Our course is entitled "Divorce Mediation Training," however it includes a section on civil mediation as well. Many people who want to learn the Coast To Coast method, but intend to practice only civil mediation, take this course.

When you take our divorce mediation training, you receive a wide variety of materials. Most of our training materials are contained in an interactive mediation manual. As our training progresses, you respond to questions in your manual and take notes on your observations during role plays. The manual covers each of the steps in a mediation and describes how to conduct a mediation session. In addition to the mediation manual, you receive many hand-outs, including an errors and omissions insurance application, IRS booklets, a pension booklet, and an application for membership in the Association for Conflict Resolution.

Although many mediation trainings focus on the theory of mediation, our divorce mediation training focuses on mediation skills. We break mediation down into small steps and guide you through each step gradually. Most of our participants find that the best way to learn how to conduct a mediation session is to observe us as we mediate and then participate in a role play themselves.

We introduce you to the ten essential mediation skills, which are presented to you in five different ways. You learn each aspect of how to conduct a mediation session by1) listening to a brief explanation 2) reading a selection in your mediation manual
3) writing in your mediation manual 4) watching us demonstrate and 5) participating in a role play as a client or a mediator.

We believe that mediation training should focus primarily on role- plays. The skill set needed to become a mediator is learned mainly by doing, not by listening to lectures or reading. Reading and listening play a part, but to become familiar with the steps in a mediation and learn mediation skills, you need to take a mediation training where you are required to participate in role plays.

Our divorce mediation training gives you opportunities to enhance your mediation skills by playing the part of a client, as well as a mediator. During the Coast To Coast mediation training you are introduced to a wide variety of topics including:

Overview of mediation - the big picture and the goals of a mediation
Sequence of mediation sessions - each of the steps in a mediation
Confidentiality - distinctions between confidentiality in mediation and in other professions
Mediation forms and files - how to use the forms and files that we developed for use in own practice
Differences between divorce and civil mediation - those minor differences that distinguish these two types of mediation
Civil mediation - an extensive workplace dispute role play allows you to experience the differences between divorce and civil mediation
Telephone calls - how to handle calls from prospective clients
Introducing clients to the process - how to begin a mediation session
The Mediation Agreement - how to read and answer questions about this agreement
The Fee Agreement - how to help clients negotiate an agreement about mediation fees
Intake procedure - how to handle the collection of data about the clients
Gathering subjective information - how to elicit the clients' stories and respond to them
Setting the agenda - how to identify and prioritize the unresolved issues
Psychological stages in divorce - the five stages in the emotional divorce
Mediation language - how to select language that promotes settlement
Active listening - how to demonstrate to clients that you understand their point of view
Law and procedure - how to handle the preparation and filing of the legal paperwork
Financial disclosures - how to assist clients in completing required disclosure forms
Child Support - how to help clients arrive at an amount they consider fair
Spousal support - how to assist clients in considering a wide variety of options
Assets and debts - how to assist clients in arriving at a fair division
Children's needs - what parents need to know before making decisions about co-parenting
Creating a parenting plan - how to approach "custody" as scheduling, not possession
Burning issues - handling issues that need to override the agenda
Temporary agreements - how to memorialize agreements that precede the MSA/MOU
Separate sessions - how to use time spent alone with each client
Review session - how to assist clients in revising the MSA/MOU
Signing session - how to handle the final session
Ethical issues - the tough choices that mediators face
Outside experts - how to utilize experts such as attorneys, CPAs, therapists, and appraisers
Marketing a successful practice - how to build a referral base
"Master Mediators" - a video depicting different mediation styles
Videotaping with feedback - a chance to evaluate your own progress
Active listening intensive - for family law attorneys
Drafting mediated agreements - an introduction to writing contracts
Mediating a tough case - a two-hour role-play loaded with challenging issues