A special thank you to our speaker , Tracy Callahan, founder of Mediating-Matters LLC , who took us through a framework and practical steps to navigate conflict, transition, and decision-making with greater clarity, structure, and long-term sustainability.
Conflict is inevitable in all human relationships, and we often overlook that conflict itself is not the problem. Tracy suggests conflict gives us information and the goal is not to eliminate conflict – it is to become more intentional with how we manage it.
Watch the recording of this powerful and practical program by clicking the image below:
Key Takeaways
Conflict is inevitable, and valuable. Conflict itself is NOT a problem. Conflict gives us so much information about ourselves, our needs, values, relationships, and priorities, and it also gives us valuable information and the opportunity to learn more about the person with whom we are in conflict – their values, needs, and priorities.
Understanding your first instinct matters. Whether you tend to avoid, defend, explain, accommodate, or push through conflict, becoming aware of your natural response is the first step toward making more intentional choices.
There is no single “right” conflict style. Competing, Collaborating, Compromising, Avoiding, and Accommodating: each style has positive and negative impacts in a conflict, and they can each be used in different situations. However, we typically have a “go-to” conflict style, and the importance is in understanding how that style manifests within us during conflict.
Turn Conflict into Connection. Tracy encouraged everyone to consider three meditation-informed techniques to help develop our conflict management skills, including understanding your underlying interest, reflecting/regulating before responding, and leaning into curiosity and asking better questions.
Moving from Threat to Thinking. If you’re in a high-activated state, stuck in a stress response, and struggling to get to the part of your brain to move towards resolution, try the 10-category challenge. Pause and name 10 objects (ice cream flavors, flowers, animals, etc.). Neuroscience suggests this strategy forces your brain away from the threat to the thinking part of your brain and allows you to move towards a resolution.
As conflict continues to show up in our careers, relationships, and communities, we each have an opportunity to choose how we respond. Challenge yourself to better understand your conflict style and develop the skills to engage with greater clarity, confidence, and compassion. Tracy’s Conflict Assessment Questionnaire is a great place to begin.
Tracy’s Downloadable PDF: Conflict Management Styles Assessment
About Our Speaker
Founder of Mediating-Matters LLC
Tracy Callahan, MA, ADRDC is a Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator, Court Appointed Parenting Coordinator for Florida’s 15th and 19th Judicial Circuits, and alternative dispute resolution professional specializing in family conflict, separation, co-parenting, and complex interpersonal decision-making. For more than 17 years, she has worked with individuals and families navigating transition and conflict through mediation, education, and structured resolution processes designed to promote durable agreements and improve long-term communication outcomes.
As Founder of Mediating-Matters, LLC, Tracy provides family mediation, marital mediation, parenting plan development, parenting coordination, co-parenting mediation, and conflict resolution services throughout Florida and New York, while also supporting clients nationally and internationally as a certified professional divorce coach. Her work emphasizes self-determination, process integrity, informed participation, and practical strategies that help parties engage more effectively in difficult conversations and negotiations.
Tracy is also Co-Founder of Divorce Coaches Academy® (DCA®), where she leads curriculum development, professional instruction, and educational initiatives focused on advancing competency-based training in divorce coaching as an individual form of conflict management and alternative dispute resolution. Through this work, she has contributed to the development of standards-informed approaches to supporting individuals experiencing family transition and has trained professionals internationally in conflict engagement, ethical practice, and client-centered communication.
Tracy is a trainer, author, and podcast host committed to advancing education and professional standards within the dispute resolution field. She regularly develops and delivers training on conflict management, family transition, ethics, and alternative dispute resolution and has contributed to professional dialogue through speaking engagements and published work. Tracy is co-host of the Divorce Coaches Academy® Podcast and is recognized for her leadership in supporting professionals who work with individuals navigating complex family transitions. She holds both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts from New York University and maintains advanced training in family mediation, divorce mediation, parenting coordination, and relationship dynamics.
Tracy’s professional philosophy is grounded in the belief that conflict, when approached intentionally and effectively, can create opportunities for clarity, improved communication, and meaningful resolution.
Tracy’s Email: [email protected]
Learn more about Tracy:Mediating-Matters, LLC
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracywidellcallahan/
Please let us know if you would like to have a conversation with us. Email the Women’s Forum with any questions at womensforum@creativeplanning.com!
