Sitting Down with the Queen of Mediation

This week I had the honour of interviewing the unofficial Queen, Dr. Barbara Landau, for my podcast, Dirty Laundry.

They say you should never meet your hero, but let me tell you - they are wrong! She was everything I could have hoped for and more.

After completing her PhD in Psychology, Dr. Landau began working in the field and quickly realized the need for supporting families in transition. She was working as a mediator before mediation was even really a thing in family court. Realizing that she wouldn't be taken seriously without a proper understanding of family law, (or so the male lawyers kept telling her), Dr. Landau went back to school to complete her LLB (and later LLM).

She established the OAFM, was it's first President, and quickly created and mandated screening for DV and IPV as a part of the work of all accredited mediators. Still today we are constantly screening our clients to ensure the safety and security of those we work with, and have continuing education to ensure that we are trauma informed mediators.

Additionally, Dr. Landau literally wrote the textbook on Mediation.

Working with families on a micro scale, informed her work with families on a macro scale, and took her to the Middle East to support discussions and negotiations for peace. She continues to be a force bringing the voices of the Israelis and Palestinians together.

Today, Dr. Landau continues her work supporting families through separation and divorce via her charity, Separation Pathways. Through this organization, she is breaking down barriers for families to access the resources they need to get through this difficult transition through a less adversarial method (which typically furthers conflict), despite their economic limitations.

Spending time with Dr. Landau (and she was oh so generous with her time!), I was in perpetual awe at her energy and commitment to the field of ADR and her belief in peace for our families and for our planet. What an inspiration! I hope you'll tune into the episode which will air next week, Thursday March 27th, 2025.

Thank you Barb! It was a true honour, and a day I will never forget.

XO Alex