About
Helping Ontario families navigate divorce with compassion, clarity, and long-term peace, Reflective Mediation is a modern, mindful approach to separation, divorce, and family transitions. We specialize in helping individuals and couples reach practical agreements — while also healing communication and reducing emotional fallout. We are Accredited Family Mediators serving clients virtually across Ontario, with extensive experience in comprehensive separation agreements (parenting plans, financial settlements), intergenerational issues, and conflict management coaching.
What Makes Reflective Mediation Different?
Deep Listening and Relationship Repair
We believe mediation should be more than just "legal lite." Our method reduces conflict by emphasizing emotional safety, validation, and real-time communication skills. By creating a respectful, non-adversarial space, we help clients feel heard and empowered — even in high-stress situations.
Practical Agreements + Personal Growth
We work toward the same legal outcomes as any family lawyer — a binding Separation Agreement or Parenting Plan — but we also help clients gain communication skills, reduce future conflict, and move forward with dignity.
Emotional Awareness & Mindfulness
Unlike conventional models, Reflective Mediation includes emotional processing and mindfulness-informed techniques to reduce reactivity. It’s not therapy — but it is therapeutic.
Our Philosophy
“I want to change the way people experience themselves in difficult conversations.” – Mike MacConnell
Reflective Mediation integrates ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) with emotional insight, mindful reflection, and coaching. Our goal isn't just to resolve your immediate dispute, but to equip you with tools for healthier relationships — with co-parents, family members, and yourself.
Meet the Founder: Mike MacConnell
Mike MacConnell (AccFM, AccIM, QMed, OCT)
Director of Reflective Mediation
Author of The Yoga of Divorce: A Mindful Route to Resolving Disputes
About Mike MacConnell
Mike is a former Professor of Family Mediation (Separation and Divorce) at Humber College, Toronto, and the author of The Yoga of Divorce. A mediator, communication coach, and workshop facilitator. Mike is a certified member of the Ontario Association for Family Mediation (OAFM), the Alternative Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario (ADRIO), the Family Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario (FDRIO), Mindfulness Without Borders, and the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) .
Mike has been an Accredited Family Mediator since 2014 and is one of Ontario’s most reviewed and trusted non-lawyer mediators. He brings a lifetime of experience as an educator, conflict resolution trainer, and mindfulness practitioner. His work blends structured dispute resolution with emotional intelligence, empathy, and reflection.
Former Owner/Director of SOLA High School (max. 250 students, 25 staff)
Professor of Family Mediation at Humber College (Past)
Lead trainer at St. Stephen’s Conflict Resolution Service (Past)
Certified Mindfulness Facilitator (Mindfulness Without Borders) (Past)
AccFM, AccIM, QMed, EC, and OCT certified
His book, The Yoga of Divorce, draws on his training in Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and has become a guidepost for clients seeking a peaceful path through separation.
Meet The Team
About Alex Howard
Alex Howard, B.A., AccFM, founder and lead Mediator at Midtown Mediation, and graduate of York University's mediation program, opened her clinic with the goal of supporting clients through the tumultuous journey of separation and divorce.
Alex's ability to connect with her clients and understand their needs, allows clients to de-escalate conflict and reach an agreement. On a mission to normalize and educate, Alex also co-hosts a divorce podcast, Dirty Laundry, with colleague Amanda Silver.
With an undergraduate degree from the University of British Columbia, and years of running a successful events business, Alex switched gears to a more meaningful path of helping others through the difficulty of separation and divorce.
After completing schooling from both Humber College and York University, Alex opened her practice with the goal of using a facilitative approach to support her clients through the often cathartic and always empowering process of Alternative Dispute Resolution. Mediation is a personalized service addressing the needs and concerns of individual cases allowing for much more of a targeted approach to agreement. As a Certified Coach as well as an Accredited Family Mediator (Acc.FM), Alex is able to assist clients to devise a plan that is just right for them.
With a practice specializing in online Mediation, Alex is able to provide a service that allows clients to prioritize getting the help they need without having to leave the comfort of their own home, worry about childcare, or wrestle with traffic or weather.
With over two decades working with people in stressful situations, Alex is no stranger to the difficulties that those in conflict face and is skillful in helping folks not just manage those situations, but truly thrive.
About Amanda Silver
Amanda is an Accredited Family Mediator, a Court-Connected Family Mediator, and a member of the Ontario Association for Family Mediation (OAFM). In addition, she is co-host of the popular divorce podcast, Dirty Laundry. Amanda is certified in Online Dispute Resolution and provides comprehensive family mediation services which includes parenting plans, child support, spousal support, and property division.
Amanda has extensive experience with high-conflict files and uses this experience and conflict-resolution skills to help de-escalate conflict to support parties in coming to a resolution. In addition to mediation, Amanda also provides separation and divorce coaching for individuals going through the divorce process.
Amanda completed her mediation training through York University and Family Mediation Training Canada. After going through the divorce process herself, Amanda was inspired to become a family mediator with the hope of helping others going through separation and divorce.
In addition to being a family mediator, Amanda is also a teacher and a member of the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT). She spent several years teaching kindergarten before moving on to grades six through eight. Amanda has extensive experience working with children and families from a variety of backgrounds. She takes great pride in her ability to bring families together, improve communication, and assist them in coming to a resolution.
OUR Testimonials
“I can’t express my appreciation fully for all the help you provided me. Thank you for bearing witness, even when it was painful. Thank you for lending your support, for offering your expertise and effort and for being a voice of reason, logic and comfort.”
Rita B.
“Mike's patience, ability to guide a conversation and capacity to facilitate a dialogue among conflicted family members, are but a few of his unique talents. He listens attentively, is open to unusual ideas, and makes all engaged parties feel important. I know that Mike genuinely cares about helping others, and as a parent have benefited from his wisdom and advice on many occasions.”
EWA KASINSKA, OCT, MATHEMATICS TUTOR
“Michael is a total professional. Not only is he well-qualified, but he understands the dynamics between people and how to elicit what they are feeling and thinking. He sticks with the issues, refusing to take sides. Anyone who works with him is lucky since he is a real professional - he has something to profess.”
