Testimonials
Mediation
Renda Dabit, Executive Director, Henna Garden Events and Entertainment:
After two sessions of mediation with a few members of my family, the ground work was established on how to communicate in the safe setting that Katharina and Jack provided. I felt heard, respected and supported during our mediation sessions. The way both Jack and Katharina were able to communicate with my elder mother, who is 75 and an immigrant to the US, was truly amazing. Major barriers were overcome and now there is more open communication and tools we continue to use thanks to the excellent team work of both Jack and Katharina. Their efforts made a huge difference in my life.
Facilitation:
Jeff Cambra, President, Mobile Mediations
Assistant City Attorney (ret.), City of Hayward, CA:I am the president of Mobile Mediations, a mediation service that specializes in community mediations involving senior residents living in mobile home parks. I had the pleasure of working with Katharina on a particularly difficult conflict.
She was part of the team that designed the information packet and the educational program I used to assist the senior residents in taking charge of their conflict and in resolving their dispute with the owner of the park. She also served as a table facilitator at a residents meeting. She clearly understands the unique nature of mediating with a single senior or facilitating an entire community. Her assistance was invaluable in helping resolve the issues surrounding the dispute, leaving all parties pleased with the outcome. I would work with her again in any situation involving older persons.
Conflict Coaching:
A Family Caregiver:
Conflict Coaching sessions with Katharina Dress gave me invaluable help in preparing to face some challenging family issues. Her creative guidance through role playing elicited insight on repressed feelings and unrealized goals that constituted essential preparation for difficult family negotiations. Katharina is an important asset in helping to resolve family conflicts.Thea Farhadian, MFA:
Katharina is genuinely empathic and skilled at seeing both sides of a situation and honoring individual differences. She has an amazing ability to go quickly to the heart and bottom layer of an issue, and to reflect with both clarity and kindness. I recommend her highly as a conflict coach.
Trudy F, Richmond, CA:Katharina led me through several dynamic conflict coaching sessions based on Nonviolent Communication (NVC). I appreciated the format of using my life experiences to practice NVC techniques of empathy, observation, defining feelings and needs, and making requests. Katharina was very effective at modelling these techniques so I had a better understanding of them. She gave me an excellent foundation for continuing to learn and practice NVC in challenging situations in my life.
David H, Napa, CA:
In many ways, I feel as though I have made remarkable progress in “coming back” after the turmoil and shock of an unexpected divorce and the break-up of my family. I was stuck in a context of blame, hurt and victimization. Katharina Dress has played a significant part in what some people have termed “a remarkable recovery”. She led me though a process she calls “Forgiveness Coaching” that has enabled me to move on in life by removing the barriers that I had created for myself in wanting to blame and be the victim. She has shown me a path to obtain the freedom I must experience to once again become that complete and giving human being I believe myself to be.
Training:
Nina “Anin” Utigaard, MFT, REAT
Clinical Director, Pacific Institute, San Francisco, CA:Katharina Dress’ offering to our clinical interns at Pacific Institute was invaluable. Her years of experience in dealing with families challenged by their aging loved ones was evident. We need more professionals like her guiding us through the dark that can accompany eldership.
B. Kipling Williams, President, Williams & Associates:
I recently attended the workshop, “Conflict Resolution Skills for Aging and Community” conducted by Katharina Dress. The workshop was well organized in terms of relevant content and efficient timing and presentation. During the day-and-a half we were together, we participants willinglingly shared our experiences in an environment conducive to learning. For some, practicing non-violent communication (NVC) was new and enlightening. I highly recommend this workshop.
A Workshop Participant:
The workshop called “Conflict Resolution Skills for Aging and Community” was a great opportunity to see that so many of the issues I am having with my mother are really common in families with aging parents. It was also pretty amazing to do a pretend mediation and see two other women play both me and my mother– to be able literally to see for the first time that it might be possible to have a productive, constructive conversation about senior housing, finances, etc. I can’t say that everything has been resolved, but this was a great introduction to what is proving to be a steep learning curve. I got to do more feeling and healing than I expected from a mediation workshop. I had planned to come for the first night only, but the next morning I found myself wanting more. There were lots of opportunities to pause, take a deep breath, and look at problems I “know” to be immoveable/unsolvable with new eyes and actually sense inside: what do I need? what do I want? and then express something that has a chance of being heard and taken in.
Alice Lai-Bitker, Alameda County Supervisor:
I enjoyed the workshop very much. The trainers were skillful and covered very relevant topics. The most valuable thing for me was to get to know the other participants. They are wonderful people doing great work and we gave each other feedback and support.Raines Cohen, Community Organizer with Cohousing Coaches, Berkeley, CA:
I came to Katharina’s Elder Mediation workshop with no prior formal training in the field, although I had been a disputant using mediation services. I left with hands-on experience in simulated disputes, inspired and equipped with tools to guide my intuition on serving an aging population, in cohousing neighborhoods and beyond.
