Impasse Directed
Lets start with the basics....
Mediation is the process of cooperatively resolving issues in a divorce with the assistance of neutral experts in the field, rather than the two-lawyer adversary/litigation process. There are several mediation types or styles but they all have a few things in common....... They are all a confidential process.
They are all a voluntary process.
You are in control of the outcome and solution.
But after that, the style or types of Mediation vary greatly.
Impasse Directed Mediation is for people with significantly different entrenched positions, beliefs and disagreements between them. Impasse Directed mediation is based on the belief that there are some divorce cases that are highly predisposed to mediation ending in an impasse and therefore would benefit from premeditation education, counseling, and analysis to help these families examine what will prevent them from moving past their impasses.
Impasse Directed Mediation formulated by Janet R. Johnston and Dr.. Linda Campbell assert, "though this need has been acknowledged by a number of mediators - all have emphasized that it should be done in a separate setting, apart from the actual negotiations".
We disagree - and see counseling and mediation of a settlement for these families as two phases of one process. The understanding of the impasse, the parents' personality styles and the children's needs, gained in the counseling phase is invaluable for choosing negotiation strategies and building the actual agreement. Moreover, the process is better coordinated and expedited by having the same counselor-mediator in both phases. Once the premeditation analysis is completed then the parties move into a more facilitated style of mediation, however the mediator will always be relying on the analysis phase to bring insight into the mediation process."
