Abstract: This study employed a qualitative design to gain an in-depth understanding of therapists' experiences in providing child custody mediation to high-conflict families. There is a lack of research addressing the complex issues facing mediators working with this population, as well as the methods they employ to facilitate positive outcomes for these challenging clients. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 therapist-mediators (6 female, 4 male) of varied educational and training backgrounds (6 psychologists, 2 MFTs, 2 LCSWs) to gain an understanding of the process of mediation, experience of their clients, emotional responses to the work, and suggestions for future training and improvement of the mediation system. Eleven major themes and one minor theme emerged from the data analysis using the constant comparative method described by Maykut & Morehouse (1994). Major themes that emerged included (1) learn about clients from past history; (2) Combine facilitative and evaluative interventions; (3) Structure sessions to protect clients and prevent conflict; (4) Prevent future conflict and promote future cooperation between parties; (5) Characteristics of high-conflict families make mediation more difficult; (6) Mediation skills should be passed on; (7) Mediators need strong psychotherapy and clinical assessment skills; (8) Mediators need to have a 'thick skin'; (9) Mediators use various methods to cope with the stress of working with high-conflict families; (10) Certain attorneys can make mediation more difficult; (11) The legal system's approach to mediation needs to be reformed to better assist high-conflict families. The minor theme was (1) Non-confidential mediation impedes negotiation. Specific clinical implications and a model for successful mediation are discussed, as well as suggestions for future research.