A Laughing Matter?
Imagine the scene: Husband and Wife and their divorce Mediator erupting in thunderous laughter with one another. Sound strange? What if I told you this was a pretty regular occurrence during my divorce mediation sessions? OK, maybe not thunderous laughter but humor and friendly jabbing at the very least.
Getting to that agreement can be tough and I really believe it has so much to do with the skill of the Mediator. Can they bring the parties together to form a meeting of the minds? How do you do this?
The parties have to respond to the Mediator in a positive way. They have to be comfortable to open up and trust the facilitator. In other words, the Mediator has to get the parties to want to come to the table and be motivated to work together. They have to LIKE the Mediator. Are they a relatable, normal person?
An obvious method to establish a common bond is to inject humor into the equation. Obviously a divorce doesn’t automatically make one think of uncontrolled laughter but if we can’t laugh in even the most difficult of times life would be pretty miserable.
Timing is everything and to crack a joke at the right moment can really relieve any tensions that are building up. This is my secret trick that has helped couples come around and get to that all important agreement. Laughter truly is the best medicine.
Having said that, it is still super important to be sensitive to the serious nature of the situation and to proceed with caution. You don’t want your “comedy act” to be misinterpreted and actually make the situation worse. That is why an intuitive Mediator is key.
If you would like to learn more about a smart, fast, affordable, semi-pleasant divorce experience please contact divorceharmony.com
