In this episode Gary Friedman traces the evolution of mediation from a people-centered alternative to a lawyer-dominated process, explaining how courts and legal culture turned voluntary mediation into mandatory settlement practices. He describes the understanding-based model that returns decision-making to the parties, while showing how lawyers and the law can support - rather than control - constructive, creative agreements. Friedman offers practical takeaways for mediators and attorneys: how to keep clients at the center, use legal input as a helpful reference, expand what’s negotiable so the “pie” grows, and find professional and personal satisfaction in fostering durable, human-centered resolutions.

Welcome to The Other Chair. Today, we’re exploring a familiar challenge in professional life - workplace conflict. Whether it’s friction between coworkers, breakdowns in communication, or tension between managers and team members, conflict at work can take a toll on trust, collaboration, and productivity. Our guest is Pat Lau, a longtime workplace mediator, conflict resolution trainer, and co-founder of Intel’s Collaborative Mediation Program. From 2010 to 2024, Pat helped develop and lead one of the few in-house workplace mediation programs inside a major global corporation. His work with Intel's teams, peer managers, and leaders helped address difficult conflicts in a way that encouraged understanding instead of blame.

On this episode of The Other Chair, we are diving into the intersection of emotional intelligence, mediation, and joy, and how empathy can transform even the most challenging conversations into opportunities for connection.   Our guest is Misha Safran, trilingual mediator, keynote speaker, educator, and founder of the Center for Empathy and Emotional Intelligence. In this episode, Misha shares how empathy and emotional intelligence can help us build cultures in workplaces, classrooms, and communities where conflict is not feared but embraced as a path to deeper understanding and connection.

Explore the transformative potential of understanding and navigating conflict in a healthier way. In this episode, Amanda Ripley, a New York Times bestselling author and co-founder of Good Conflict, shares her insights on how conflict can be not just managed but truly transformed. Join us in examining how personal insights can lead to broader systemic change, especially in educational and journalistic contexts, making strides towards a society less manipulated by 'conflict entrepreneurs'. Learn how to shift from polarized conflict to 'the right fights' that matter for personal, familial, and societal growth.

In this episode of the Other Chair, guest Eva Kaul explores the fascinating connection between personal and professional conflict dynamics, how unresolved family conflicts can manifest in workplace relationships, and the transformative role of mediation in fostering healthier, more collaborative teams. Eva is a mediator and trainer specializing in family conflict and workplace mediation with years of experience working with companies in Germany—from small businesses to corporate settings she brings a unique perspective to integrating the structure of mediation into professional environments.

In this episode of The Other Chair, guest Ian Warburg shares two vastly different mediation experiences—each offering a window into what conflict resolution can be, for better or worse. The first mediation, guided by a CUC-trained mediator, was a journey of healing and mutual recognition. The second, a divorce process managed by a legal-financial team using separate sessions, left wounds and widened divides. Ian’s story is both intimate and instructive—an invitation to reimagine how we navigate conflict when the stakes are high and the relationships are real.

In this episode of The Other Chair, we explore how legal professionals in New York can integrate mediation into their practice, the path to becoming a mediator in New York, including the required training and next steps for joining court rosters, and how mediation techniques—like looping and understanding the dynamic—can enhance client relationships, improve litigation strategies, and support negotiations with opposing counsel. Our guests, Antoinette Delruelle and Joy S. Rosenthal, Esq., bring years of experience as mediators and attorneys in New York. They’ll also share details about an upcoming opportunity to receive Part 146-approved mediation training through the Center for Understanding in Conflict’s 40-Hour Conflict Resolution and Matrimonial Mediation Training in June 2025, designed specifically for practitioners looking to deepen their skills and qualify for court rosters.

In this episode of The Other Chair we welcome guests Cassie Lively, Executive Director of the Center for Conflict Resolution (CCR) in Chicago, and D.G. Mawn, President of the National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM). Cassie leads one of the country’s most impactful community mediation organizations, working to provide free and accessible mediation services throughout Cook County, Illinois, while D.G. brings a national perspective on mediation, advocating for community-based conflict resolution programs and ensuring that local peacemakers have the resources, training, and support they need to thrive. In this episode, we’ll explore the history of their organizations and the role of community mediation with practical steps for those looking to get involved in this essential work.

