I, like many mediators, have been adapting to online mediation. For some (myself included) this was not something we would have considered previously, believing that the meeting in-person, face-to-face nature of mediation was fundamental to developing rapport and trust in order to effectively shift perspectives and resolve conflict. In a recent blog post, John Sturrock wrote in his recent Core Solutions blog (see link below) that mediating on Zoom has been a ‘revelation’ and in some respects ‘more effective than the traditional way’, describing the ‘intimacy’ of online meetings. I remain convinced in the power of the personal meeting but am fascinated to discover there are equally powerful aspects to online mediations, such as the comfort and subsequent confidence some parties feel through speaking from their own home, and the flexibility it allows for creativity around designing the process – in terms of time, location, and who is able to attend and participate. The traditional mediation model has had to adapt, as we all have, because of Covid-19, and I hope that when things begin to return to normal, the best parts of in-person and online can be combined as standard mediation practice.
