Everyone wants what’s best for your parent. You just can’t agree on what that is.
A guided, three-part family conversation with a neutral mediator — built so every person is heard, and the family leaves with a written plan instead of another argument.
Flat $3,000. One prepared 3-hour session. Zoom or St. Paul office.
You can book the call on your own. The rest of the family does not need to be ready before you ask questions.
$3,000
Flat fee
Remote
By Zoom
4.9
Google rating
Free consult
Start with a 15-minute call.
Pick a time that works. The call is short, private, and built to help you figure out whether this is the right next step for your family.
“Ryan’s calmness, casual approach, insights, and cohesiveness throughout the session helped us get through very difficult topics.”
— David H.
No pressure. No obligation to book mediation after the consult.
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What you get
A real conversation, not another group text.
The point is to get everything on the table once, in a way that actually moves, and leave with a plan the family can hold each other to.
Every person heard in private first — before anyone has to say it in front of the family.
Four questions, written for your family, so the session starts deep instead of starting cold.
One guided 3-hour conversation instead of months of texts, silence, and re-litigating the same fight.
A written plan the family builds together — who does what, what changes — plus an optional 6-week check-in.
Usually a good fit when...
- A parent's care or living situation is forcing decisions the family doesn't agree on
- Talking has narrowed to one person, or to texts that never resolve anything
- Everyone involved will show up — even the reluctant ones
- You want a plan you can hold each other to, not just a chance to vent
Usually not the right fit when...
- There is abuse or a safety risk that needs authorities or a court, not a conversation
- Someone essential flatly refuses to take part
- What you actually need is a legal, medical, or financial decision — that is a job for the right professional
How it works
Three phases. One real conversation.
I work this way for a reason. The research on hard conversations is consistent: meeting people individually before the group lowers the temperature and surfaces what matters before anyone has to perform it in front of the family.
One-on-one, first
I meet with each person alone. This is where the fears, the history, and what you actually want come out — the things nobody says in a group. The research is clear: people arrive less defended, and you get to know how I talk and think before we are all on the same screen.
Questions, built from what I heard
From those conversations I distill four questions — the same four for everyone — plus a short intake. They get the family thinking past the surface fight and into the practical and the deeper issues, so the session does not start from zero.
The session, and the plan
Three hours on Zoom. First we have the conversation the family has not managed to have: guided, in the open, not a group text and not a blow-up. Then we build the plan — what changes, who does what — and write it down. A playbook the family agreed to.
If you are not sure you need this
Most families have one person who thinks this is overkill.
That is normal. Usually it is the person who figures the family can sort this out on its own, the way families always have.
Maybe. But you have probably already tried. It tends to go the same way: a tense exchange at the kitchen table or over text, then everyone retreats for a few weeks, then it flares again over something small. Nothing actually gets decided, and the distance quietly grows.
A neutral third person changes the physics of that. When it is only family in the room, every sentence carries decades of history — who said what, who showed up, who was always the favorite. I do not carry any of that. I am not there to decide who is right or to tell anyone they are the problem. I am there to make the conversation possible and keep it moving toward a plan.
It is three hours, once, with preparation — set against months of the slow version. You do not have to be sold on it. Start with the free 15-minute call and decide after.
Proof
Trusted by mediation clients and referral partners.
4.9 stars from 285+ Google reviews, with a process designed to feel steady, private, and practical.
“Ryan's calmness, casual approach, insights, and cohesiveness throughout the session helped us get through very difficult topics.”
— David H.
“Ryan is a very relaxed but knowledgeable mediator. Not stuffy or formal at all, which helped me feel at ease during the process.”
— Alexandra Rose
“Some issues can be resolved more effectively through mediation rather than through the courts.”
— Padraic Walsh, Attorney
How to begin
Two ways to start.
There is no wrong door. Talk it through with me first, or — if the family already knows you want to do this — just tell me you are ready.
Book a 15-minute call
A short, low-pressure call to ask questions and see whether this fits your situation. You do not need the rest of the family lined up first.
Book a 15-minute callOr tell me you are ready
If you have decided as a family, just let me know. I will send you three things:
- A participation agreement and invoice to get started
- A calendar link to book your 3-hour group session
- A note to each participant to schedule their one-on-one
Your mediator
Led by Ryan McLaughlin.
Ryan is a trained mediator based in St. Paul. He works with families navigating hard decisions about aging parents, caregiving, and the conflict that builds up around both — helping people stay clear enough to talk without turning it into a fight someone has to win.
Questions
A few things to know before you start.
Mediation can give your family a real conversation and a written plan, but it does not replace legal, medical, or financial advice.
How much does it cost?
A flat $3,000 for the full three-phase process: the individual conversations, the prepared questions, and the 3-hour group session. There is no hourly billing. An optional 6-week follow-up is available if the family wants to check how the plan is holding.
Does the whole family have to take part?
The group session works best with everyone who is part of the decision. The one-on-ones are private and individual. If someone essential will not take part at all, this may not be the right time — the free consult is a good place to talk that through.
Is this therapy? Are you going to decide who is right?
No. I am a neutral mediator, not a therapist and not a judge. I do not diagnose, I do not take sides, and I do not decide who is right. My job is to make the conversation possible and help the family build a plan.
Is this legal, medical, or financial advice?
No. Flannel People Mediation provides mediation services only. Legal, medical, and financial decisions should be reviewed with the right professional — an attorney, a doctor, or a financial advisor.
Does it work if we live in different cities or states?
Yes. Most of the process happens on Zoom, so distance between family members is not a problem. In-person meetings are available by appointment at our St. Paul office.
What do we actually walk away with?
A written plan the family built and agreed to — who does what, and what changes going forward. Plus an optional 6-week check-in to see how it is holding and adjust what is not working.
When you are ready
Start with one 15-minute call.
You do not need the whole family lined up, and you do not need every answer. Book the free consult, or call or text (763) 316-8323.