In this episode of The Other Chair, guest David Dörken shares his unique approach to conflict resolution, blending legal expertise with Zen principles of mindfulness and non-judgmental awareness. Discover how stillness and presence can transform conflict into opportunities for connection and growth. Learn practical tips for managing emotions and engaging in direct communication during mediation sessions. David discusses the importance of self-awareness and inner work for conflict professionals, offering insights into how anyone can cultivate these skills to improve their mediation practice.

In this episode of The Other Chair, guests Judge Raymond Kramer and Sethu Nair from the Center for Creative Conflict Resolution at OATH discuss their role in transforming how conflicts are managed across New York City government, emphasizing community impact and practical conflict resolution strategies. Together, they explore the frameworks and models CCCR employs, drawing connections to the understanding-based approach and offering insights for practitioners looking to enhance their own practice.

In this episode of The Other Chair, Gary Friedman, co-founder of the Center for Understanding in Conflict, explores the complexities of personal conflicts in today’s ideologically divided society. Through the lens of the Understanding-Based Approach, Friedman discusses how deeply held beliefs, fears, and the “conflict traps” we set for ourselves create divisions not only between groups but also within individuals struggling to reconcile personal values with societal pressures. This episode will challenge listeners to reflect on the impact of polarized perspectives and provide tools to engage in constructive dialogue amid deep-seated differences.

In this episode of The Other Chair, guest Lisa Taubenblat, a seasoned psychotherapist and family mediator, shares her expertise in family and couple’s therapy, explaining how her background in psychotherapy enhances her mediation work, particularly with families facing conflict. She also explores essential skills for relationship improvement, the challenges of working with diverse and marginalized communities, and practical strategies for emotional regulation during conflict. 

This episode of The Other Chair guest is Catherine Conner explores the value of ongoing professional development and the importance of refreshing core fundamentals for understanding-based mediators and conflict resolution practitioners, including peer support, continuous self-reflection work, and evaluating prior cases and model application.

In this episode of the other chair, Doctors Paul Natterson and Jeff Stuart join us to discuss the need for new approaches to addressing conflict within the healthcare system in American and how the understanding-based approach and other models are helping them pave the way in an industry where conflict resolution is rarely considered or utilized. Paul and Jeff are physician leaders and executives with formal conflict resolution training, advocating an institutional framework for collaborative problem solving techniques including mediation, to positively affect dispute outcomes, preserve relationships, and create a more transparent and supportive culture in healthcare settings.

In this episode of the other chair, Niyonu Spann, founder of Beyond Diversity 101, a workshop that exposes, stimulates, and transforms the dynamics of diversity at the root level, discusses her experience working to advance diversity and liberation as a trainer and facilitator, along with practical advice for how you can be mindful of this work in your practice.

This episode of The Other Chair explores how mediators, especially career practitioners, continue to learn, grow, and refine their skills after becoming established in the field and bringing together people in conflict for many years. Guest Catherine Conner, director and trainer at the Center for Understanding in Conflict, reflects on 20 years in the field of alternative dispute resolution and steps listeners can take to stay sharp as a conflict resolution practitioner.

Gary Friedman, author, mediator, and co-founder of the Center for Understanding in Conflict, joins The Other Chair to talk about the nuance of understanding-based matrimonial or divorce mediation and the human challenges faced by the mediator and parties that may be unique to other forms of conflict.

From working in war zones to teaching incarcerated persons, Caitlin Meredith has spent more time than most extreme in close proximity to those experiencing extreme conflicts. From these beginnings came a desire to learn how to understand others and herself better while gaining the tools to empower others to find a way through. On this episode of The Other Chair, learn about Caitlin's journey from learner and practitioner to teacher and advocate for bringing together people in conflict through empathy and understanding.

Join Catherine Conner on the Other Chair for a stimulating and informative roundtable discussion featuring industry leader insights from three of the world's most advanced technology firms: Intel, Roche, and SAP. Panelists discuss how the Understanding-Based Approach to Conflict has helped address human resource challenges while increasing Return on Investment (ROI) in people management systems through mediation programs that mediators can implement in small firms, non-profits, large corporations or other organizations.

Embarking on the journey from program participant to teacher can be challenging, with many rewards along the way for the instructor and the students who will be learning to bring together parties in conflict. Ivan Alter, attorney, mediator, and trainer for the Center for Understanding in Conflict, joins the Other Chair to discuss his experience becoming a teacher and his first time bringing the understanding-based model into a law school classroom.