Family Mediation

Youth & Their Families

Parents know that young people have a mind of their own and that adolescents are particularly good at pushing boundaries.  Parents can experience being challenged by their child multiple times a day.  Noah Mediation Services understands the challenges faced by both young people and their parents as children age.  It is not unusual for relationships between children and parents that were previously close to feel strained or awkward when a child reaches a certain age.  It is also not unusual for an older child's behavior to have a negative impact on younger siblings. 

Noah Mediation Services works with pre-adolescents, adolescents, young adults and their families struggling with various issues.  Whether young people are skipping school, missing curfew, hanging out with the "wrong" crowd, sexually active,  or just moody, Noah Mediation Services can work with the whole family to ease tensions and reach practical agreements, resulting in a more positive living environment for everyone. 

Parents seeking family mediation involving young people should anticipate full participation by all immediate family members over the age of 4 years.  Children will be given an equal voice in the process to allow for better understanding and communication for all involved.   Nothing will be imposed upon children by the mediator, regardless of what parents think their child needs.  Instead, agreements are made together by family members, empowering young people to take some control over their lives while also taking responsibility for their actions.  Mediation research indicates that when people are given some choice in how to resolve a dispute, they are more likely to abide by agreements that are made.  Parents in youth-involved mediation will be encouraged to assert parental boundaries while listening to suggestions proposed by their child.  Through this process, parents and children often experience greater understanding and respect for one another while also coming away with practical agreements for more positive behavior.

Families with young people who have serious mental health issues and/or drug and alcohol addictions must be receiving additional professional care to be considered for mediation services.

Step-parents & Blended Families

Blended families may find that improving communication can assist in easing tensions and creating a more pleasant living environment for everyone.  Sometimes biological parents and step-parents face unique challenges in shared parenting roles and can benefit from discussions with increased understanding and consistency between homes.  Siblings by marriage may find that transitioning into a new blended family can be difficult, and may, as a result, end up arguing and fighting.  Bringing blended families together in mediation can improve communication, assist in defining everyone's role in a child's life, develop some consistency between homes, and strengthen relationships between members of the family.  Parents and step-parents seeking family mediation should anticipate full participation by all family members over the age of 4 years.

Cultural Issues

Weddings, choice of college major, career choices, choice of romantic partner, identifications of lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and/or transgender,  tattoos & piercings, adopting outside of one's race, extracurricular interests, politics, differences in religious faiths or the expression of a religious faith; all of these, among other things can cause conflict within families.   Sometimes such conflicts may be due to generational differences among family members.  Other times conflict may exist between children being raised in the United States and parents born in a country with different traditions.  Whatever your dispute, Noah Mediation Services will ensure cultural competency around the particular issue/s causing family distress, either by obtaining it internally, or by seeking the assistance of outside professionals for the mediation process. 

Other Family Disputes

Extended families, families without children, generations of families and chosen families (not-necessarily biologically related but identified as your family of choice) may also benefit from mediation.  Whether you are disputing over the illness of a family member, inheritance, nieces and nephews, a family business or any other important issue impacting your family as you define it, Noah Mediation Services may be able to assist you. 

You may also be interested in the page on Elder Care Mediation.