Family Mediator Training
The benefits of family mediation are understood by those who work in the court system or in mental health settings. Mediators perform a delicate and important service to families. An understanding of the educational and coursework requirements to become a family mediator will help potential mediators make a decision as to whether a future as a family mediator is the right occupational choice.
Other People Are Reading
-
Education Requirements for Mediator Positions
-
Family mediators are often required to hold a master's degree or Ph.D. in counseling or a related field. Many family mediators receive degrees in social work, religious counseling, family and marriage counseling and child/adolescent counseling. Advanced degrees are required because of their practicum requirements. Educational experience in a counseling setting is required by many employers. Some family mediators spend time doing individual counseling on top of family mediation duties. While other mediators have degrees in law, arbitration or substance abuse counseling or developmental psychology.
Foundational Coursework
-
Family mediators take a variety of courses to prepare for mediation work. Much of the coursework taken will depend largely on the environment in which the mediator primarily works. For those who work in counseling settings courses in diagnosis, substance abuse, psychopathology, developmental psychology and personality development may be necessary. However, some family mediators work in primarily legal environments or are frequently commissioned by courts to provide mediation services during divorce or separation settlements. In this case, there are courses that can be taken on family mediation. These courses are often accredited by the state's supreme court as conflict resolution courses. Legal courses in mediation focus on divorce mediation and how to assist families with custody negotiation. Courses in mediation ethics are typically required of most employers.
-
Certification Benefits
-
Some mediators only get degrees in their relative fields (psychology, counseling, social work, law, etc.); however, many mediators who wish to make family mediation their primary profession become certified mediators. These certifications are usually offered by the state court system of other court certified mediation program. These courses focus primarily on the legal aspects on mediation and how to navigate mediation and conflict properly in the confines of each state's legal codes. Certification allows mediators to call themselves "certified mediation specialists" or related title. Becoming certified also requires maintenance of certification through continuing education courses, of which a certain number of continuing education hours (which will vary from state to state).
Skills Acquired
-
In accelerated mediation training courses, individuals are taught how to start and market their mediation services to the public as well as how to structure a mediation training session. Individuals will learn a variety of skills and methods on how to facilitate a mediation session amongst family members and how to deal with disagreements or hostility during a session. Many programs focus on the psychological needs of any children involved in a mediation effort as well as the emotional and psychological needs of adults. Accompanying a psychological focus is often a legal focus which teaches mediators how to conduct mediation sessions according to legal guidelines including family law, adoption, child custody, separation, etc.
Typical Costs
-
While mediation course costs vary widely depending upon the geographic region, most courses are about $400 to $1,200 for a typical 40 to 48 credit hours of instruction. Cost will depend upon whether coursework is approved by state supreme court mediation guidelines and the variable hours offered as credit. Ethics continuing education courses may run significantly less approximately $100 to $300 for three to five variable credit hours.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit family image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
