Counseling process

Making contact

Supervisors or staff members can contact Personal Counseling and Prevention team or the Conflict Resolution Network by phone or email.

The first meeting

Depending on the issue, target group, and availability, we will arrange your first meeting either with the Conflict Prevention and Resolution team (i.e., the University’s full-time conflict mediator) or with a part-time conflict mediator.

In the first counseling session with an affected person, we focus on empathetic questioning to better understand the conflict and jointly develop possible courses of action. If mediation with other people involved is deemed useful, we will agree further steps. At this point, the Conflict Prevention and Resolution team will decide whether internal or external counseling can be provided. This depends on the complexity of the situation, availability, the conflict parties’ wishes, and other criteria.

Clarification meetings

Subsequently, there will be clarification meetings with the supervisors and individual meetings with the parties involved in order to analyze the situation and establish the readiness for clarification. External counselors cannot be assigned without prior internal clarification interviews.

In the interviews with individuals not primarily involved—for example, supervisors requesting a moderation in the team or between 2 employees—we conduct an in-depth meeting to assess the situation and clarify the tasks.

Optional: Team meeting

When dealing with a team conflict, it may make sense for the (internal or external) conflict mediator to introduce themselves in a team meeting to explain the counseling goals and procedure.

In most counseling situations, the Conflict Prevention and Resolution team first aims to establish clarity and calm. The option of counseling alone may open up fresh perspectives for all staff involved in situations of conflict. In the beginning, the focus is on getting people to talk, understanding perspectives, and active listening. It is essential that we look at what unites and divides the conflict parties and identify room for maneuver.