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Mediation can help you if you have a conflict or communication difficulty with somebody and would like support from an independent third party to help work through it to reach a place of mutual understanding and agreement.

Our approach at NVC Resolutions is based on the process of Nonviolent Communication™ created by international mediator and peace worker Marshall Rosenberg. Daren De Witt of NVC Resolutions brings to this work 11 years experience of practising and teaching Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and 12 years experience as a mediator and mediation trainer.  He has mediated in situations of communication breakdown between family members, friends and members of communities.


In mediation we support each party to:

  • State clearly what is happening without blame or judgement.
  • Build trust by communicating how they are feeling, clearly and non-judgementally.
  • Express their unmet needs (which underlie the conflict).
  • Listen to and connect with the needs of the other person.
  • Clarify what both parties want to do together in order to resolve their issues and build harmony between them.


What are the benefits of mediation?

  • Mediation is confidential: only those present in the mediation need know what takes place.
  • Mediators are impartiality: the mediators have no vested interest in the outcome and do not take sides.
  • Mediators provide much needed support: when we are in conflict our emotions often get the better of us, and it can be difficult to see the situation objectively. Mediators can help the people involved in the conflict to manage their feelings, express them clearly to other parties involved and also to understand more clearly what is going on for the other parties.
  • You do not relinquish control: neither party in the conflict is forced to do anything. Any agreement reached is voluntarily agreed to by both sides.
  • Mediation is less stressful, more informal and cheaper than going to court. Any agreements reached are not legally binding (though you can take your agreements to solicitors afterwards to be formalised, if both parties wish to.


Why use NVC Resolutions for mediation?

  • Because we use Nonviolent Communication as our approach to mediation. Nonviolent Communication has evolved over 40 years and is a very powerful process to facilitate understanding of self and others. It has been used successfully to resolve conflicts in a wide range of situations, including families, communities and inter-racially. Find out more about Nonviolent Communication by clicking on the Nonviolent Communication link in the menu bar above.
  • Daren De Witt of NVC Resolutions has 12 years experience of mediation in a wide range of situations including neighbours, couples and family members, schools, community contexts and within organisations and teams.  He is also a mediation trainer, so he is thoroughly versed in the principles of mediation.  With an additional 11 years experience of Nonviolent Communication, he is well equipped to support you to work through your issues.  Daren also has a number of skilled associates in locations throughout the UK and worldwide that he can call upon to support you.



Summary of the Mediation Process

Prior to Mediation:

  • We receive your enquiry and discuss mediation and your expectations.
  • We sometimes meet with the people involved in the conflict separately before meeting them together.
  • We will clarify a venue for the mediation - possibly the home of the people involved in the conflict, or a suitable neutral venue.
  • We can offer a single mediator, or two mediators who co-mediate, depending on the length and complexity of the issues involved.


The Mediation Itself:

  • We meet the parties together and support them to express themselves and to hear and understand each other’s point of view, and come to joint agreement about how they will resolve their issues.
  • At the end of the mediation, we summarise any agreements/understandings.


Length of Sessions:

  • We offer between an hour and a half to two hours for the mediation to take place.
  • In some cases, people like to come back for another session at a later date, particularly if they need time to think about the issues discussed and possible ways forward.