Charmene Davis-Lay is a Houston-based mediator, ombudsman, and conflict resolution specialist — serving clients virtually across the United States — whose entire career has been shaped by one unwavering conviction: every person deserves to feel heard, valued, and supported — especially in their most difficult moments.

Holding a Master of Legal Studies in Conflict Resolution from Arizona State University, along with certificates in Alternative Dispute Resolution and Paralegal Studies, Charmene brings a depth of academic grounding matched by genuine, hands-on experience. As a volunteer mediator with the Dispute Resolution Center of Montgomery County, she has facilitated sessions across family, community, and interpersonal disputes — applying cultural sensitivity and trauma-informed approaches with every individual she serves.

Her work as a volunteer Ombudsman with the Harris County Long-Term Ombudsman Program has given her a profound understanding of elder advocacy — investigating concerns, partnering with families and care providers, and ensuring that residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities are treated with dignity and respect. This experience is at the very heart of her elder and aging mediation practice.

With over a decade of experience navigating sensitive, high-stakes situations as an Executive Assistant to senior leaders across healthcare, finance, and government, Charmene brings rare cross-sector expertise — the ability to hold confidential matters with discretion, de-escalate tension with calm, and communicate with clarity and empathy even when emotions run high.

Charmene is particularly passionate about serving communities of color and underserved populations, and is wholeheartedly committed to welcoming people from all backgrounds, walks of life, and communities — ensuring that conflict resolution is accessible, culturally sensitive, and genuinely empowering for every person who walks through her door. As a proud member of both the Texas Association of Mediators (TAM) and the Texas Mediator Credentialing Association (TMCA) — and a Credentialed Advanced Mediator — she is committed to the highest standards of professional practice.

Collaborative Care Heart-Centered Mediation is not clinical or transactional. As a transformative mediator, Charmene believes that conflict — when approached with compassion, skill, and genuine care — holds the power to strengthen relationships and open new paths forward. It is personal. It is warm. And it is built entirely around you.