Mediation is short term, practical, and addresses concrete problems and communication difficulties. It is not therapy, and does not delve deeply into family backgrounds or personal issues. It helps spouses negotiate issues that they are unable to handle directly with each other. It gives them tools to use at home when the mediator is not around anymore.
Mediation models better ways of communication when spouses are in conflict over important issues, or even where there are petty disagreements. Standard mediation practices such as reframing and active listening work well in marriages. Marital mediation often works to help a marriage at times when other methods have failed.
Sometimes married couples (or one of the spouses) has a great resistance to enter into marital counseling. Marital mediation is a good option for these couples to get the help they want.
Marital mediation can help the marriage survive through a difficult time, and the parties have a new chance and can use mediation (or other methods) in the future if they so choose.
