The litigator wedges that story into a template of legally cognizable claims and defenses. In court, the discussion is forever after limited to the aspects of the story which is visible through that template. If you have confidence in yourself, your client and your case, then you should welcome this opportunity to have at it. Mediation often allows you to take dispute to levels far beyond those which the court system may allow. Plumbing the depths of the conflict, though, is not an end in itself.
Mediations sometimes end with collaborative, forward-looking, mutually beneficial agreements.
Many more times, mediation serves the clients' interests simply by bringing the lawsuit to its end faster and at lower cost than continued litigation would permit. The ability of participants to reach these highly utile agreements is directly proportional to the extent to which the underlying conflicts are first explored. Generally, the parties are in litigation in the first place because they have not been able to work the dispute out on their own. There is anger, or something else highly-charged between them, which prevents the rational negotiations which can lead to settlement. Mediation offers participants the opportunity to vent their anger and dissipate that charge.