Are you are in the process of selecting a mediator, facilitator, coach or presenter for your organization? It is important to know a little more than a typical resume shares.  Why?  These relationships require trust to be built fairly quickly.  They depend on follow through behavior that is authentically aligned and driven by core values and beliefs.

Experience

• Successfully mediated over 900 cases since 1992

• Masters Degree in Intercultural Relations

• Partnered with the City of Bellevue to create and facilitate Conversations on
   Race and Culture attended by over 750 people over the span of the program

• Mentor mediator and guest trainer for WA state Dispute Resolution Centers

• Certified by WA State Mediation Association, Office of the Superintendent
   of Public Instruction and United States Postal Service

• President of the Washington Mediation Association and served on the Board
   for 4 years.

• Regularly pursue Professional Development:  (most recently) Mediation in
   Land Use Disputes, Nonviolent Communication, Compassionate Listening,
   Race Issues in Mediation

Clients
(Listed to show breadth of experience yet preserve confidentiality)

• Public and private companies in technology and aerospace sectors

• Private engineering firm

• Private architect

• United Way of King County

• Private Counseling Center

• U.S. Postal Service

• District Courts:  Aukeen, Issaquah, Bellevue, Redmond

• Families:   Parenting Plans and Long term care issues for family
   members,  Parent/Teen issues

• Food Bank

• School Districts:  Auburn, Battleground, Bainbridge Island, Bellevue,
  Cashmere, Coupeville, Edmonds, Enumclaw, Everett, Federal Way,
  Ferndale, Issaquah, Kent, Kennewick, La Connor, Lake Chelan,
  Lake Washington, Methow Valley, Mukilteo, Northshore, N. Kitsap,
  Olympia, Puyallup, Port Townsend, Renton, Seattle, Shoreline, Tahoma,
  Whatcom

Being an effective mediator requires courage, patience, knowledge, skill, humor, flexibility, self awareness, cultural awareness, creativity, hope, deep and compassionate listening abilities, empathy and some risk.  Risk?  There are times when people need to be nudged a bit to try on a new perspective, to see what life would feel like without a certain thought pattern or with a different attitude.  People are willing to learn and change when trust is present.

Sarah
Sarah Bergdahl, M.A.
President – WMA

You can find Sarah's monthly column in the WMA newsletter!

Memberships: WMA (Washinton Mediation Association), SIETAR NW (Society of Intercultural Educators, Trainers and Researchers), NW Mediators in Land Use Task Force, WTA (Washington Trails Association)