In contrast to the first view, mediators from therapeutic backgrounds tend to emphasize client empowerment, and finding just solutions to clients' needs. Appropriate Use of Mediator Power Cases and contexts vary widely, and so there can be no single simple answer to when the use of mediator pressure is appropriate. However, some general guidelines may still be found. Boskey's interpretation of the first rule of mediation is that agreements should be voluntary. Practically speaking, all decisions are made within some constraints.
Coerced decisions are highly constrained, voluntary decisions much less so.
Boskey approaches the question of voluntariness by asking which uses of mediator power place inappropriate constraints on party decision-making. Boskey suggests first that a party's agreement is not voluntary if it is based on a factual misunderstanding which the mediator created or failed to correct. He argues that mediators should reveal even secret information, if that information would fairly influence the party's decision. For example, the mediator should correct mistaken understandings of the law governing an issue. For agreement to be voluntary, the negotiators or parties must generally be mentally competent adults.