MEDIATION,

SUPERVISION &

CONFLICT COACHING

processed-9316EB92-4298-496A-BEEB-66DDD418A7F1

Danielle Jaku-Greenfield

Nationally Accredited Mediator and Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner

Following some years working in print journalism, Danielle started her journey in family law. Since 2002, she has worked in family law in various capacities, starting as a solicitor in both private practice and in a community legal centre. After two years in Cambridge, UK, from where she completed her Master of Laws by thesis, she moved into mediation, becoming a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner, in 2007.

A few years of balancing her practice as both a solicitor and a mediator confirmed a preference for a career in mediation. Since that decision, she has mediated in both private practice and the community sector and written and published books for children of separating families. Danielle has lectured sessionally in undergraduate family law, and since 2010 in postgraduate family law at The College of Law. Since 2014, she has also been involved in training future mediators and providing group and individual supervision.

Currently, she spends most of her week in community sector family dispute resolution, offering an exclusively online and subsidised mediation service to separated parents all over Australia, and the disability community. She also contributes to negotiation workshops at UNSW, coaches for The College of Law in their Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution and the National Mediation Accreditation course, and she co-presents webinars and workshops to solicitors seeking to upskill for legally assisted mediation.

Danielle sits on the Australian Mediation and Dispute Resolution Accreditation Standards (AMDRAS) Board of Directors supporting the mediation industry and practice standards. Her private practice is now focused on individual conflict coaching for anyone walking into a difficult conversation.

In her spare time, Danielle escapes to the bush or the beach with her husband, three kids and two dogs.

CONFLICT COACHING FOR INDIVIDUALS

Danielle works one on one with individuals to provide useful skills to navigate difficult conversations with friends, family, colleagues and peers. It is suitable for those who might feel conflict averse or simply not equipped to deal with those tricky and often stressful interactions involving escalating emotions and potential conflict. Danielle has prepared hundreds of clients over the years for mediation and the concepts and skills she equips those participants with are the same ones that benefit anyone walking into a difficult conversation. Danielle recommends a minimum of two one-hour sessions to understand the client and equip them with all the concepts and skills that might help with their specific difficult conversations.

COACHING AND SUPERVISION

Danielle provides coaching to mediators-in-training as well as supervision to fellow accredited mediators. She has been a supervisor for the Resolution Institute. She helps to understand the mediator role, the process and the micro-skills required for complicated family dispute resolution. She works with groups of up to five mediators, offering debriefing and support to reflect on recent cases and work through upcoming ones. Danielle offers a structured and safe environment to reflect on practice, discuss challenges encountered during mediation and explore strategies for managing them. She aims to empower mediators to deliver effective and professional mediation services while fostering continuous growth and development in practice.

MEDIATION AND WORKSHOPS

MEDIATION FOR INTACT RELATIONSHIPS

Conflict is normal in all relationships. How people deal with it can vary. If not managed well, conflict may cause the breakdown in a relationship. Some couples reach out to relationship counsellors. Others try to mediate. Mediation is where a facilitator assists with future-focussed discussions. It can help to salvage a relationship that has not yet broken down. Danielle can help you mediate any issues of concern in your intact relationship. She supports couples through the facilitative model of dispute resolution, helping parties articulate topics of concern and setting an agenda of topics for exploration in a safe way.

FAMILY LAW MEDIATION

Family law mediation, aka family dispute resolution, aims to facilitate agreements between separated parents in relation to parenting and/or property, and ensures participants are well-informed about their options. Often, participants seek ideal outcomes that may not be feasible to them and one of the mediator’s roles is to guide them towards realistic options available, as well as to find zones of possible agreement with the other parent.

PRESENTATIONS & WEBINAR DELIVERY

Danielle often presents at mediation conferences and workshops, either face to face or online, to solicitors and other mediators. Her favourite topics are legally assisted mediation and legally assisted family dispute resolution. Danielle and her colleague, Miriam Ziegler, are passionate about these subjects and have had a lot of experience as mediators working with solicitors in the mediation space. They present about the roles of the mediator and solicitors acting for the parties involved in a mediation. This is a very important working relationship and when each knows their role and responsibilities, and trusts the other professionally, the parties can have a very good experience and outcome.

MEDIATION FOR EXTENDED FAMILIES

Conflict is common amongst extended family members, for example, adult siblings. It may be about how to care for an elder or what to do with a family asset, or it may involve a Wills and Estate issue or a shared business. Mediation can help during these times. Whether between two parties or more, the facilitator can assist with future-focussed discussions and option exploration in a structured and safe way. It focuses on interests and needs rather than positions, and creates a space for active listening.