Hansa Patel is an attorney, mediator, and teacher.  As an attorney, Hansa zealously advocated for abused and neglected children or defended their parents’ rights in the San Francisco juvenile dependency court for fourteen years.  Hansa is passionate about serving the underprivileged community.  Feeling depleted by the court system, Hansa explored new ways to empower her clients to resolve conflict.  Mediation empowers Hansa’s clients to choose how they want to engage with conflict, co-create resolutions, and even transform a relationship.  In the USA, Canada, and Africa, Hansa teaches mediation, including integrating mindfulness skills into conflict resolution.  Hansa wants her clients to have the same tools she cultivates in her children:  a mindful approach to resolving challenges in life.

“The understanding-based model has been invaluable, enabling me to effectively navigate personal conflicts while providing professional support to families in need. This approach has enhanced my self-awareness and empowered me to advocate for my own needs, thereby fostering healthier relationships. By promoting curiosity about the experiences of others, this model paves the way for enhanced mutual understanding and meaningful resolutions. My profound appreciation for the transformative power of the understanding-based model motivates my unwavering support for the Center for Understanding and its mission to train other conflict professionals. Expanding access to this invaluable resource can empower individuals from diverse backgrounds to navigate conflicts constructively and foster harmonious relationships within their communities.”

Ivan Alter is a collaborative attorney and mediator with offices in Westchester County and New York City. Practicing law since 1994, Ivan previously had a career as a commercial and matrimonial litigator before discovering the understanding-based model at the CUC. Since then, Ivan has focused all of his professional energies on practicing, promoting, and teaching mediation and collaborative law. He is member of the New York Association of Collaborative Professionals, the Family and Divorce Mediation Council, the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, and Northern Westchester Collaborative Divorce.

“Having a front-row seat to so many bitter disputes throughout my early career underscored how ineffective and unsatisfying the traditional, adversarial conflict resolution system is for most people. When I learned about the understanding-based model, I marveled at its simplicity and elegance but doubted that it could actually work. However, as I practiced the model, I learned how powerful and transformative it could be. When parties in conflict are empowered to stop advocating long enough to focus on increasing understanding, the entire nature of the discussion changes. Finding a resolution to difficult problems suddenly becomes possible. People want to find their way through conflict. Understanding can provide them with the opening they need.”

Catherine Conner is a mediator, collaborative attorney, a teacher at and a director on the board of the Center for Understanding in Conflict. Her practice focuses on family law alternate dispute resolution, including mediation, collaborative practice and private judging.  She co-authored Collaborative Family Law Practice Materials.  She was on the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals board of directors from 2008 through 2014 and was the President in 2013.

“I was lucky enough to take my first training at CUC forty years ago just a couple of years after I graduated from law school.  The main beneficiaries of my years of learning about, using and teaching the Understanding-Based model are my clients, but it has also changed my relationships with other professionals, my colleagues, my students, my friends and my family.  Helping people to work through conflict in an open-hearted curious manner changes not only the outcome of the conflict at hand, but also can change their future relationships with each other and others.  My hope is to continue to bring this more constructive path through conflict to as many people around the world as possible.”

Tes de Leon-Connors works as a human resources and organizational development professional in a grassroots non-profit. With over 15 years of experience working with organizers and campaigners who are passionate about justice and sustainability, Tes has learned to embrace healthy conflict as an essential element of social transformation. Her favorite part of her work is coaching managers and staff to engage in healthy conflict, actively listen, and meet the other person where they are at. Tes has an MBA from Pace University and holds senior HR certifications from the Human Resources Certification Institute, the Society for Human Resources Management, and the Cornell Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations. She was born and raised in the Philippines – an identity that she carries with her everywhere she goes. In her spare time, she loves to travel, hike, collect vinyl records, and go to music festivals. These activities not only rejuvenate her but also provide her with a fresh perspective. She lives in New York’s mid-Hudson Valley with her husband.

“I have been working with activists almost my entire life. With activism comes passion, and with passion comes conflict. I learned that conflict can be transformational when grounded in understanding, a sense of ownership, collaboration, and equity. When I am in a conflict, I understand that I am 50% of the equation and that I can control and influence my behavior to achieve a desired outcome. How can I understand and meet this person where they are, so I can help them understand where I’m coming from? Using the understanding-based model in my relationships and in supporting managers and teams navigate conflict has been constructive for me. I learned that from CUC.”

Lisa Dodd is a psychotherapist with more than 25 years of experience in private practice in Arizona, where she specializes in helping individuals and families navigate high-conflict dynamics, particularly during separation and divorce. Her work emphasizes resolving interpersonal conflict, building effective communication, and fostering resilience through life transitions. Lisa’s clinical background includes extensive service in community mental health settings, where she provided trauma-informed care to underserved populations, including children, survivors of intimate partner violence, and individuals recovering from sexual abuse.

In addition to her clinical work, Lisa has been an appointee of the Maricopa County Family Court system, serving as a Parenting Coordinator, Therapeutic Interventionist, and currently as a Court Appointed Advisor. Lisa has also contributed to the academic community by teaching undergraduate courses in psychology and human development within the Maricopa County Community College system. She has led workshops and classes on parenting, co-parenting, and conflict resolution, with a focus on practical tools and lasting outcomes.

