Helping Feuding Families Become Peaceful Partners

Are you or your clients struggling with family members about the future of aging parents’ care or estate?

To explore how to help your family find peace of mind, schedule a complimentary initial consultation–by phone, via zoom, or in person.

Call: 510-356-7830

How we can help

Feeling overwhelmed by disagreements about Eldercare? As we age, we face difficult decisions that affect our loved ones and can bring up strong emotions. We avoid talking about the subject, because we are afraid to cause a family conflict or even legal battles. This can force us to make decisions in a crisis, which is the worst time for effective communications.

But you don’t have to wait until your aging family members or clients are in crisis. At AGING IN HARMONY, we can help you navigate tough conversations and find solutions that work for everyone. Avoid family fights and ensure a smooth aging process with our wide variety of Eldercare Conflict Resolution services for older adults and their family and professional caregivers.

No matter whether you would like to get together in person, or prefer or are forced by circumstances to meet remotely: get the support you need from anywhere by accessing our services conveniently online. 

Want to Learn More?

Call: 510-356-7830

Our Services

ELDER CARE MEDIATION

Get Help Deciding About Senior Care to Transform Conflicts and Find Common Ground

Elder Care Mediation is a voluntary and confidential process that offers a safe opportunity for people to talk about controversial issues, listen carefully to each others’ opinions, feelings, and needs, and empowers them to find solutions that address everyone’s concerns. The mediator is a neutral third party, who can model and promote effective communication skills in the face of strong emotions.

Learn More

ADULT FAMILY FACILITATION

Concerned About the Future of Aging Parents or Clients? Hire an Adult Family Facilitator to Make Informed Decisions Together!

An Adult Family Facilitator guides a group of people through a dialogue in order to gather information, set goals, develop plans, and/or work together to make and implement decisions. The facilitator is a trained neutral, who is not a member of the family or organization (e.g. senior community, home caregiver agency or aging services provider). She or he provides a safe framework for the participants and supports open and effective communication skills during difficult discussions.

Learn More

CONFLICT COACHING

Coach-Mediator for Family Caregivers – to Help You Build Effective Communication Skills

A Conflict Coach-Mediator helps people to prepare for difficult discussions they are planning to have without the presence of a neutral “outsider”. The coach leads a person to explore her/his own feelings and needs, to understand what may motivate other participants in the planned conversation and to set goals for desired outcomes.

Learn More

COMMUNICATION TRAINING FOR WORKING WITH SENIORS

Enhance Professional Skills for You and Your Aging Services Team

We provide Communication Training and Coaching for individuals and organizations working with Seniors and their families. We can help you strengthen conflict management skills to communicate effectively with elders, family members, home caregivers and aging services providers, listen with empathy to their feelings, understand their underlying needs, and respond appropriately to strong emotions.

Learn More

WHAT CLIENTS WE’VE HELPED HAVE TO SAY

Sheila M

San Francisco, CA

Katharina is empathic, and experienced in the field of family matters, friends’ matters, and what matters to us all: Harmony.

Y. Felix

Oakland, CA

Katharina came on very short notice, facilitating a very difficult family financial negotiation that had to be made the same day.

S. M

San Leandro, CA

Katharina Dress is compassionate, professional, and organized. She was responsive to our needs and flexible. I wish I had found her earlier and my family could have started working with her sooner.

Carrie W

S.F. East Bay, CA

I highly recommend going to Katharina prior to any attorney at the onset of conflict. I strongly feel her approach could have saved my family a lot of money and strife. 

READ MORE TESTIMONIALS

Want to find out more about Eldercare Conflict Resolution?
Katharina Dress answers your questions in this short video:

For even more information about Eldercare Conflict Resolution,
watch this video interview I gave on the Elder Channel.

Who We Are

Katharina W. Dress, MA

Principal Mediator, Facilitator, Conflict Coach, Trainer

Katharina W. Dress is a mediator, facilitator, conflict coach and trainer specializing in working with older adults and their families, home caregivers and aging services providers. She earned a Masters Degree in Communications from San Francisco State University in 1989 and received extensive mediation, facilitation and conflict coaching training, including in Elder Mediation, Forgiveness, and Compassionate Communication (based on Marshall Rosenberg’s model of Nonviolent Communication).
During 30+ years as a facilitator, Ms. Dress has guided large community-based organizations through highly emotional meetings and supported families facing challenging decisions associated with the aging process.

Learn More