Dr. Róisín O'Shea:

Yes. Like any profession, there is a major split in the world of mediation about this. Many mediators say we should never mediate where there is domestic violence. I disagree completely. What one should do is use parallel mediation. One never puts the parties in the same room or building at the same time and one never tells them who has an appointment with whom. One manages it. The job of a mediator is to manage safety, as well as the space and power imbalances. I have taken my lead from Canada in particular and New Zealand where they are using this approach very successfully.