Texas Conflict Coach

This program will examine the power of the individual consumer when confronted with local and regional disasters that directly affect themselves and their families.  The speaker will address not only what the individual should know, but also the power of the consumer as part of their community in creating a conflict resolution process that provides quick relief in order to rebuild the community, while also guaranteeing the due process rights of each individual involved in that disaster.  The program will also examine man-made situations, such as the recent mortgage foreclosure debacle, and insurance and real estate frauds on a large scale.  Lastly, this will be examined as a new frontier for the ADR professional to explore as an additional source of work, income and satisfaction. Melvin A. Rubin, an attorney for over 40 years, has served as an ADR consultant, trainer and practitioner, for the past 28 years.  He helped design and organize the Hurricane Andrew mediation recovery program for the state of Florida

Arline Kardasis, mediator, trainer and co-author of Mom Always liked You Best, will discuss this guide for resolving family feuds, inheritance battles and eldercare crises. This practical book provides a treasure trove of do-it-yourself "mediator skills" for those with no previous training in conflict resolution.  Arline will share some of the tools and strategies  that have proven effective for family members wishing to get past entrenched disputes. Arline Kardasis is a mediator, trainer and founding partner of Elder Decisions, a Division of Agreement Resources, LLC in Norwood, Massachusetts.  She has presented workshops and trainings around the United States on elder and adult family mediation.  Arline served as a founding tri-chair of the Elder Decision-Making and Conflict Resolution Section of the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR).  Arline co-authored Mom Always Liked You Best: A Guide for Resolving Family Feuds, Inheritance Battles and Eldercare Crises. Zena Zumeta,  is both a mediator and traine

Have you always wondered what the difference between arbitration and mediation is? Listen in as attorney, mediator and arbitrator, Daniel Preston Dozier, discusses the fact and fiction of arbitration.  You’ll learn the pros and cons of arbitration and how mediation is similar to and completely different from arbitration and how both are different than going to court. Daniel P. Dozier, a member of the law firm of Press, Potter & Dozier, LLC, received his J. D. in 1971 from Wayne State University. He is an internationally-recognized pioneer in conflict management and collaborative decision-making, with nearly 35 years of experience as an attorney, negotiator, and mediator, and 25 years as a mediator and facilitator of complex multi-party environmental and public policy, employment, contract and commercial disputes. He has been appointed by United States District Courts throughout the United States to mediate complex environmental cases and is listed on numerous rosters of neutrals. Stephen Kotev is a Washi

You’ve seen it before, and you’ll see it again: • Someone digs in his heels and adamantly refuses to admit he’s wrong, even though the evidence is clearly against him. • Someone devotes far more resources to trying to defeat someone than she can possibly recover, even if she wins. • Someone gets into a heated disagreement with a relative or co-worker about how to address a situation even though he’s not sure what he really wants. • Someone fiercely resists a change that seems destined to make her better off. What’s going on? Our minds evolved to deal with differences in the small, simple, homogeneous communities our ancestors occupied thousands of years ago. So they are easily confused and overwhelmed by the complexities of life. We cannot alter how our minds work, but we can learn to overcome their limitations. Geoff Drucker has addressed disputes from the perspective of a lawyer, mediator, designer of dispute resolution programs, teacher, and trainer.  He wrote Resolving 21 Century Disputes: Best Pract

National Crime Prevention Council has developed several initiatives to educate children and adults to help them be safe from crime. The McGruff Club curriculum for children ages six to ten provides prevention and safety education.  When the Going Gets Scruff is a newly developed animated 3-minute DVD for kids ages five to eight to help them handle bullying situations. The Circle of Respect is designed to encourage respect and consideration for others. VOICES, a component of Circle of Respect, is geared to high school youth and is designed to allow teens to express themselves through poetry, rap, song, art – all original works – as it relates to their personal efforts to have a safe and happy lifestyle. Marcia Ellis serves the National Crime Prevention Council as the Program Manager for the Children and Youth initiatives. She has extensive experience in developing and implementing programs for youth and adults which address leadership development, program evaluation community outreach to name a few. At NCPC, s

How can we use words and voice  as tools for a more peaceful world? Laurie Schloff, communication coach, author of Smart Speaking, a  book called "the best book ever written about speaking" will discuss the top five techniques for communicating in a peaceful, proactive way.  Laurie is the author of Twenty Twinkling Stars, a children's book which celebrates the passions and interests of the Newtown children we lost on December 14, 2012.  The book, a collaboration with National SAVE, Students Against Violence Everywhere  is scheduled for release in late fall. Laurie Schloff, a coach with The Speech Improvement Company,  works with individual and groups nationwide to enhance communication skills.  She is the author of Smart Speaking and He and She Talk and has appeared on Oprah and the Today Show.  Laurie's children's book, Twenty Twinkling Stars celebrates the Newtown students lost last December and is a fund raising project for SAVE, Students Against Violence Everywhere.   .

