05/27/2026
I am honored to be speaking at the 2026 Annual Conference presented by the Connecticut Council for Non-Adversarial Divorce at the Quinnipiac University School of Law on May 29. This event brings together mediation and collaborative divorce professionals. We will explore how identity, culture and religion shape family dynamics and how we, as peacemakers, can build trust across difference and structure culturally responsive processes that help families create peaceful and practical solutions for their personal conflicts.
CULTURE, RELIGION, AND FAMILY RESTRUCTURING IN MEDIATION AND COLLABORATIVE DIVORCE
Grounded in practice from Queens, New York, one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse communities in the United States, this session explores how identity, culture, language, and power shape the lived experience of family conflict and resolution for adults, children, and extended family systems. Through real-world illustrations and facilitated dialogue, participants will examine how families experience conflict in multi-identity contexts, including immigrant family systems, faith-informed and interfaith households, multigenerational dynamics, language barriers, and cultural narratives around parenting, authority, and belonging. The session centers the emotional realities of parents and children navigating fear, transition, loyalty conflicts, and change. Integrating practitioner self-reflection with client understanding, this session explores how identity, assumptions, and power shape both professional practice and family experience. Designed for mediators and interdisciplinary collaborative professionals, this workshop offers practical, client-facing tools for building trust across difference and structuring culturally responsive processes.
