Please note:
For mediation services, clients should reach out directly to Kathy Firestine. Kathy can be contacted at 412.888.7868, or via email at kathy@kfpgh.com
Mediation
Mediation is a voluntary, flexible, efficient, and confidential way of resolving conflict and can be used in civil or family matters. The goal of any mediation is to resolve the core issues as quickly as possible, and at a reasonable cost, while establishing a clear understanding of roles, responsibilities and planning for the future. In a mediation, the parties can work to learn new skills and build a framework for a working relationship that will serve each of them in the future.
A neutral mediator, who is trained to facilitate communication, can assist individuals, couples, and families in developing and formalizing agreements. Mediation is not psychotherapy, marital counseling, or legal representation. Mediators with backgrounds in law or mental health do not represent or counsel mediation clients during the mediation process, but rather serve as neutral facilitators of the decision-making process. The mediator does not decide who is right or wrong nor do they issue a decision. The mediator helps the parties work out their own solutions to problems.
Co-parenting Mediation
Co-parent mediation provides an excellent venue for parents to sit together, establish new patterns of communication, and work through their residential schedules, parenting plan agreements, resolve misunderstandings and parenting conflict, and design a strong, child-centered parenting plan for their children while respecting each other as parents.
Premarital
Many couples discuss plans or make agreements prior to marriage. Premarital mediation can be a friendly and productive approach to identifying premarital dynamics and how both parties anticipate distributing their roles and property. Premarital mediation allows a couple to effectively establish pre-nuptial agreements in a transparent way, prior to entering their marriage. Communicating through their expectations and establishing an agreed upon plan can help achieve success moving forward in their relationship.
Marital
The approach of marital mediation is a process for couples that are experiencing marital difficulties and desire to stay married. It differs from marital therapy/counseling in several ways. It is not focused on the past, on diagnoses or approached clinically.
Marital mediation is present and future focused. It is an opportunity for a couple to strategically work through their challenges. When a couple is unable to settle differences and unhealthy communication patterns cause the relationship to suffer, marital mediation can provide them with constructive tools to resolve conflict. Marital mediation can be successful when marriage counseling has not been helpful.
Separation and Divorce
Utilizing mediation during a separation or divorce allows parties to make decisions that are reasonable for both parties and their family. In mediation, both parties meet with a mediator who provides assistance in helping the parties resolve disputes amicably in order to separate or end the marriage. Mediation can address child custody matters, parent planning, and distribution of property. Ongoing funding/support streams, expenses, retirement and taxes can also be mediated. Mediation can be extremely cost effective and an excellent alternative to traditional litigation in many circumstances and allows the parties to control decision making rather than placing those decisions in the hands of the court.
Please note that these services are not covered by insurance.