Hi, I’m Tess, the owner of Argyll FDRP, and here’s my story.
My path to becoming a mediator begins about a quarter of a century ago when I separated from my husband with whom I share two children.
These were the days before the internet and so it was hard to find information. I learned all I could and became so interested that I completed a law degree. A little over-the-top? Maybe! I was already a registered nurse and completed my master’s degree in nursing while I was studying my law degree (and looking after my children and working full-time).
All the time while I was studying law, I kept wondering ‘what happened to the people involved in the case?’ I wasn’t satisfied with the judgement in the case – I wanted to know how it affected the people. That’s the nurse in me.
When I learned about Family Dispute Resolution, I knew it was a great way to combine my nursing skills of dealing with people experiencing distress in a complicated system, my experience in the family law system, and my knowledge of law.
I knew I could work within this complex system and reduce the stress, make it simple, and make it fast. I knew that I had the capability to flex to the needs of my clients while ‘colouring within the lines’. (There’s a lotta law and regulation out there).
When I think back to separation and parenting, all I can see is this big, ugly knot: a tangle of stress, confusion and no way of knowing which bit of string to follow. That’s how I came up with “untangling with swift, affordable, custom mediation”.
