About Pashtana
Pashtana Abedi was born and raised in sunny Calabasas, CA. She attended the University of Southern California where she earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology. Thereafter, she worked as an auditor in the banking industry, which led to her role as a mediator between different departments within the company. The position called for a close attention to detail, strong communication skills, and the ability to maintain composure under highly stressful and emotional situations. Pashtana was consistently recognized for her mediation skills and was selected to hold mediation training workshops for the department.
Being the daughter of an international mediator, Pashtana knew she wanted to help make a difference in people’s lives on a grand scale, but had not figured out how. She decided to attend law school in order to fulfill her passion of doing so. However, the program diverted her attention toward possibilities that were better suited for an aspiring lawyer. She realized that she could be on the forefront of peace processes through different means.
Pashtana then applied and was accepted to Pepperdine School of Law’s world-renowned Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution in Malibu, California– ranked the number one dispute resolution program of its kind by U.S. News and World Report. She successfully earned a Master of Dispute Resolution and learned the ins and outs of conflict resolution, negotiation, and mediation, and the importance of confidentiality, true neutrality, and mediation ethics.
Furthermore, Pashtana is a member of the Southern California Mediation Association (SCMA). She has had the opportunity to serve as a mediator through organizations such as the Center for Conflict Resolution and the Department for Consumer and Business Affairs. Her role entailed serving the Los Angeles Superior Court as a mediator in the San Fernando Valley. In addition, she worked at the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, and developed a mediation program for the community to benefit from. Pashtana’s passion for mediation led her to author a book on faith-based mediations entitled Mediation & Islam. For a free sample of Mediation & Islam, please click here.
Pashtana is an advocate for mediation and has dedicated her work to helping people through its use. She is experienced in handling mediations that involve civil, personal injury, employment, contract, landlord-tenant, medical, real estate, interpersonal, and business disputes. She also has experience in conducting faith-based and cross-cultural mediations in which she helps break barriers that stand between people of different faiths and cultures.
Pashtana is known for carrying her mediations to resolution in a timely manner and giving each case the unique attention it calls for. Her tenacity, intuition for collaborative problem solving, hard work, and ability to actively listen allow her to navigate parties to amicable and mutually agreeable resolutions.
