Mediation Institute Latest Training Update August September 2022

Hi Joanne, Thank you for providing me the opportunity to get admission into your program and meaningful support to complete it. I must mention here you were very helpful to me during the course. Another personality if I don't mention her name it would be injustice, was Cynthia. I must mention it here that she was very kind, humble and a great teacher. Best Regards, Noor

I did the Bond live in 3 days Mediation Course about 25 years ago when Laurence (Boule) and Pat were getting mediation off the ground. I think this course is significantly better than that course. .. I acted as a mediator but in the (past) 20 years ... I have always acted for a party. The big difference is that when everyone is represented there are short cuts. I am going to do a workplace scenario to get away from the short cuts and unlike the more legal based scenarios, I don't start with the answer in mind.

Why I enrolled with Mi. it was due to the flexibility afforded with when the course modules and role plays could be done, allowing me to better fit them in around my work. There was also good feedback and reviews given which made me feel confident in signing up for the course.

I'm in the entertainment industry & I'm also a Massage Therapist so when covid hits & isolation occurs I'm out of employment & the family income has been hit hard. As much as I try not to take it personally, it does make me feel quite helpless. So, I thought I needed an employment/income that doesn't get affected during pandemics & this came to me from a friend of mine who was talking about how she wanted to do it (she's yet to) & I swooped in & started the process.

I'm a lawyer looking to expand my skill set and enrolled with Mediation Institute after reading recommendations and in preference to other providers due to the flexibility in undertaking the course. Looking forward to getting started

What attracted me to the Mediation Institute?- Besides the fact that you are an accredited training facility, have a complaints handling system, and CPD's and PI assistance, I was impressed by the ability to complete the entire course including assessment online. This was very attractive to me. I did look at a couple of other places and one did offer training online but you had to organise your own assessment and if you failed they were going to charge $400 to redo the assessment! Your course fees are competitive, and you also include a re-assessment if required which is reassuring. So for me it was about convenience and value for money. Looking forward to completing the course.

I am a family lawyer. I am also an ICL. I probably mediate on average once a fortnight for parties or on behalf of a child. 2 of my employed staff are mediators but although I did an inhouse legal aid course years ago (before things got more complicated) I have not worried about a mediator's qualification I am doing this for personal development, CPD points (for 2 years) and to add to my professional skills. I am very busy with work so the online course is my only option !

​Thanks for your support and assistance - it made all the difference in my passing the assessment. I really like your approach and you have been a fantastic mentor for me. I really value all the knowledge you shared so generously. Thanks Andrea

I was exploring a number of law and mediation programs both tertiary and vocational. The initial thought was to try to complete a post grad law crad cert with mediation as a subject however it was incredibly hard to find something without a law undergrad. My areas of focus were mediation and family law. Working through courses it also wasn't very clear that I could accelerate my studies for FDR because of my social work quals which the institute clearly outlined. I would have also preferred a face to face type of learning style but again in this climate not readily available and although work placements I get can be an imposition when you already work full time etc it is actually my best approach to learning so I am genuinely keen to consolidate the learning through those hours. I've been involved in clinical social work practice in the family context and leadership for around 15 yearsand completed my masters in family therapy, now really wanting to focus in an area that I've got a real passion for from both personal and professional experience. I do have one question around the work placement although this is down the track. I am hoping to secure something local to me for that hands-on experience however if I can't manage to lock this down, can I request to do the online work placement at any time?

