Kompass Blog

Shelley Chrest has both Chartered Mediator and Qualified Arbitrator designations along with a JD, an LLM, and extensive training from the Justice Institute of BC. She has spent years helping people navigate contentious disputes.

Her career spans mediation, arbitration, and policy development across various sectors, including workers’ compensation, local government, and social assistance. She’s driven by the core belief that every person deserves a fair process and the chance for their experience and evidence to be heard and thoroughly considered in a fair and balanced manner.

We sat down with Shelley to learn how she got into ADR, how she sees the role of mediators and arbitrators, and what she feels new practitioners need to know.

Laraine Ashpole started her career in government almost 30 years ago and quickly became the go-to person for the toughest disputes. That led her to seek formal training in negotiation and mediation.

She went on to become a Chartered Mediator with the ADR Institute of Canada and a Registered Roster Member with Mediate BC. She currently works as a Conflict Management Consultant with the BC Public Service and operates a private practice focused on workplace dispute resolution.

That’s why we’re thrilled to welcome Laraine as an instructor in Kompass’s mediation program! Keep reading to learn more about her unique perspective and what she brings to the classroom.

In family mediation, individuals are asked to revisit past hurts and openly discuss fears about parenting, finances, and more. These are sensitive issues that are often tied to a person’s deepest emotional experiences. For mediation to work, participants must believe that the space is safe, that the mediator is fair, and that speaking honestly won’t backfire.

Family mediators must build rapport, demonstrate neutrality, establish structure, and create conditions where people can hear one another with less defensiveness. None of this can be achieved without one essential ingredient: trust.

In this post, we explore why trust is fundamental in family mediation, how mediators foster it, and how formal training can equip you with the skills to build trust effectively.

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is a popular choice among career changers seeking meaningful and rewarding work. If you’re one of those thinking about making the leap, you owe it to yourself to scope out the landscape first.

So what can ADR professionals expect in the coming months? What trends and opportunities will define the year ahead?

To find out, we spoke to Pramila Javaheri, the executive director of the ADR Institute of Ontario (ADRIO). Keep reading to get expert insight on what’s shaping the field today and what’s on the horizon.

When different generations live, work, and make decisions together, tensions are almost inevitable. Older adults and their families don’t always see eye to eye on issues like inheritance, caregiving, or cultural traditions, and these conflicts can quickly become overwhelming.

That’s where intergenerational mediators come in. Rather than declaring a “winner” and a “loser”, mediators help families talk openly, understand each other’s perspectives, and find solutions that work for everyone.

In this post, we’ll explore the most common issues behind intergenerational disputes, how mediation can help preserve harmony at home, and how you can get the training you need to launch a rewarding career in this field.

Mediation is a popular alternative to traditional courtroom battles, offering a more collaborative and cost-effective way to resolve disputes. But despite its growing use, many people are still unclear about what mediation really involves.

Misconceptions abound about the role of the mediator, the types of cases suitable for mediation, and the legal standing of mediation agreements.

In this post, we clear up some of the most common myths about mediation and explain why it’s a valuable tool for resolving conflict in a wide range of settings—from family issues to workplace disputes and beyond.

Intergenerational mediation is about helping families navigate disputes between different generations, often related to inheritance, healthcare decisions, or changing family roles. It fosters understanding, preserves relationships, and ensures that all voices—especially those of older adults—are heard and respected.

Rosanna Macri knows this well. She is an accredited intergenerational mediator with a diverse background in both bioethics and conflict management. She has many years of experience helping families navigate complex conversations with empathy and clarity, and now she is sharing that expertise with students at Kompass.

We spoke with Rosanna recently to learn about her educational journey, the types of disputes she encounters, and her focus for the Intergenerational Mediation certificate program.

Here are the highlights of that conversation.

Navigating family disputes and relationship breakdowns is fraught with challenges and takes a special touch. Few people understand that better than new Kompass instructor Dora Dang.

Dora has over 20 years of experience as a mediator, arbitrator, facilitator, coach, and instructor. She also has her own company, Leap Divorce Solutions, that focuses on mediation arbitrations and financial analysis for divorce.

We connected with Dora recently to learn more about her and what she brings to the alternative dispute resolution programs at Kompass. Here’s how that conversation went.

Artificial intelligence is disrupting many fields previously thought off-limits to automation, and dispute resolution is no exception. AI can summarize cases, predict outcomes, even facilitate negotiations. But can it replace human mediators entirely?

In this post, we look at the capabilities of AI in mediation. We explore current AI technologies and their applications in conflict resolution. We also consider the limits of AI in replicating complex human emotional intelligence and ethical decision making. And we share some expert opinions on the possibility of AI taking over from human mediators.

Here’s what you need to know.

Updated June 2024

Mediators who focus on resolving disputes involving older adults and their families, friends, and caregivers may find themselves working with clients from diverse backgrounds. That presents unique challenges and requires specific skills.

Being culturally competent is key to success. But what exactly does that mean? And how can mediators create a respectful and inclusive process for everyone involved?

In this post, we explore the significance of cultural diversity in intergenerational mediation, highlighting how mediators can navigate and leverage cultural differences to resolve conflicts effectively.