About Sara

All of my work, whether it is mediating a separating couple or assisting an organization in transition, relies on some basic principles.

• People need to be in charge of decisions that impact their lives. When people create their own solutions, they are tailored to their needs and ultimately more durable.

• Communication is the life-blood of a healthy system. Some people communicate well until conflict presents itself. The trick is to expect the conflicts and to build in structures for handling them when they arise.

• People are most accountable to themselves and the people directly around them. Top-down rules and mandates suck the life out of everyone.

• The best decisions come from a full understanding of various perspectives. This requires transparency, honesty, and casting a wide net when seeking input.

A Message from Sara…

My aim in my practice is to assist people in making healthy decisions for themselves, their organizations and their families while reducing the tension and animosity that leads to conflict and stress.

Several conditions support this in mediation, parenting coordination and organizational consulting:

  • A safe setting where people know that they can speak and their words will be heard.
  • A focus on shared goals and interests rather than being right or winning.
  • A neutral facilitator who can guide people through the process, maintaining an eye for the solutions and preventing wasted time and energy.

My Evolving Work

My work has evolved to focus on sustainability and effective communication over the course of many years. After receiving my MA in Organization Development in 1991, I practiced primarily in the area of evaluation. I helped organizations understand what was working and what was not so that they could create a program or acquire a business to improve profits or growth. This led me to become increasingly interested in conflict, its role in precipitating change and its ubiquitous nature. In 2007, I turned my attention to mediation and became certified by the state to mediate Superior Court Settlement Conferences and then attained certification as a Family and Divorce Mediator. I served as Director of Mediation Services at the Mediation Center in Asheville, NC from 2007-2010 and became an Advanced Practitioner in Family Mediation in 2009.  In 2012, recognizing the needs of high-conflict parents, I trained for and was approved as a Parenting Coordinator in North Carolina.  I currently serve as a Child Custody Mediator for the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts.  

These three branches of the tree of transformation all inform one another.  From organizational development, I take the lessons of systems theory and group dynamics.  Mediation and parenting coordination provides lessons of collaborative decision-making and effective communication.

Affiliations

“We hired Sara to help with the Downtown Master Plan planning process when we were at a critical juncture. Advocates of different positions were very divided over the plan and it’s current direction. Sara was able to facilitate meetings with very strong personalities and reach the best compromise that the group was going to be able to make. Sara was great in maintaining neutrality, building relationships with participants, and facilitating the conversation. I would recommend her highly!”                                                      -Sasha Vrtunski                                                                                      Project Manager at Alexandra Vrtunski, AICP

 

I’m currently an Advanced Practitioner Family Mediator with the Association for Conflict Resolution and a member of the North Carolina Association of Professional Mediators. I live and work in beautiful Asheville NC and can be reached at (828) 376-7166 or sara@sarabensman.com.

Every Situation is Unique

The answer to many questions may be found in the FAQs, or for more information please contact Sara to set up a free 15 minute phone consultation.