Reflective Practice as Professional Discipline: Mediators Examining Their Own Biases, Blind Spots, and Growth Edges

This session will present mediators with reflective practice tools to use individually, and in small groups, to challenge their own practice bias.

This session will be based upon an article which Karen published in the January 2025 ABA Dispute Resolution Magazine entitled "Reflecting on a Culturally Competent Mediation Practice". The session will include both lecture and small group work. The goal is to provide each mediator with tools to critically assess their own practice, with the NYS Standards of Mediator Conduct as a guideline, to provide additional and new insight into the surface and deep cultural components that impact how communication styles, values and beliefs may influence practice.

The session will encourage mediators to be committed to routine, critical evaluation of where their personal experience has resulted in a set of rules for how the world is or should be. It will posit that intentional disregard of this reflection challenges our practice ethics.

1. Attendees will learn the elements of a reflective practice process as enhanced to consider the “why” of our mediator assumptions.

2. They will receive a structure for independent journaling.

3. They will be introduced to a group practice structure that may encourage their continued growth and help them learn from the experience of others.

About Karen Carroll, Esq.

Karen Carroll has more than 30 years of experience as a mediator, trainer, group facilitator, meeting planner and project manager. She is currently in private practice.

Karen was a staff member at the Community Mediation Center at Child and Family Service in Western New York from February 2014 to July 2026 focusing on court-aligned mediation programming - especially those involving children and families.

From 1998 - 2013, Karen Carroll was part of the original staff of the New York State Family Court Child Welfare Improvement Project. During this time, she also acted as the local Project Administrator for the Child Permanency Mediation Program in the Eighth Judicial District of New York.

In the mid-90’s, Karen was in private practice in Washington, D.C. handling a wide variety of family law matters. She is a member of the Bar of the District of Columbia and the State of Maryland. She received her J.D. in 1994 from The Columbus School of Law at Catholic University of America and holds a B.A. in both Psychology and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences from the University of Buffalo. She resides in Grand Island, New York.