Join Our Productive Conversations Course
Enroll in MV Mediation Program's Productive Conversations Course and work with our conversation guides to identify conflicts within your own family:
• Learn about Conflict Resolution
• Reflect on Family Conflict History
• Use Conflict Resolution Tools to Plan as a Family
Email info@mvmediation.org to register.
Productive Conversations Course
Families with Older Adults
Conflict Resolution with Multigenerational Families
√ Take this course with your parent or adult child
• Learn about Conflict Resolution
• Reflect on Family Conflict History
• Use Conflict Resolution Planning Tools
When: Saturdays • 10 am – 11:15 • April 3, 10, 17, 24 or May 22, 29, June 5, 12
How: On zoom • participate from anywhere • info@mvmediation.org to register
Cost: No cost. Funded by a generous MV Bank grant — donations welcomed
Why: Because you want to have Productive Conversations with your family
Who: Multigenerational families—older adults with grown family members
Individuals can take this course including those working in elder services
The course
Lifelong Conflict Concepts — Saturday, April 3 or May 22, 2021
Using a dynamic web creation process, participants help to collaboratively develop a chart that depicts the conflict concepts they have developed throughout their lives. Looking together to gain perspective, the class discusses theories about conflict’s nature and effects.
Conflict Styles — Saturday, April 10 or May 29, 2021
There are five basic styles that individuals adopt as conflict managers. Knowledge of conflict resolution styles may assist us to understand ourselves better and extend that understanding to others. Participants will meet in small groups to explore each conflict style together.
Positions and Interests — Saturday, April 17 or June 5, 2021
Recognizing the difference between positions and interests can reveal a new avenue toward more effective conflict resolution. Participants will consider hypothetical and actual conflicts, using tools to uncover interests. Families will meet with a Conversation Guide to discuss a simple conflict.
Values, Needs, Identity, Feelings — Saturday, April 24 or June 12, 2021
Understanding the role that each of these concepts play in conflict can be eye-opening. Utilizing lists, participants work to consider these lenses and how they and others might react to a common set of conflicts. The idea is to learn how to analyze conflict and to be able to find common ground.
Conversation Guides
You and your family will have time during each class session to chat together. You can schedule a longer family discussion session with a Conversation Guide at a convenient time. Conversation Guides are fully trained and qualified as mediators and facilitators and have experience working with older adults and families using neutral and supportive discussion techniques.
Program Outline
Stage One-- Learn about Conflict Resolution
Through a 4-session interactive course, family members will deepen their understanding of conflict resolution theory and practices.
Stage Two--Reflect on Family Conflict History
Through a shared and guided process, family members consider their family conflict resolution histories from varied perspectives. Mutuality is the goal in this stage of the program. Conversation guides will help to facilitate these conversations.
Stage Three--Use Conflict Resolution Tools to Plan as a Family
Working with a mediator/facilitator, the family establishes best practices for decision-making, problem solving and approaching difficult life decisions. If needed the mediator assists with formalized mediation sessions as well as referrals to agencies with specialized support services.
Program overview
Most families have developed conflict resolution methods with minimal consideration or training. ‘We do what was done to us.’ Generational attitudes of avoidance, aggression and/or shaming/blaming persist in many families. As the older generation ages and transitional decisions must be made among extended family members, MV Mediation can provide neutral, confidential and professional services to help participants to have Productive Conversations.
Families participating in the Productive Conversations Program have the option to work with a Conversation Guide. Guides are fully trained and qualified as mediators and facilitators and have experience working with families and older adults. We invite family members and close associates to take advantage of the PCP classes, planning processes as well as individual and family conversations. Working with a Conversation Guide, the goal is for families to preserve and strengthen family relationships while developing self-determined agreements.