Did you make a resolution for the new year?

This is a condensed summary of an interview that aired on "The Carrborean Radio Hour" on WCOM 103.5 (wcomfm.org) on January 5, 2026. Find the full audio file for this and other shows on The Carrborean Radio Hour page. AI was used to identify key points from the interview transcript.

Will Dudenhausen is the Director of Training and Education at DSC, Dialogue in Support of Community, which has an office at 302 West Weaver Street. He has more than two decades of experience in conflict resolution, and he has trained, mediated and facilitated with 1000s of people across North Carolina and beyond. He leads the design of the DSC public training curriculum and creates customized programs for clients in business, nonprofit and government sectors. And he believes that strong conflict resolution skills not only help groups collaborate more effectively but also lead to better outcomes and greater overall well-being.

The Mission and History of DSC

• Pioneering Mediation: Founded in 1978, DSC was the first community mediation center in North Carolina.
• Collaborative Outcomes: The center was founded on the belief that parties achieve better outcomes through mutually agreeable solutions rather than having a judge impose them.
• Broad Application: While it handles court-referred cases, mediation is applicable anywhere conflict occurs, including between neighbors, coworkers, or family members.
• Expanding Accessibility: DSC is currently working to lower barriers to entry by offering free sessions called Community Circles along with other activities. Find more about their work at their website.

A Process-Based Approach to Resolutions

• Outcome vs. Process: Dudenhausen argues that resolutions often fail because they are overly focused on outcomes (e.g., losing a specific amount of weight) rather than the process of change (e.g., one's relationship with food).
• Locus of Control: Successful change requires focusing on what is within one’s control, such as choosing to listen first during a stressful interaction rather than simply resolving to "improve a relationship".
• The "All or Nothing" Trap: Resolutions often fail because they are viewed as pass-fail; Dudenhausen encourages adaptation and incremental goals over "white-knuckled willpower".
• Self-Determination: Based on mediation principles, people are more likely to stick to promises or agreements they have agency in creating for themselves rather than those that feel imposed.

Community Circles and Restorative Justice

• Deep Connection: Community Circles are designed as an invitation for individuals to deeply listen and be heard without the evaluative presence of a therapist.
• Restorative Accountability: Unlike traditional discipline that focuses on "what happened and what is the punishment," restorative justice asks, "who was affected and what needs to be done to make things right?"
• Building Muscles for Dialogue: Engaging in these circles acts as "exercising a muscle," making individuals stronger and better equipped to handle difficult conversations in their daily lives.