Thank you for your emails and congratulations which is very much appreciated. 🙌 It was extremely uplifting and motivating to have received incredible support from the team. Cynthia in particular who went out of her way to believe in me and provide continual extensive support and encouragement, as did Ken who never hesitated to repeatedly allow me into his support sessions and for providing additional resources and encouragement. I can't speak highly enough of all the mentors for their collective knowledge, extensive individual professional experience, insights, strategies, hints and tips, and endless patience. Thank you to all the MI team for allowing me to listen to as many roleplays and assessments that I could attend with no cap for observing, as this enabled me to recognise the stages of mediation (I found this confusing at first) and identify what works well, what worked better and what may not be so effective as every roleplay presented differently (as it will in the real world). It certainly was a journey with not only the usual interruptions but a major self confidence barrier from an external source which I had to overcome. The MI team was outstanding and relentless in providing exceptional, genuine support and belief in my ability, which has now enabled me to become an NMAS accredited Mediator! I'm now researching further study with MI!🙌 I am very happy Joanne if you'd like to use the above as a testimonial for MI 😊 Thank you Karen

I decided to do this training because I want to be able to run mediations in my current role. I thought the Mediation Institute Course will provide me with flexibility to be able to do this course whilst I work.

The reason I chose this course was because it is online and because you responded quickly to my enquiry. The website was also more comprehensive and transparent than some of the other courses.

Hi Ken, My session was amazing! There was so much find tuning that needed actioning so was most grategul that I had this prior to my assessment. I passed by the way! Thank you again.

It was great meeting you and having a F2F chat. I think the meeting was important for a number of reasons, mainly because there is someone contactable on the other side. Self paced internet learning can be quite daunting, and isolating, so to have that initial contact I believe is important. Most especially as I'm used to old school ways of learning. I was also able to get some clarity on some things, and freely ask questions which are important at the beginning stage. You were able to confirm what I thought some processes were and what I was doing was accurate. I cannot say what I would do differently or even suggest improvements! Each person is unique as you're aware and will get different things out of it. But i definitely appreciated the contact and chat. and i definitely think its a must.​

Your course was recommended to me by a colleague.

​and just briefly, to answer your question, i chose to do this training with the Mi for several reasons. and of course when choosing you guys over the others, especially with such a cost, it came down to some simple reasons. predominantly your professionalism over the phone, the feedback and reviews from other students, the trainers and profiles, and the course bonus modules. I also liked that i could access the handbook and have a look at this which some other places do not have, or readily available even.

I found the training at Mediation Institute very friendly, professional and accommodating. It does not only provide the necessary skills and knowledge for becoming a competent Mediator but also provides opportunities to improve one's skills in other related areas such as Mental Health First Aid and family dispute resolutions. There are ample opportunities to practice and improve one's skills and knowledge through roleplays, mentoring, webinars, discussions and assignments. Although I had heavy workload and health issues I was supported by the Course Coordinator(s) to be able to complete my course requirements in a timely but stress free manner. For that I thank you all and look forward to see you time to time at roleplays engagements. Many thanks again for your help and support. Greatly appreciated. With warmest regards,

On a personal note, I would like to thank you (Cynthia) ​and Ken for your mentoring and encouragement. I was really struggling with the concepts in the beginning but you were both very patient and your feedback made it easy to learn from my mistakes. ​

Thanks Cynthia, and thank you so much for your kindness and support! I feel most grateful as there was no way I could have continued without your timely encouragement. You do an amazing job! Thanks again!

I think the MI NMAS course has been of great benefit to me personally and I much better understand what mediation is all about. The training and the theory behind it will result in a much better lawyer and mediator. I would recommend that legal practitioners who are not yet qualified in but who are nevertheless involved in ADR, should undertake the course or similar. In my limited experience with civil disputes, mediation and ADR in general, I think that too many lawyers really do let sleeping dogs lie. Too many mediations in my experience are still run as if it's a form of negotiation or arbitration. The mediators generally should be more responsive not regard parties as adversaries with competing interests. To many mediations seem to be simply an exercise in knocking down the claimant's bottom line dollar amount or getting the other side to compromise... There are many good lawyers for sure, but there are also lawyers who don't bother to understand the deeper issues, their client's situation, and what they really want. They don't look at and consider the other side's "interests". "Difficult" topics of the conflict situation are often not explored. A resolution should not always be just about a money solution. Sometimes, all that one side really wants from that orange is really actually the rind… Mark ​

Hello Cynthia. You have been such a great instructor and being patient with us all. You have been so generous sharing your experiences and wealth of knowledge. An inspiration! Both you and Ken. I will be back doing my CPD, so you will probably see me around on zoom. And maybe, down the road, when I can demonstrate a competency and affinity, come back for FDR and/or TRM training and see you as my instructor and mentor. Thank you once again for this wonderful learning experience. I always believe we are the sum of our experiences. And this counts among one of the best unforgettable ones with you and Mi.