A member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), Lisa currently serves on the Board of the Arizona Chapter, where she collaborates with other professionals to advance best practices at the intersection of mental health and family law.

Katherine Eisold Miller is a Collaborative Lawyer and mediator with a practice located in Westchester County, NY, and New York City. Katherine is the immediate past president of the Center for Understanding in Conflict, as well as the New York Association of Collaborative Professionals. Katherine is the author of the New Yorker’s Guide to Collaborative Divorce (2015) and co-author of the #1 Amazon bestseller A Cup of Coffee with 10 of the Top Divorce Attorneys in the United States (2014).

“The understanding-based model of conflict resolution changed my life when I discovered that there was a way to resolve conflict that is kind-hearted and constructive rather than competitive and destructive. I have loved sharing this transformative approach with others over the years, helping them find peaceful and collaborative solutions to their most difficult challenges.”

Francie Heller’s career has been dedicated to fostering understanding, collaboration, and transformative change through strategic philanthropy, education advocacy, and understanding-based conflict dialogue. She is the Founder and Managing Partner of Heller Advisory, a firm dedicated to working with clients to clarify and align their mission, purpose, values, and positioning to define their identity and goals.

Francie has held executive roles at Bear Stearns, Houlihan Lokey, Chilton Investment Company, MBIA, Investment Office Resources, and Arabesque, managing large investment portfolios and pioneering responsive investing. As an education director in New York Public Schools, the foundation of her work was a deep commitment to education and lifelong learning. She is an advocate for holistic and inclusive educational models that empower individuals to reach their full potential. She serves on several nonprofit boards to champion inclusive dialogue for community cohesion and lasting change, emphasizing empathy, transparency, and respect. She provides strategic counsel on organizational development, fundraising, and mission alignment. Her expertise in governance, financial stewardship, and impact measurement ensures that the organizations she works with are both effective and sustainable.

 “Central to my work is the understanding-based model, a foundational approach championed by Understanding in Conflict. This model emphasizes the importance of deep listening, mutual comprehension, and authentic engagement between parties in conflict. Rather than focusing solely on positions or outcomes, the understanding-based model encourages participants to explore underlying needs, values, and perspectives. Through this approach, we create environments where individuals feel heard and respected, paving the way for collaborative problem-solving and sustainable agreements.”

Adam King holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from SUNY Oswego and a Master’s degree In Political Science from Syracuse University, where he also completed an advanced certificate in conflict resolution. He received his law degree from the Syracuse University College of Law in May 2020, where he focused on corporate governance and compliance. Adam is a Compliance Auditor for Loretto, a non-profit eldercare organization in central New York. Adam’s commitment to promoting peace and understanding extends beyond his professional endeavors. He volunteers his time to support community initiatives to address social inequalities and encourage dialogue among diverse groups. His advocacy for inclusivity and collaboration has made a lasting impact on communities, both locally and globally. He serves as an Arbitrator for FINRA, the regulatory agency responsible for broker-dealer/consumer relations. He focuses his practice on community facilitation, ranging from intercultural dialogue exchange with college students globally to community dialogues regarding community and police interactions. In his recreational time, he enjoys hiking, running, reading, and spending time with his family.

“Listen to understand, not to respond.’ The first step in the loop of understanding is to understand what the other person is saying. The only way this can be accomplished is to prioritize the thoughts and feelings of the person you are listening to. I find this approach effective in business and in my personal life. A central theme of conflict is a feeling of disempowerment and lack of understanding. Listening and demonstrating a genuine effort to understand make the path to overcoming conflict navigable.” 

Barbara Rothberg is a family and couple therapist, mediator and parent coordinator.  She has been in private practice for 40 years, completing mediation training in 2007. She has additional training in elder mediation and child inclusive mediation. She has taught  graduate couple therapy courses at both NYU and Hunter Schools of Social Work for 20 years and has lead numerous seminars and workshops on couple, family therapy and LGBT issues at conferences throughout the years. Barbara is a member of NYACP, NYSCDM, AFCC and FDMC where she is a Board member. She is also on the Advisory Boards of FamilyKind and The Gender Project at Ackerman Institute. She aims to help couples resolve their relationships with dignity, in whatever from that takes.

“I have been working with conflict for my entire career as a family and couple therapist, mediator, and parent coordinator. Throughout the years, I’ve had many trainings. I have to say that the CUC training has been one of the most valuable ones. The understanding-based model informs my work as a therapist and mediator. The approach helps clients better understand one another and step back from an adversarial stance, ideally arriving at a mutually satisfying conclusion. The understanding-based model has become a way of life in my professional and personal relationships.”

Melanie Rowen is a mediator and conflict coach who believes in the power of understanding-based conflict resolution to transform our world. She frequently trains individuals and groups on effective communication in conflict situations and on creating inclusive environments, particularly around gender, sexual orientation, and disability. Melanie previously litigated civil rights cases, including marriage equality, employment discrimination, issues involving transgender and gender non-conforming youth and their families, and issues facing LGBTQ+ elders, at the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and served on the Board of Directors of the Transgender Law Center. Earlier in her career, she worked in business litigation at Latham & Watkins LLP, and for many years, she was the Associate Director for Public Interest Programs at UC Berkeley School of Law. Melanie currently works in attorney professional development at the Bay Area offices of a large law firm, and is a member of the Board of Directors for the National Association for Law Placement.