My passion lies in helping individuals and groups communicate, collaboratively solve problems and strengthen connections and relationships. I am a certified mediator and a facilitator with the Center for Dialog & Resolution in Pierce County, WA and with the Interlocal Conflict Resolution Group in King County, WA. In these roles I have helped many hundreds of people have important conversations around family issues, work situations, neighborhood concerns, housing (foreclosure, landlord/tenant) and disputes brought to small claims court. I am also a Conflict Coach, working with individuals to develop their skills and strategies for dealing with conflict.
Listening with compassion, diffusing conflict and promoting empathy are central to my approach, as is creativity and helping people finding unique ways to resolve issues. There is opportunity in disagreement and the potential in conflict. While it is hard work, having the important conversations in your life can be liberating and rewarding. Developing new ways to communicate can make your life more manageable and enjoyable.
My background: For over 30 years I have been energized by and committed to promoting dialog and collaboration. I started my career providing community education and outreach on nutrition, HIV and other health issues, and leading programs to make health information available to communities with limited access to health care. I worked on the US-Mexico border building binational efforts to address health issues shared by the two countries and worked with international health programs committed to sharing knowledge and building bridges across cultures. Later, I was lucky enough to receive training as a lawyer, learning invaluable skills in identifying issues, critical thinking and creative problem solving.