Conflict Clarity supports individuals, families, groups (personal (friendship groups) and professional groups (sports, etc.) interpersonal, workplace and end of life conflicts. I can help you with many areas where conflict resolution is really useful such as:
My name is Sharon Morrissey and I am a Mediator and Conflict Resolution practitioner. I am a proud holder of a Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution from St. Angela’s College Sligo and NUIG. I have a PG Cert in Mediation and Conflict Resolution, Family Mediation Qualification and Child Inclusive and Focused Mediation Qualification. My primary Degree is in Applied Social Care (National Diploma in Applied Social Care, 1996) and approximately 25 years’ experience in working in Early Childhood Education and Family Support within disadvantaged areas.
Specialising as a group facilitator for various groups including parenting positively, parenting and co-parenting groups in separation, and multi-agency facilitation, I am well place to assist you. My experiences range from having worked with public and private agencies and businesses. Fully ASIST and Living Works trained while also having child protection training and Garda vetting. Currently, I have a current Teaching Council Qualification and am accredited by the Mediators Institute of Ireland and the International Mediation Institute. I have been employed in lecturing, training and facilitation roles since September 2010, lecturing on the following modules:
At present I am manager of Sharon Morrissey Conflict Clarity, which is a private mediation practice where I mediate family, workplace and other disputes. In this position, I provide conflict management coaching to businesses and families where relationships work through difficulties and progress in a fruitful manner into the future. As there are no predetermined outcomes in mediation, it is for the people involved to arrive at their own outcomes, therefore reconciliation is a possibility.
Having conflict management language and skills are vital instruments to be heard, understood and seen in our lives. It is my pleasure to now be a part of this dynamic and exciting team.
I am the author of the book “That’s Not My Ending!” Written from the point of view of the children I have worked with over twenty years, trying to explain to their adults how the changing family affects them also.
Have you ever been in a situation where you have been offered a position, option or scenario where you were “nominated” to do something, that you really did not want to do, but you feel you must? These scenarios cause internal conflicts. In some cases, our minds will go into overdrive. If I do it (whatever “it” is), I will be lessening the limited time I have to manage my own life, and things I enjoy. Conversely, if I don’t do (whatever “it” is) people (friends, family, siblings, co-workers, neighbours) will think I am selfish, and uncaring. Most devastatingly of all, is that when these feelings are turned inwards, they become harmful to our physical, mental, emotional health and wellbeing.
Guilt is a negative and all-consuming emotion. The process of mediating with the self, supports simplifying decisions, providing processes around the decision making, and (correctly or incorrectly) walking us through the decisions which are made from the “rational” places. Please be mindful that “rational” is a perception based on the flawed learnings of our youth, society and humanity. Having an unbiased (in so far is humanly possible) person to support the individual is supportive by asking difficult questions. Mediators do not give advice -unless specifically asked to, but sometimes by asking difficult questions, individuals are able to reach the decisions best for them, and so in turn for their families.
The formation of the family has changed substantially, and so too has the potential for conflict within the family setting. Many years ago in Ireland, I remember my nana speaking about X and Y down the road, married for thirty years yet had not spoken to each other in twenty years. Brehon Laws in Ireland permitted divorce, but religion overrode this. We are now in a space where divorce is still relatively new in Ireland, but individuals within relationships are unwilling to be in unhappy relationships “till death do us part”.
It is also vital to understand that it is your child’s right to have access (spend time with) both parents -not the other way around. Parenting plans do not revolve around “if you don’t pay maintenance, I won’t let you see little Johnny” It is not acceptable to damage a parent and child’s relationship because a parent feels they can. Depending on the severity of these interactions, this maybe Parental Alienation.
From cases of gender abuse (sexual, emotional physical, financial, psychological etc,) to parents disagreeing about money, household decisions, child rearing, working inside and outside of the home, (until recently and still in some cases, staying at home to rear children was not seen as work)the balancing of household chores, ageing parents, parenting styles, parenting babies, toddlers, teenagers, illness, midlife exhaustion (crisis) and menopause the list of potential pitfalls within the family structures are endless. We have one parent families, same sex parent families, bereaved families, fostered and adopted families, blended and step-families, the traditional family, (and many other constructs) which I believe means the importance of open, truthful and frank communication is an absolute necessity, (age and stage appropriately).
Family conflicts are intergenerational, particularly now with adult children living with ageing parents as they cannot financially afford to get on the property ladder, while navigating intimate relationships and child rearing. It should be significantly easier to be a grandparent than a parent, however, grandparents are now having to step in and up to provide accommodation and childcare. These areas, money and children will always cause disagreements to open conflict. Financial plans and agreements can be put in place to protect the intergenerational relationships.
Some mediators and Women’s and Men’s Aid Groups do not advocate mediation due to the power imbalance. Trained and specialised mediators will take all of the issues into account before making a decision on a case. Stringent safety and screening policies are adhered to. Children’s safety is of paramount importance, always.
Family mediation can provide children (adult children, smaller children or teenagers) whose relationships have become acrimonious between their siblings and parents to have their views heard and grievances aired. Parenting plans, including where appropriate, children’s views, can be taken into account and recounted in a physically and emotionally safe way to parents. A mediated agreement therefore can feel like an inclusive agreement where self-determination encourages successful outcomes.
Family Conflicts can happen because adults in a long-term relationship got married because it seemed to be the “next” thing to do.
For example, small and medium enterprises and neighbour conflicts.
These scenarios can again range from disagreements to bullying and harassment cases. These issues or part of these issues may be mediated and solved (if only partially) and this will help. As we know there are procedures for bullying and harassment’s issues in the law, and at times this is absolutely necessary. However, we also know that for employees and employers this may be financially, emotionally and reputationally onerous. In general, (there are some exceptions) mediation is a confidential process that will provide the business and employee the confidentiality to be wholly self-determining.
This I refer to as a “Living Will” These mediations maybe fully or partially negotiated. For some families where a loved one has received a terminal diagnosis, old arguments and wounds are not things that they wish to concern themselves about any longer, however, neither do they want to simply “paper over cracks” in the fractured relationships due to the diagnosis, These are exceptionally emotionally, however, for brave and courageous former friends and estranged families, these are life changing, and personally as a Mediator it is an honour and privilege to be chosen to be part of these mediations.
