Finding Common Ground is committed to supporting and strengthening sustainable peace building foundations within families, communities, organizations, and systems.  Our professional mediators, counselors, trainers and consultants have a deep understanding of the complexities of our lives and integrating divergent opinions.  We are dedicated to transforming the ways we approach and manage our decision-making, transform relationships, and building diverse and supportive communities.  We offer mediation, conflict resolution, facilitating groups in conflict, conflict resolution systems redesign, consulting, and training. Located in Northern California, we work at the community, national, and international levels.

Mediation and dispute resolution is effective for families, communities, organizations, and business. The process involves facilitating complex decisions with a neutral mediator/facilitator when opinion and options are too diverse or complicated to be addressed by the people involved. The mediator acts as a neutral third party who gains understanding of both the external and internal problems related to the conflict. Keeping the parties focused on the issues at hand, the mediator creates a confidential and safe environment for further understanding, articulates options for solutions, and assists the parties in reaching agreement.

Areas of Focus

Mediation

• Elder Adult Issues  - for elders and their families or caregivers who face unique and complex situations often requiring decisions affecting care, living situations, health, end of life and resolution of conflict among family members, care providers, professionals, and agencies.
• Marriage/Domestic Partnerships/Family – for couples and families who desire a non-therapeutic way of identifying and resolving specific areas of conflict, consider possible solutions, and building mutually-supportive and well-understood agreements.  Examples of resolution topics include poor communication, parenting, career, confused or unclear roles, unspoken expectations, and differing ideas about time and money.
• Community/Neighborhood – for residents and property owners who are seeking peaceful and sustainable solutions to problems such as neighborhood feuds; noise; property care and upkeep; pet problems; parking problems; vandalism and graffiti; easements; and other issues that negatively effect the inter-workings of communities.
  
• Landlord Tenant – for disputes between landlord and tenants that might very well be resolved prior to legal action.  Complaints and misunderstandings from either party can be negotiated and resolved through mediation agreements over any topic including property care, rents, bills, repair and areas of responsibility.

Not-for-Profit Organizations –  working with staff, administration, volunteers, boards of directors, collaborations, and other interested parties in resolving complex disputes arising from the internal and external challenges facing public benefit corporations.

Business/Restructuring – for business and organizations facing complex issues relating to efficient functioning and profitability, help to negotiate the details of restructuring business partnerships, revising direction and vision, and establish guidelines for flexible growth.

Facilitating Groups in Conflict – for groups of any type who require a neutral third party to assist in defining, resolving, and transforming challenges and conflicts among themselves and in relationship to their constituents and stakeholders.

Conflict Resolution Systems Redesign – for business and organization whose interest is to prevent, manage and resolve destructive conflict and ultimately foster healthier workplaces and work relations as an integrated system approach. These systems seek to provide individuals and groups with the knowledge and skills to work proactively and constructively in identifying possible conflict situations and preventing their escalation.

Training – We offer and partner with an array of trainings for practitioner, mediators, attorneys, organizations, and groups in areas including “The Affects of Violence & Trauma for Conflict Resolution Practitioners” and “Turning Conflict into Cooperation.”