity divide, and the third staying curious.  Leslie argues that curiosity is one of the most important attributes required for our complex and unpredictable world. However, he explains that, “our ideas about how curiosity works are muddled and misguided”. 

WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: Curious: The Desire to Know and Why Your Future Depends On It by Ian Leslie Read More »