WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: Your Future Self by Hal Hershfield
This book is all about harnessing the power of intertemporal choice – that is, understanding how the choices we make today will have an impact on the future. Hershfield explores how we tend to think about and relate to our future self / selves, and how various approaches can lead to very different outcomes. He
WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: The Perfection Trap by Thomas Curran
This just released book is a fascinating exploration of perfectionism – what it is, where it comes from, it’s impact, and how we can escape from it. Curran explains that perfectionism is much more than high standards and a tendency towards hard work. It’s an entire worldview – a way of existing that defines how
CRITICAL REFLECTION: Confidentiality
Mediation is often described as a confidential process, however confidentiality is not straightforward and there are many variations and exceptions to the principle of confidentiality in mediation. These variations may depend on what the mediator and the parties agree on, which model of mediation the mediator offers (e.g. facilitative, transformative, narrative), the substance of the
WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: Change Your Thinking by Sarah Edelman
This book, by Australian clinical psychologist Dr Sarah Edelman, is about how to use cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) techniques to better manage everyday life challenges. While the word “conflict” doesn’t actually appear in the book’s index, it is mentioned explicitly and implicitly throughout the book, as many of our challenges arise from, or create, conflict!
WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk
This book was published in 2014, but I revisited it in preparing some work on trauma informed practice in conflict resolution. The book is a powerful and often heart-breaking account of the development of knowledge about trauma, its symptoms and its treatment. While not specifically about how to conduct a trauma informed practice, it provides
Adapting our box – co-designing a conflict resolution process
When mediators and coaches first learn how to mediate or coach, they are often taught a particular process with step-by-step instructions. This gives them a framework to follow as they practice and develop their skills. However, rigidly following those frameworks in the long term is likely to be problematic. Firstly, it may indicate that the practitioner