Psychologists as mediators, especially in family matters
Tsirakoglou, Evgenia
This dissertation addresses the problem of whether psychologists should be legally permitted to become professional mediators exclusively in family matters because of their qualification in human psychology and human relationships. Family matters have a certain degree of sensibility as a field of disputes, since they concern relationships between relatives, therefore they should be treated carefully, because of their special nature. After analyzing the psychological element in the mediation process, the special aspects of family and divorce mediation are being described. It is important to specify the qualities a mediator must have in family mediation and the role he serves in the process, in order to have a general idea about what the parties should expect from a psychologist mediator. A psychologist expert has certain mediation skills, which should be examined, in order to answer the question whether the absence of a legal background is considered to be an obstacle for a psychologist expert to become a mediator. Mediation and therapy are two different processes that should be distinguished from each other, especially in the field of family mediation. Furthermore, it is necessary to find out whether it is possible for psychologists to become mediators in the European Union according to the Mediation Directive and whether this possibility is acceptable in certain European countries. Before analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of having a psychologist mediator in family mediation and arriving at a conclusion, it should be examined why the parties in family disputes should choose a psychologist as mediator and the chances of success in resolving the family dispute. It is essential to distinguish the advantages and the disadvantages of having a psychologist mediator in family mediation in order to arrive at a conclusion whether the psychologist is capable of taking part in the mediation process as a facilitator/mediator. After examining thoroughly the above matters, it is important to arrive at the final conclusion regarding the capacity of the psychologists as mediators in family disputes.
