Models of Mediation

Facilitative mediation focuses on the process. The mediator does not provide the parties with suggestions or evaluations, but instead designs and implements a process to guide the parties to brainstorm solutions themselves. Facilitative mediators focus on party involvement, and facilitative mediation is a largely party-driven process. The mediator's structure is designed to encourage open discussion between the parties to encourage understanding and solution-building. As such, facilitative mediators usually set out most of the mediation time for a joint session, also known as cross-talk. 

A newer, and perhaps less recognized, style of mediation is called transformative after its ideological goals. In many ways, the transformative style could be seen as a more extreme form of facilitative mediation. A transformative mediator will usually spend the entire time in cross-talk or joint session. This is because the transformative mediator aims for the parties to feel empowered and recognize each other's interests and point of view. The parties are often completely in control of the process and structure of the mediation in this model.

In evaluative mediation, the mediator will act in a role closer to that of a judge. The mediator will offer solutions to the conflict, and will evaluate the elements of each party's case. The mediator often focuses less on getting the parties to openly share their needs and interests, and instead examines legal rights and equities. Evaluative mediation may be especially useful when the mediator has some expertise in or experience with the subject matter at issue. With this style, mediators tend to prefer to spend time in caucus with the individual parties, shuttling back and forth between separate rooms. 

This is the style generally used in business disputes. When a commercial conflict is focused more on resources than relationship, most mediators feel evaluative mediation with a focus on caucus is the best approach.

Narrative mediation, as the name suggests, focuses on story-telling. Proponents of this style believe that viewing the conflict at a distance through this story-telling can help the parties break free of the issues binding them. The mediator and parties then work together to tell a new story with a resolution.