Wsparcie mediacyjne w sytuacjach kryzysowych – aspekt komunikacji interpersonalnej

Conflicts are an indispensable part of everyone’s life and unresolved conflicts often lead to crisis situations. The basis of the crisis intervention system is the interdisciplinary, teambased undertaking of support activities, corresponding to specific circumstances, using a variety of working methods and tools. One method of support in a conflict-driven crisis will be mediation. The aim of the article is to show the essence of mediation as a flexible supportive method, used both by external professionals (professional mediators) and other professionals (e.g. crisis interventionists, social workers). The article also presents the principles of interpersonal communication aimed at supporting parties experiencing conflicts in building an agreement. It concludes by pointing out possible forms of implementation of mediation in the field of support activities and those that can contribute to improving the overall effectiveness of social workers’ communication with clients.