Welcome
People often need help to have difficult conversations - that’s where I come in.
I’m Lesley Ashworth and I am a mediator, restorative practice facilitator, conflict coach and professional supervisor based in Wellington, New Zealand.
Conflict is inevitable as we live and work together and people often need help to have difficult conversations. I assist people to have these conversations in a structured safe process, supporting both (all) parties to gain a better understanding of each other's perspectives and find a way forward.
I have a background in law and over 20 years’ experience supporting clients to resolve disputes in the workplace, schools, community and family, alongside human rights issues.
I offer a flexible approach to dispute resolution, drawing on my varied training and experience to provide a tailored process that meets the needs of the parties involved. I am passionate about helping clients find ways of resolving conflict by reaching agreements, restoring relationships, and moving forward.
My services are available either face to face or online to suit your requirements.
Services
Restorative Workplace Meetings
A restorative workplace meeting is a faciliated process suitable to address conflict between employees, employees and managers or within teams. It focuses on repairing harm, restoring relationships and encourages people to take responsibility for their actions, alongside understanding and collaborative problem solving.
Mediation
Mediation is an informal, fast and effective process used to resolve a wide range of disputes. A neutral and independent person (the Mediator), assists parties in dispute to identify the issues in dispute, explore options to resolve the dispute and attempt to reach an agreement. Mediation is a confidential process, including the terms of any agreement reached at mediation. A mediated agreement is usually final and binding.
Conflict Coaching
Conflict coaching involves a coach working confidentially with an individual to think about their approaches to conflict, build skills to prevent, manage, and resolve conflict productively.
Conflict coaching can be used as a stand alone process or prior to mediation.
Professional Supervision
Professional Supervision is a confidential working relationship between a supervisor and a supervisee that enables the supervisee to reflect on their work practice with the supervisor.
The aim of supervision is to ensure ethical and safe practice, improve practice and well-being of the supervisee.
About
After graduating from The University of Waikato with a Bachelor of Law and Arts, I worked in both private law practices and government agencies for a number of years, focusing on employment law and dispute resolution.
In the late 1990's I trained as a mediator, and then soon after as a Restorative Justice facilitator. I then worked at the Human Rights Commission as a mediator for several years.
I practice as a self-employed mediator, restorative practice facilitator, conflict coach and professional supervisor. A growing area of my work is in restorative workplace meetings and I am pleased to provide services to clients in the Government sector, community groups, private companies and individuals.
I am Resolution Institute accredited (including FDR and Advanced RJ accredited). In 2019 I was nominated for New Zealand Law Society mediator of the year award.
I work with a wide variety of people in various situations to assist them to reach realistic outcomes to their disputes.
“In one word I would describe Lesley as ‘excellent’.
She has a disciplined approach to her work by establishing early rapport with the parties and then managing the mediation meeting itself with considerable skill and expertise.
Lesley worked with the parties and their representatives to secure a positive outcome to the dispute and was focussed and showed considerable professionalism and empathy throughout the process.”
- Barrister representing a party in employment mediation