Lars Thompson

Lars grew up in Sweden where he trained to work with children and families between 1964 and 1968. He arrived in the UK in late 1968 and now lives in Knaresborough. He has three grown up children.

His career has been focused mainly on working with children and families - for Barnardo's, Wakefield Social Services, North Yorkshire Social Services, North Yorkshire Psychological Services and NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

In 1986 Lars was approached by colleagues serving on a working party formed to set up Keep Talking (originally known as Harrogate District Family Conciliation Service). He was asked to oversee the training and professional practice of the mediators and he has been involved in selecting all the mediators employed in the Service. For the past 8 years he has also managed the Service on a part time basis. In the past he has also supervised the professional practice of the mediators in the West Yorkshire and Scarborough Services.

He trained as a Family Mediator and as a Family Mediation Professional Practice Consultant with National Family Mediation, the association for not-for-profit family mediation services.
Lars finds if very rewarding to see children and parents in divorce better understand and coming to terms with their difficult situations. He also takes pleasure in seeing children and parents growing in confidence as conflicts are resolved and they become able to resolve difficulties and plan for the future.

Lars feels that Keep Talking is very special in that the none-competitive, blame-free, none-judgemental ethos of the Service is reflected not only in the work with parents but also in the day-to-day running of the Service. Also, all the employees are very carefully chosen, mature and well-experienced professionals with a very strong commitment to providing a very high quality of service at all times. Additionally the Service has developed a harmonious way of combining the efforts of paid and unpaid staff to provide professional services of the highest order.