Empathy in Transformative Mediation Practice: A Practitioner’s Café Conversation

When we talk about empathy in relation to transformative mediation, we are focused on empathy between participants, that recognition shift that one party signals to the other, “I understand/hear/see you in the way you would like to be understood/heard/seen.” But what about empathy as it relates to the mediator? How does empathy influence our role as mediators? Is mediator empathy required in order for us to be able to let go of our assumptions and biases, especially when faced with a point of view ? Or would empathy reinforce bias? Through our reflections and summaries, of both language (verbal and nonverbal) and emotion, and our commitment to the principle of self-determination, are we in a sense modeling cognitive empathy, or perspective-taking — a perspective-taking that leads us to better attuned reflection? Join this Cafe to talk this through with other transformative mediators and practitioners.

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