OUR TEAM
Olive Tree Mediation is dedicated to bringing peace and unity to conflict. Our leadership experience, training, skills and graces have uniquely marked each us for the work of peacemaking.
After noticing destructive and unresolved conflict in so many spaces, we found each other and collectively sought out training by the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center.
We follow the teachings of Jesus, who unites incredibly diverse people by His unifying Spirit. Part of our founding motivation is to provide solutions and healing in the greater, collective Christian church. We are passionate about brokering unity and peace in "the body of Christ."
Our mediation practice is not limited to Christians, though. Everyone is welcome at our table, regardless of religious beliefs or affiliation, and our process can be tailored to your preferences.
We created Olive Tree Mediation to offer a safe space for your voice to be heard, to give agency to all parties involved, and to potentially reach agreement and healing in your relationship. As trauma-informed peacemakers, we will listen to both sides of your dispute while sensitively promoting understanding and agreement.
Lawyer
LAUREN LINDSEY
Lauren Lindsey is an attorney specializing in collaborative family law and mediation. After years of assisting survivors of domestic violence through high-conflict legal cases, Lauren shifted to private practice as an attorney and mediator with the goal of helping families in transition peacefully establish a new normal. As a mediator, Lauren is goal-oriented and focused on creating an environment of constructive communication, honoring the perspective of each individual, and identifying solutions that meet the practical needs of participants.
In addition to her professional work, Lauren serves in various community leadership positions within her home church, local nonprofits and bar associations – all with the goal of promoting justice, peace, and restoration of relationships. In her free time, Lauren enjoys the stereotypical pursuits of an introvert: hiking, reading, long conversations with old friends, and board games at home with family.
Lauren enjoys mediation because it fosters unity in a world that feels increasingly broken. Mediation offers a path through conflict that can strengthen relationships and communities.
Leadership Formation
COLLETTE AWALT
Collette Awalt is a lifelong learner with 18 years of experience in mentoring, pastoral counseling, house church planting, and team leadership. She is a Symbis Certified pre-marital counselor, has been trained in the WEPSS Enneagram Model, debriefing leaders in transition, and is certified in Restorative Mediation. Collette currently serves on the oversight team for Selah Groups, a ministry focused on the spiritual formation of women in international Christian leadership, and for The Forge, a house church community located in Manhattan, Kansas. She also serves with The Shepherd’s Collective, a group providing Christian leaders with soul care and spiritual formation.
Along with her deep love for people, Collette delights in spending time with her family, reading, exploring new places, being outdoors, and hosting deep-hearted conversations around the table.
She practices mediation as a means of offering hope and practical steps forward—partnering with the parties involved to bring a peaceful resolution. She views conflict as a process that holds much potential for reflection, growth, and restoration.
Spiritual Director
BETHANY ARNDT
Bethany Arndt holds a bachelor's and master's degree in social work. She spent 16 years working in child protection, adoptions, family preservation and cross-cultural Christian ministry. She co-founded and directed a non-profit organization that serves women and children living in poverty in South Africa. She is currently a spiritual director; journeying with groups and individuals into deeper awareness of and connection with God. Bethany is a founding member of The Shepherd's Collective; a group offering soul care and spiritual formation to Christian leaders. She is also certified in the practice of Restorative Mediation.
She loves creating beauty through art, home design, gardening, and indoor plants. She loves traveling and creating fun experiences with her family.
Bethany offers mediation because she has a high value for the gift of relationships; she likes supporting others in approaching conflict healthily, with the possibility of not just preserving but even strengthening the quality of connection within their relationship.