A belated many thanks for all your support and encouragement and efforts in making my final assessment happen with absent role player issues! You were not nearly as scary as you warned me:-) If appropriate, please keep me in mind if you are struggling to find a role player; I will willingly make myself available if I can. Couldn't have done it without your generous support! Take good care, and I do hope to meet again sometime soon in the future, Warm regards, P.S Please also pass on my sincere thanks to Andrew for his willingness to step in last minute and for his kindness along the way!​

I am doing two facilitated discussions at work and they are very difficult and toxic relationships. I am very daunted but very glad I have a strong mediation framework to work, with having just completed the course. ​I really enjoyed the course. Being self paced and online was an absolute delight and I felt well supported by you and the other trainers and also the other students. Thank you so much for your wonderfully warm encouragement and support.

​I truly enjoyed the FGC training and am learning so much from the modules as well. We are looking forward to continuing our relationship with Mi for Supervision and interactions. Thank you Lu.

The FGC course was absolutely wonderful !! (New York Student)

Thank you to Peter and to all the teachers / mentors, you all provide amazing support, encouragement and feedback. I look forward to building on the skills I have started to develop in this course in my work as a solicitor and hopefully transition to working as a mediator.

I just want to say BIG THANK YOU for being a valuable guide for me in this course. I honestly struggled at times (totally out of my comfort zone) and thought about quitting, but with your stories, your caring nature and great humor, I got through it and graduated.....YEAH! I know you have been a valuable help to many in this course.

​I think your training was a key part of me getting on the DCJ panel.

​I gained a lot of insights for NMAS in 2018 when I undertook the course, as it was focused on a faciliative approach and the structure of the mediation sessions makes sense. I found all the course material to be concise, to the point and the trainers feedback was positive and constructive, so there were targets to measure and improve on in subsequent sessions. With my somewhat erratic work patterns and interstate travel at times on assignments, on-line training is the most effective way of either learning new skills or keeping up with professional developments and collegues. I choose this course to expand my mediation tool-box workplaced interpersonal and "industrial issues" have dominated past mediation assignments, so some exposure to other areas is attractive and like most learling, related learning often brings more awareness of core skill set.

Thank you for your emails and congratulations which is very much appreciated. It was extremely uplifting and motivating to have received incredible support from the team. Cynthia in particular who went out of her way to believe in me and provide continual extensive support and encouragement, as did Ken who never hesitated to repeatedly allow me into his support sessions and for providing additional resources and encouragement. I can't speak highly enough of all the mentors for their collective knowledge, extensive individual professional experience, insights, strategies, hints and tips, and endless patience. Thank you to all the MI team for allowing me to listen to as many roleplays and assessments that I could attend with no cap for observing, as this enabled me to recognise the stages of mediation (I found this confusing at first) and identify what works well, what worked better and what may not be so effective as every roleplay presented differently (as it will in the real world). It certainly was a journey with not only the usual interruptions but a major self confidence barrier from an external source which I had to overcome. The MI team was outstanding and relentless in providing exceptional, genuine support and belief in my ability, which has now enabled me to become an NMAS accredited Mediator! I'm now researching further study with MI!

​Hi Ken, My session was amazing! There was so much find tuning that needed actioning so was most grateful that I had this prior to my assessment. I passed by the way! Thank you again.

​The FGC course was absolutely wonderful !!

​I truly enjoyed the FGC training and am learning so much from the modules as well. We are looking forward to continuing our relationship with Mi for Supervision and interactions. Thank you Lu