AALM: Joy, you started out in the field of mediation over 15 years ago. What drew you to this field? What do you enjoy most about it?
JH: I have been incredibly blessed. I am one of those individuals who can honestly say I love what I do and would not want to be doing anything else.
I was originally drawn to mediation because it offers hope for solutions to any issue, as long as there’s an opportunity to discuss it appropriately. I truly believe every conflict has a solution; it just needs to be identified. In life, we face many problems and, if unmanaged, these can be debilitating. Guiding individuals through the darkness of conflict so they emerge with renewed resilience and a mutually acceptable resolution is, and always will be, my favorite aspect of mediation.
It is truly exciting to see the impact that mediation and other alternative dispute resolution methods have had in transforming change in our society so that we can be empowered to have a voice and make sure we have the power and control to make those decisions that matter and can so greatly impact our lives.
AALM: Tell us about your decision to pursue a master’s degree in dispute resolution and how that has impacted your work.
JH: I have been and will always be a lifelong student. There will never be a point in my life where I don’t have something which I can improve (just ask my husband) or something which I can learn more about or learn for the first time. Pursuing my master’s degree strengthened and amplified the level of knowledge and education that I felt necessary in order to provide meaningful assistance to others. It also allowed me the ability to further explore my passion and further enhance the abilities and skills I had already developed.
AALM: You launched JH ADR Services shortly after earning your master’s degree. What inspired you to start your own practice? How has your business changed since its inception?
JH: Honestly, I started JH ADR Services because of my own desire to experience self-determination (which is one of the main principles of mediation). I wanted to help people by providing mediation services in a manner and method that I felt would be most beneficial for each of them. I have met so many people over the years who have participated in “mediation,” but never realized the full impact of mediation because they never understood that the true power of mediation comes from the process.
I wanted to take all this fresh knowledge I had acquired to redefine what mediation could do without compromising the core tenets that it will always possess – voluntary participation, confidentiality, impartiality and neutrality, and self-determination. As a non-attorney mediator, I was not bound to the methods, strategies, mindsets, or practices that many lawyers take with them into this field. I had a fresh, new perspective, which I think has allowed me to experience tremendous growth over the last few years while at the same time expanding my breadth of services to include parenting coordination, conflict coaching, and recovery-to-reconciliation planning.
AALM: Looking ahead at your career, what do you hope to accomplish next?
JH: I want to continue to share with others my passion for mediation. I am working on various webinars and curricula for mediators to help them traverse the various specialties found within mediation and further exploring how interpersonal communications and group dynamics can impact or alter the extent to which conflict negatively affects people and how this impact can be managed by our own actions and reactions to others.
I also hope to work with the local school districts to establish peer mediation programs for the students whereby student leaders are taught how to be “mediators” and are provided various strategies and skills to empower their peers in resolving low-level conflicts, such as gossiping, teasing, etc., through structured, confidential conversations. Through these programs, students develop essential communication and conflict resolution skills to help guide their fellow students in finding their own solution.
My goal is to be able to continue to provide meaningful support to those who need assistance. I can never guarantee anything when it comes to an outcome, because I have no control over that, but I do want to continue to be able to provide a promise that no matter the situation, if you are willing to participate and understand the other perspective, everyone has the ability to find a resolution so they can realize their best possible outcome.
For more information, visit jhadrservices.com.
