Meet the Founder
Joan Feringa (McLeod) has been a conflict management specialist (resolution and prevention) for over 25 years.
As an educator, leader, partner, and coach with a long-standing connection to water (she was on the water with her Dad, with Sea Cadets and the Canadian Coast Guard and lives near it today): navigator/practitioner competencies continue to inform her work today.
WHERE DID CONFLICT FIRST AID™ START?
A 'life long learner' and scholar who is always open to learning, Joan's Master's thesis (2002), "A Hammer or the Whole Toolbox? Conflict Management in Organizations" proved conflict management support (neutral and just-in-time) was sometimes welcome and effective: but not even close to accessible, quick, or easily enough.
It sure wasn't fun - or the obvious thing to do. No wonder she, herself, was a conflict avoider.
The Gap - Seeing CONFLICT FIRST AID™ as "Missing" is Born
In 2017, after ushering her own family through a serious mental health emergency a series of events proved there was a desperate gap: there was no scaffolding for support of social conflict at all. She knew a universal way that she'd seen helped for conflicts of all kinds. She'd spent 15 years testing it, teaching it, mentoring it - and seeing it slip out of people's hands given the level of conflict competency out there in the world.
The basics were NOT there.
The universal way was NOT complex.
It was clear: mental health first aid is only a few decades old. Medical (standard) first aid was unknown just a few centuries ago, but today, we all know 911, antiseptics and sterile bandages...maybe even CPR.
Joan identified a clear and critical gap. The missing piece in conflict prevention, management and de-escalation was simple and quick: accessible Conflict First Aid™.
The Moment
After proving volunteers (from all walks of life) could learn and help with evidence-based de-escalation and prevention competencies (equivalent to medical and mental health first aid), the first Conflict First Aid™ certificates were awarded in January, 2020.
Foundations of Conflict First Aid™ can be learned in just 7.5 hours.
Wish you could ask the founder a question?
She'll answer!
Email her, here: joan@conflictnavigator.com