I received my training in mediation through a combination of education at the University of Utah's Conflict Graduate Certificate Program, and apprenticeship with Natalie Threlkeld.  My professional specialization is communication and my background, via a PhD in Communication, is in rhetoric and media studies.  This translates to an interest in the relational and material aspects of life.  I am interested in how we related to each other, and in fostering relationships that are empathetic, responsive, and reciprocal and in cultivating a culture that values relationship and meaning.  In my mediation practice, I listen to my clients, and work to have needs, desires, and issues recognized, and positions  and potential solutions explored.