How Trauma Reactions Can Interrupt Mediation & Strategies to Mitigate Its Effects

A party’s trauma response, which can impact their ability to think clearly, flexibly, and with purpose, is often elevated during times of stress. This can interfere with the mediation process, as mediators could feel pulled to protect or defend one party over another or discover a power imbalance mid-mediation. In this presentation, we will discuss trauma responses that can be expected to show up in the mediation process and explore practical strategies mediators can utilize to increase effectiveness while staying firmly within the guidelines of the code of ethics.