Learn about truancy and how mediation can be a valuable process for students, parents, and schools. You will learn about typical cases referred to our juvenile truancy mediation program and possible outcomes. We will discuss the benefits of truancy mediation as well as take away tips to prevent truancy. Michelle Zaremba is the Director of the Dayton Mediation Center and has worked in the field for 14 years. She holds a BA in Applied Conflict Management and a Master of Public Administration. Michelle is a Certified Transformative Mediator. Trisha Werts is the Mediation Specialist for Juvenile Court Mediation Programs at the Dayton Mediation Center. She has worked in the field for 12 years and is a Certified Transformative Mediator. Trisha specializes in training, mediating, and youth programming For more information:  Transformative Mediation   and    National Association for Community Mediation

As summer vacation ends, parents rush to prepare for another school year.  You may have filled your child’s backpack, but missed the most important detail in your preparations.  Join Jeanne Dexter and Paul Schweinler, to learn how parents, teachers, and other adults, can start conversations with their child that allow them to talk about what concerns them, express what they need, and build strength and confidence to face a new school year. Jeanne A. Dexter is the Founder and Co-Creator of The Talking Jar Series.Jeanne has worked with children books, toys and games for most of her life including managing an educational children’s book and toy store and is currently writing two children’s books. She is a public speaker and trainer. Paul J Schweinler is, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, a Nationally Certified Counselor, Diplomat of the American Psychotherapy Association  and a Board Certified Expert in Traumatic Stress. Paul is an approved instructor with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation,

Conflict is at the heart of some of our best ideas and at the root of some of our worst failures. How can we improve our competence to make the best out of this inevitable part of our lives? During this show Tim Flanagan and Craig Runde will discuss how to improve cognitive, emotional, behavioral and normative skills required to manage conflict effectively. They will draw on stories and tips from their new book, Developing Your Conflict Competence. Craig Runde, Director of the Center for Conflict Dynamics at Eckerd College, oversees training and development on the Conflict Dynamics Profile assessment instrument and other products and services of the Center. Tim Flanagan, Director of Custom Programs for the Leadership Development Institute at Eckerd College, is a frequent presenter at professional conferences and has consulted with scores of leading national and international firms. For more information about becoming Conflict Competent

During the month of July, please enjoy these previously recorded shows. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning August 6, 2013. Victoria Pynchon’s new book is an adult primer on the difficult art of resolving, transforming or transcending conflict in your home, your workplace, your community, your state, your nation and your world. Victoria is an attorney who traded in her boxing gloves for the softer but no less difficult skills of helping lawyers and their business clients resolve their commercial disputes. Now she brings the wisdom of the courtroom and the mediation room to everyday conflicts and the difficult people in your life. Victoria mediates commercial disputes with ADR Services, Inc. in Century City, arbitrates business disputes for the American Arbitration Association and teaches women when and how to negotiate with her business partner Lisa Gates at SheNegotiates.com. Join us as we talk with Victoria Pynchon, attorney-mediator and arbitrator who spent the first 25 years of her lega

During the month of July, please enjoy these previously recorded shows. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning August 6, 2013. Enjoy the summer! Listening is a skill. It is an art. It is a discipline. It is hard. It takes attention and practice. It takes awareness. It is particularly hard when you don't want to hear the person who is talking to you. It is particularly hard in disagreements, arguments and conflicts. How do we listen without being caught by the judgments, opinions, desires, justifications and stories rumbling around in our heads? In this session we will be talking with Susan Shearouse, Frameworks for Agreement. We will explore the 3 C's of listening: how to prepare yourself and enter a difficult conversation able to hear what is being said, to be able to listen more effectively. Susan can be found at: Frameworks for Agreement

During the month of July, please enjoy these previously recorded shows. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning August 6, 2013. Enjoy the summer! In this show, we kicked off March's International Listening Awareness month with Susan Young. Susan is a news and communications expert with 25 years of experience. I spoke with Susan about the "new trend" in listening she calls "silent listening." The ability to quiet the mind, focus without distractions, and being in the moment...all with the purpose of improving business relationships. Susan Young is the President of Get In Front Communications

During the month of July, please enjoy these previously recorded shows. We will return live every Tuesday night beginning August 6, 2013. Enjoy the summer! We often long to solve conflict and the question becomes how. On today’s program Eileen Dowse will share her SOLVE™ model as an easy approach for you to work through issues and develop lasting solutions. This process offers techniques for expanding interpersonal communications and building better relationships in the future. Join my Guest HostZena Zumeta as she talks with  Eileen Dowse, an international consultant, author and speaker whose practice focuses on improving workplace dynamics. She works with individuals, and organizations throughout North America, Europe, Australia and Asia to help people work more effectively together. She is an award-winning author of "The Naked Manager, How to build open relationships at work". Her second book “The Agile Business Leader, The Four Roles of Successful Leaders” focuses on being responsive, adaptive and ef

