Workplace Mediation on the Gold Coast

Conflict is costly.

So often we jump straight to negotiating what we want, and straight over why we want it. The problem with that is when we make requests without the other person knowing which of our needs are motivating the request, they can not know the importance of what we are asking for. Moreover, they are unable to appropriately negotiate with our requests, because they are either responding to their assumptions of our needs or from a perspective of their needs without knowing ours. When we focus on what each other’s needs are in a conflict, it becomes easier to shift from a “you vs. me” paradigm to “us vs the problem”.

Armed with a deep understanding of behaviour and team dynamics, we employ a needs-based approach to conflict resolution. By focusing on underlying needs and motivations, we facilitate open and constructive dialogue that leads to mutually beneficial outcomes. We believe that fostering empathy, active listening, and understanding is key to resolving conflicts in a non-adversarial manner. By fostering an environment of psychological safety, we encourage individuals to express their thoughts and concerns openly, leading to deeper understanding and collaboration.

“To practice the process of conflict resolution, we must completely abandon the goal of getting people to do what we want.” — Marshall Rosenberg

Naming what we need and hearing the needs of others is not easy, particularly after months or years of disconnection. We aim to help slow down the way we talk to each other during difficult times, giving everyone the space to thoroughly hear and be heard while connecting on the needs we all share. It is only when we understand each others’ needs that we can discover a way forward that accommodates all parties.

In addition to mediation, we have wide-ranging experience in organisational psychology, from culture reviews to performance development, recruitment, assessment, workforce strategy, and coaching. All of which inform our understanding of the broader context to

Principal Psychologist at Unpack Psychology, Dr. Jason Wessel, is a fully endorsed Organisational Psychologist and has been registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) since 2016.

To discuss workplace medation on the Gold Coast and surrounds, plese visit the Contact Us page.