| A counselor is usually trained in many different types | | | | Conflict Mediation is also very useful in helping couples |
| of counseling styles and uses a variety of methods | | | | with their problems because it's more important for |
| to help people resolve their problems. They are | | | | the couple to learn how to live with each other using |
| generally licensed by the state, accept insurance, and | | | | their own values, not the values held by a counselor. |
| have a minimum of a Masters Degree in some form | | | | Mediation helps the participants to get what they |
| of psychology. An ordained minister is legally able to | | | | want and peacefully coexist. Counseling can be very |
| do the same type of counseling as a licensed | | | | biased and opinionated while offering analysis, |
| therapist, but they don't take insurance, and they | | | | education and guidance. Mediation is sitting as a third |
| don't have to be a licensed therapist by the state. | | | | party and listening to each participant tell their story, |
| A conflict mediator is not a counselor and while they | | | | asking them to verbalize what they want from the |
| may use psychological techniques in their sessions, | | | | other, and then helping them reach a compromise. |
| mediation is only concerned with helping the parties | | | | Sometimes mediation takes hours because the |
| come to an agreement about the conflict. The | | | | objective is to reach an agreement, not keep coming |
| mediator must be unbiased, offering no opinions of | | | | back to talk about the same thing. Once an |
| their own, only guiding the participants into harmony. | | | | agreement is reached, the session is over. Mediation |
| The court system uses conflict mediators as often | | | | is a really great way to solve problems. |
| as possible to keep people out of the court rooms. | | | | |