You can go here to read Oprah's view on conflict resolution and empowerment :
http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/Make-Life-More-Peaceful-How-to-Resolve-Conflict
http://stevemehta.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/oprah-comes-to-mediation/
http://www.oprah.com/oprahradio/Self-Empowerment
Dr. Phil on the other hand uses empowerment as a tool in his mediations and practices:
http://www.drphil.com/search/results/empower
http://drphilfoundation.org/success---yep
By the way even if I understand the role people like these play in the alternative dispute resolution business and promotion I have a hard time to accept their interventions.
Indeed I analysed some of Dr. Phil and Oprah's shows and even if they talk about empowerment they still tell people what to do and direct them to the ``right`` choices. For example : You should leave your husband or you should place your kids, etc.
Phil and Oprah have a business and they have to make people believe that they KNOW what is best for them.
But real empowerment is about trusting people that they can make their own choices GOOD or BAD, not telling them what to do but support them on their own road....even if it is not the best for them.
My job is to support people in making their choices and accept the responsability of the decisions they make.
That's my view of ADR and empowerment.
I'm so glad to hear about your opinion of Dr. Phil and Oprah! I too have noticed on multiple occasions that they do like to lead people into what they believe to be the "correct" decisions to make (and of course, those people might be thinking "Come on, this is Doctor Phil! He's RIGHT!").
ReplyDeleteI have been going to weekly counseling sessions for a couple of years now. To be honest, it hit me like a ton of bricks when I realized that Debbie (who is a clinical Psychologist) never told me what to do! It was difficult to make my own decisions and think for myself at first, but I now realize how great it feels to just have that support and be able to create my own path. I absolutely love your mentality when it comes to ADR and empowerment!
Thank you for your comment. I realized that nowadays psychologists, social workers, etc. just support more and more their clients to achieve their own goals and not what they think is right. And that is great because by doing so they respect their client's own individuality.
ReplyDelete