Services – Carla Vollert

Mediation

Your partner plays an important role in your life but lately something’s off? The atmosphere is tense and you are clashing more and more often? Maybe you have hoped that things would calm down on their own but now you find yourself doubting that.

Having trouble with our loved ones can be particularly distressing. Often we share a long history with each other, old anger and hurts make the conflict intransparent. Being stuck in such an emotional situation can make it hard or even impossible to listen closely, to sort the topics and talk constructively. Sometimes a neutral person from outside is needed to find a way out. As a mediator I structure the conversation and guide you step by step through conflict resolution. Especially if you speak different languages or want to find ways to deal with different values, I’m happy to support you. I work diversity oriented and multilingual without reducing you to your nationality or other characteristics.

If that sounds good to you I’m looking forward to hearing from you to make an appointment for the preliminary talk. During this first meeting with all parties involved we take time to get to know each other. You can describe your conflict, ask all your questions and we see how I can help you.

My approach on working with international couples:

I`ve made the experience that it doesn’t matter that much whether a couple is international or not. Different values, expectations and patterns of communication can clash no matter if you share the same nationality or not. Why do I focus on international mediation then, you’re asking yourself? Here are a few reasons why:

I don’t pigeonhole you but see you as individuals. Intercultural aspects may play a role in your conflict but it’s also possible that the core of conflict lies on a different level.
I help you to distinguish between misunderstandings and conflicts of interest.
I offer mediation in English and German. When needed I cooperate with mediators who speak further languages.
I know how to deal with ambiguity and see the great value that an international background and relationships bring with them.
In my studies and at work I have dealt with topcis such as culture, diversity, power imbalances and discrimination. I bring all this knowledge into my work as a mediator.

Team mediation

The atmosphere in your team is tense – in the hall, during meetings, in emails, you can feel frustration everywhere. People are having disputes, employees complain to you about their colleagues and some call in sick more often than usually. At the same time the work doesn’t get done and you’re asking yourself how it’s supposed to go on like this. You want to do something but don’t really know how? Then this is the right time to look for support.

During the preliminary talk we see how I can help you. For team and group mediation usually one or two days or several short meetings are needed. We agree on a time frame together before starting the process. Depending on the group size I like to work in partnership with a co-mediator. This allows us to bring in different backgrounds, skills and languages to the mediation and work in a complementary way.

Having solved a conflict successfully helps your team to gain a better understanding of each other and communicate more constructively in the future.

Community mediation

I offer community mediation for resolving conflict at a society level. That can be urban development processes, conflicts in neighbourhoods, among teenage groups and many more.

At first glance, conflicts at a society level often seem to be triggered by different religions, languages, traditions, or simply “cultures” that don’t seem to be compatible. Stereotypes and the degradation of other groups can lead to a quick escalation of conflict and distract from what’s usually the core of conflict: the distribution of resources, power and appreciation.

To offer guidance and support for such conflicts I work in a team of two or more mediators who, just like me, follow a diversity oriented and participatory approach. Among others we ask questions such as: Are there boundaries that hinder certain people to attend the conflict solving process? For instance language barriers, insufficient access to information or a lack of childcare. In which languages should the conflict resolution take place? How do we guarantee transparency on how and by whom are decisions made? How can we create a safe space to prevent discrimination as much as possible?

This approach allows us to allow for conflict resolution which includes all relevant perspectives and which is therefore particularly stable.

Workshops

Are you planning a workshop for your team, the management in your organisation, or any other specific target group? I offer workshops in the field of conflict resolution that are specifically catered to the participant`s needs – offline or online. I focus on learning through experiencing and make sure that the new skills can be easily transferred into day-to-day life.

Possible starting points for a workshop could be:

How can I listen more closely, set boundaries and express my interests in order to solve conflicts more effectively?
How can we keep a good group feeling and prevent misunderstandings when working remotely?
How can we create a positive conflict culture? Which role do diversity and power play in day-to-day conflicts?

I`m looking forward to hearing from you!