In our final episode of the series Conflict and Empathy: Where Has Empathy and Compassion Gone? Keiko Krahnke from the University of  Colorado will join me and Edwin Rutsch, Center for Building a Culture of Empathy to discuss how do we foster empathy in a business, work and  beyond?   We will also look at the larger social systems andsee how we can build a truly global culture of empathy. Keiko Krahnke received her B.A. from Doshisha Women's College in Japan, and M.A. and Ph.D. from Colorado State University. She joined the faculty at Monfort College of Business at the University of Northern Colorado in1999 an associate professor  of management.  Keiko brings diverse knowledge and expertise to the classroom and to her research. Her academic background is in language teaching and applied linguistics, counseling, and human resource development.  Keiko serves on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management. Edwin Rutsch is the founding director of the Center for Building a Culture of

In our third episode of the series Conflict and Empathy: Where Has Empathy and Compassion Gone? Edwin Rutsch, Center for Building a Culture of Empathy and I will discuss how do we foster empathy in a family?   Edwin will share some personal stories of how he has personally fostered empathy in his extended family and how he used Restorative Empathy Circles to heal family conflicts. Edwin Rutsch is the founding director of the Center for Building a Culture of Empathy. The CultureOfEmpathy.com is the largest website on the Internet focused on nurturing and fostering empathy. After spending 10 years as a seeker traveling, working and studying his way around the world, Edwin worked for many years in the computer technology field. After discovering the power of empathy, he has dedicated his life to raising the level of empathy in society and building a global culture of empathy. For More Information: Edwin Rutsch

In our second episode of the series Conflict and Empathy: Where Has Empathy and Compassion Gone?, Edwin Rutsch and I will discuss how do we build empathy and compassion? Edwin will discuss a number of strategies he has implemented at the Center for Building a Culture of Empathy. One strategy has been the use of Empathy Circles using empathic reflective listening with individuals and groups. He will share real life examples and will model the skill. Edwin Rutsch is the founding director of the Center for Building a Culture of Empathy. The CultureOfEmpathy.com is the largest website on the Internet focused on nurturing and fostering empathy. After spending 10 years as a seeker traveling, working and studying his way around the world, Edwin worked for many years in the computer technology field. After discovering the power of empathy, he has dedicated his life to raising the level of empathy in society and building a global culture of empathy. For More Information: Edwin Rutsch

For many of us engaged in conflict or embroiled in a dispute, it can be very difficult to muster up empathy and compassion for the other side. The longer the conflict goes unresolved it seems the less empathy we have for them as a human being. In this first of our four episode series--Conflict and Empathy: Where Has Empathy and Compassion Gone?-- we will introduce the “wheel of empathy” and the “feel of empathy” as defined by Edwin Rutsch, Founder of a global empathy movement called The Center for Building a Culture of Empathy. We will also discuss how compassion intertwines with empathy and set the foundation for how you build empathy. Edwin Rutsch is the founding director of the Center for Building a Culture of Empathy. The CultureOfEmpathy.com is the largest website on the Internet focused on nurturing and fostering empathy. After spending 10 years as a seeker traveling, working and studying his way around the world, Edwin worked for many years in the computer technology field. After discovering the power

Family businesses are unique and complex differing in many ways from non-family businesses. For those family businesses preparing for the next generation to transition and succeed, they need to expect all kinds of issues to arise that can cause conflict. Family members have questions and expectations: who is moving out? Moving in? Moving aside? The new generation has ideas and strategies which could very well be different from how Grandpa used to do it. Succession planning is key to this transition process. Change does not happen over night. Support from family business experts can frequently facilitate the way to a productive succession. Mary F. Whiteside, Ph.D. is a family therapist, consultant, and mediator affiliated with the Ann Arbor Center for the Family. She is a Fellow and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Family Firm Institute and has contributed significantly to the introduction of family systems concepts to the family business field. In her consultation practice she works with fami

There has been much said regarding the ability of parties to mediate in cases where there has been domestic abuse. While no one believes abuse is an issue that can be mediated, the parties may have issues that can be resolved through mediation. Our program will discuss issues including the benefits of mediation in these situations, the structure of such mediations and preparation of parties, and the mediator. Christy Cumberlander Walker has over fifteen years of experience mediating family issues. She was previously a program coordinator for the Franklin county Domestic Relations and Juvenile Court. Her experience includes providing family, employment and community mediation as well as providing training in dispute resolution across the county. Christy was also a trainer for the Supreme Court of Ohio Domestic Abuse Issues for Mediators and Other Professionals. Christy was a member of the Advisory Council for the Association for Conflict Resolution’s Family Section. She is the co-chair for the annual conferenc

As a licensed marriage and family therapist for nearly 20 years, Dr. Adams has discovered a common thread that binds us together—the power that relationships have in our lives. Through research, Dr. Adams began to unravel the complexity of relationships and to uncover the basic principles upon which successful relationships are built. By redefining these principles, she has developed simple and practical applications that those in military service (both current and former) and their families can use in their everyday lives. The ABCs of Change will alter forever the way you relate…and it will change your life. Patricia E. Adams, President of Zeitgeist Wellness Group is a family therapist and one of only ten women nationwide to be named 2011 Entrepreneurial Winning Women by Ernst & Young LLP. As a subject matter expert, Dr. Adams has more than 16 years of experience as a licensed marriage and family therapist. She is a certified mediator and crisis intervention specialist. Dr. Adams is the author of “ABCs o