Greater Manchester Mediation Services

Supporting Families and Businesses since 1995 throughout Manchester, Cheshire and the UK

I help you resolve your family and workplace disputes in the best way possible.

  • Family Mediation

  • Workplace Mediation

  • Coaching and Training

ENQUIRE NOW

My name is Bernadette Willems. I am the founder and director of Greater Manchester Mediation. With more than 20 years’ experience as a Family Solicitor, Mediator, Supervisor, Trainer and Coach, I have the skills needed to ensure that the settlements my clients reach in mediation are fair, practical and legally compliant.

I help resolve any family and workplace relationships which have broken down or are not working well. I do that in a way which gives you much more than a solution to the presenting problem. I provide you with life-enhancing tools which mean you can look forward to a more settled and peaceful life, knowing you have the skills to manage any future.

I am passionate about being able to make a difference in how people choose to communicate with each other ensuring that vulnerable and emotionally fragile clients feel heard and empowered.

I am very driven to help people function at their best. My motivation is to ensure people lead their best possible life – whether that is freeing them from debilitating disputes or helping them through changes and challenges that occur in life and relationships.

Over the years I have adapted the way I work to meet my clients’ personal needs and situation. Due to Covid-19 I provide virtual mediations over Zoom and other platforms, enabling me to help clients nationwide.

Once social distancing restrictions are eased, face to face meetings will again be possible if my clients wish it. I support clients who are divorcing or separating and are struggling to deal with the emotions and trauma of the legal process, and the breakdown of their relationship. In the workplace, I support clients as they reintegrate back into the workplace following an internal investigation.

Your Divorce or Separation Made Simple

If your relationship is on the verge of ending up in divorce or separation, or if you have already separated and struggle to agree how to parent your children or resolve financial matters between you, I am here to help you.

Mediation provides a safe and confidential environment for you to engage in a conversation with each other in the company of a professional who is there to help you consider all the options and reach a mutually acceptable resolution. The mediator does not impose any solutions upon you and you remain in control of the outcome. For example, your children’s future is being planned by the people who know them best – you, rather than a court.

Mediation focuses on the future, not the past, and so frees you from lengthy legal proceedings.

ENQUIRE NOW

Cutting the Cost of Conflict in the Workplace

Mediation offers an effective early intervention into workplace problems, providing dispute resolution without the need to implement complex policies and grievance procedures. Mediation is a flexible process, with the parties in ultimate control of the decision.

As an independent mediator, my objective perspective provides a proven method of resolving even the most intractable deadlock.

Of companies using mediation, over 77% said it was quicker and more effective than grievance procedures. 80% said that it significantly reduced their anticipated legal costs. 

ENQUIRE NOW

Bringing Success to all Aspects of Your Life

As a Mediation Practitioner, Consultant, Personal Advisor and Trainer I am committed to helping you find the best way of dealing with the issues you are facing. Allowing you to deal with emotions which are painful to you and move on with your life.

I help clients deal with the challenges you might face following a relationship breakdown, either in your personal family relationships or in your work environment.

I share with you many life enhancing tools and skills, at a time when you may be feeling vulnerable and emotional and not sure which way to go. These tools and skills will assist you in:

  • Communicating much more effectively
  • Enhanced ability to prevent / manage day to day hassles and friction
  • Enhanced mental fitness
  • Freedom and control over your future
  • Getting more done in less time
  • Improved decision-making
  • Improved self confidence
  • Increased self-control
  • More energy
ENQUIRE NOW

I am your trusted adviser, giving you the support and assistance you need, to ensure that a successful outcome becomes much more achievable in relation to your personal and business lives.

I offer 1-2-1 sessions to assist you in dealing with the challenges you face and help you identify ways of achieving your goals.  These may involve you wanting a person you can talk to and who will listen to you.

Someone who can help you in problem solving, addressing certain specific challenges, enhancing your communication skills, or simply to help you improve your focus. Helping your team to perform at their best and enhance their own and the businesses success ensures a win-win for all concerned.

Latest Articles

Five Mediation Tips to help you

| Blog | No Comments
When I mediate with you,  I suggest you follow five basic tips which help you benefit fully from the mediation process. 1. Leave fault and blame out of the discussions.…

Presumption Can Be a Relationship Wrecker

| Blog | No Comments
How many times have you heard someone say … “oh I thought you meant …” Have you ever had a friend or family member relay a story to you, and…

What is Divorce Coaching?

| Blog | No Comments
Divorce coaching is one to one support designed to guide you through the emotional minefield of divorce. It helps you build your self-confidence and discover your inner resilience.  Coaching will…

Don’t want to split up, but your relationship is not how it used to be?

| Blog | No Comments
If you are not sure where your relationship is heading, but do not want to separate, with my support you can restore the harmony in your relationship. I use the…

Thank you for the time you spent with us during the most difficult time in our relationship. Your fair, calm and purposeful manner allowed us to come to an agreement on both finances and contact for the children in just two sessions. We now both appreciate that today is the beginning of a new type of partnership – not a worse one – just a different one that with two beautiful girls, will give many far more positive outcomes. Thank you once again.

