Mediating Parents & Adult Children Member Cafe Conversation

Join us for this Member Cafe as we explore mediating with Parents and Adult Children about their relationships. Supporting difficult conversations between adult children and parents is not uncommon in a family mediation practice. Many of those conversations are centered around an aging parent’s individual autonomy and the decisions that directly affect them — medical issues, living situations, a potential new partner, personal finances, etc. Recently, a different type of conversation between adult children and their parents has emerged, one that is often (though not always) initiated by younger adult children who may be on the verge of going “no contact” with one or both parents. They may look to mediation as a way to address an ongoing issue with a parent or request acknowledgment of past hurts, which could then allow them to continue the relationship. Whether they are asking for accountability or for something to change between them, a mediated conversation may seem like an opportunity to finally be heard. When one or both parents resist making changes or taking responsibility, it reveals a power dynamic that is unique in relation to all other conflicts. As mediators, this may be a particularly challenging dynamic, especially as all of us having been children ourselves and perhaps for those of us who have adult children. 

Whether you are doing these types of mediation or interested in learning more, you are welcome to join us in the discussion. 

April 7, 1-2 pm Eastern 

Zoom link will be sent upon registration