Many people avoid dealing with conflict despite the stress caused by deciding not to address the situation. I help people engage and manage conflict so they can focus on what matters and improve their mental health.

Over the past year I’ve been working casually as a mediator for Positive Solutions, dealing with interpersonal disputes in large organisations and small businesses across Tasmania. I also facilitate difficult conversations and coach clients experiencing conflict in the workplace and the community.

It’s been a natural transition because I’ve spent much of my 42 years in the workforce navigating conflict, building rapport with people from all walks of life and managing challenging relationships. I want to stem the flow of people taking sick leave, going on workers’ comp, quitting their job or working in misery because they have a mortgage to pay.

I have deep empathy for my clients. I know what it feels like to be consumed by conflict.

I had a stellar career at the international news agency Reuters for 22 years until I was diagnosed with PTSD in early 2016. From that moment on, my work at Reuters – including a ground-breaking role as global head of journalist mental health and wellbeing -- was defined by conflict and mistrust with management until I quit four years later. I would have benefitted working with a conflict coach to help me comprehend what was going on. Some people in the Reuters leadership didn’t feel comfortable with me. My passion about journalist mental health made them nervous, I was told. I never modified my approach. It’s not to say I would have taken a different path with a conflict coach – but I would have at least gotten clarity about my situation and possibly some skills to make different choices.

I’ve spoken to hundreds of people in the past decade who’ve suffered from workplace conflict and organisational betrayal. Most had PTSD or other mental health challenges. I’ve seen what the workers’ comp system does to folks -- it’s one of the themes of my critically acclaimed memoir Line in the Sand, published by Pan Macmillan Australia in 2023.

My goal as a practitioner
My mission as a mediator and conflict coach is to get to employees and managers before they reach the point of no return. I don’t believe all conflict can be resolved. But I believe it’s possible to manage a difficult relationship with the right strategies.

People need an opportunity to tell their story. They need to feel heard and validated. I’ll gently challenge someone’s version of events, but only after I’ve listened to theirs. I genuinely want to help people manage conflict, whether that means clearing the air or reaching a written agreement.

I’m here to help people when they take those first steps to decide to engage in conflict (only if it’s safe) and walk with them when they do. I want people to feel like a weight has been lifted. I want them to have a plan. By ensuring fairness during a challenging conversation, I want parties to feel they had agency while I encourage them to consider different perspectives.

‍‍I’ve always been a problem solver, good with people in crisis. I’ve been an employee and a manager and leader. I know what it’s like to make tough decisions. I also know what it’s like to bear the weight of responsibility – two of my Iraqi staff were killed in Baghdad in a U.S. gunship attack in 2007.

My philosophy on conflict
Conflict is inevitable in our lives but it’s how we manage disputes that matter. First, we need to tackle the elephant in the room – conflict avoidance. I think people have an inherent desire to get along. We sometimes just need a little help to have a conversation. By doing this we learn things we didn’t know. How often have we made assumptions? Got the wrong end of the stick? Conflict can be healthy because it can lead to creative outcomes and personal growth.

Landmark UK research showed 74% of employees who underwent mediation reported their conflict had been fully or largely resolved. Significantly, mediation accounted for just 0.5 percent of the total cost of conflict in the UK. This makes mediation an investment, not a cost.