Hilary BStockport

Our initial experience through solicitors, was becoming a very bitter, slow and expensive journey. You helped us cut to the chase and agreement was achieved quickly and relatively painlessly through mediation.

Philip DDavenport

Ending a relationship is painful, but Bernadette helped us to ensure we did everything in the right way to benefit us and the children.

Bernadette respected our wishes and helped us achieve a good outcome for everyone. She helped us reach solutions easily and was clear about the information she required from us.

Jane P

I just want my mum and dad to be friends. They keep saying that’s what they want but all I hear is them shouting. I hope they will listen when you tell them that is what I want.

KatieAged 11

I definitely found the initial meeting helpful. I was concerned about how mediation would work until I met the Mediator.

Charlotte BManchester

Attending mediation helped me explain what my ex has been like and how he’s made me feel. Having someone listen to me helped me feel less alone

Davina PChorlton

I wish Mum and Dad would stop arguing about silly things. We all make mistakes and they have been separated for nearly 2 years so why do they still fight over silly things? I want them to know that my sister and I want them to stop.

SamAged 9

Thanks to mediation, we are able to talk to each other again and our daughter is now much happier. She is now smiling all the time and keeps saying “happy”.

Beryl LCheshire

Mediation has been a lifeline. We had tried every other angle but it hadn’t worked. This has proved to be a positive experience.

Simon

We were keen to resolve matters amicably and to remain friends for the sake of our children. Our friends told us we didn’t stand a chance of achieving such a result. We do not hate each other and have accepted that we are just not right for each other.

We are so grateful for your assistance! You helped us to save a fortune! We were delighted that you were able to resolve the dispute in one day! Our previous experience of workplace disputes had meant spending days dealing with the issues through our legal team and ending up with a very large legal bill and having to replace staff at a huge expense.

Co-DirectorSmall Business

The time spent with you was invaluable in that you opened my eyes to a different perspective. I now appreciate we had the same goal but were approaching it very differently. You have taught me a lot about myself and about how best to deal with difficult personalities.

Mediation ParticipantPublic Sector

As a result of resolving our issues through the mediation process, we can maintain a friendship and civility which enables us to communicate effectively for the benefit of both ourselves and our children. We believe that by resolving our separation through mediation, we will be able to enjoy and look forward to sharing our children’s milestones in life together.

Marc BAltrincham

I can confirm that the service was extremely approachable and friendly and that we were kept informed and provided with clear information. Our matter was managed in a highly professional manner. I would have no hesitation in recommending any couple in need of mediation to use your excellent service.

Mr FDidsbury

I am writing to thank you for all the support you gave to M and me, during the most difficult time in our life together. I spent my married life looking to M for all major financial decisions – he in his role of “provider” protected me from them. So, when I separated from him and needed help, I felt the only path to take was that of a solicitor and the courts. M asked me to consider mediation. I am so glad we did. I felt that we were on a level playing field. I was allowed to say things and be heard. For the first time in many years I had a voice and some control over what was happening to me. What a wonderful feeling! It has enabled M and me to go through the process, whilst maintaining respect for ourselves and each other. More than anything, our children who are both on the edge of their adult lives, have seen that change can take place in a positive way, hopefully lessening the hurt our separation caused.

Geraldine QWilmslow

Ending a relationship is painful, but Bernadette helped us to ensure we did everything in the right way to benefit us and the children. Bernadette respected our wishes and did not try to stir up any problems. She helped us reach solutions easily and was clear about the information she required from us. As a result of resolving our issues through the mediation process, we can maintain a friendship and civility which enables us to communicate effectively for the benefit of both ourselves and our children. We believe that by resolving our separation through mediation, we will be able to enjoy sharing our children’s milestones in life together. We both look forward to sharing our children’s milestones in life together.

Brendan WKnutsford

I am so glad I attended mediation as the Mediator explained clearly the different ways I could deal with my divorce and separation. She put my mind at ease regarding the position regarding the children and the procedures available. My ex-wife and I were able to come to a realistic solution regarding the finances and children, without losing all our assets in legal fees.

Harry JBolton

I am really happy with the work you have done. I had contact with my daughter all day yesterday – the first time I’ve seen her in weeks. I had a lovely day and was very grateful for your help in bringing this about.

Michael JPreston

Dear Bernadette, Thank you very much for helping me and Leanne in mediation. You helped us have a productive conversation and look at the issues with fresh eyes. As a result we were able to arrange contact and great progress was made. We were able to move forward from the issues which were causing problems and have been able to communicate with each other much better. I would recommend mediation as a good and practical way of resolving disputes.

Harry DBury

Contact Bernadette

Tel: 07740 438341

Email: bmw@greatermanchestermediation.com

GMM Ltd
Chorlton
Manchester

Terms and Conditions
Privacy Policy