If you've been accredited for a few years now. You've sat with people in the middle of disputes that looked impossible at the start and helped them find a way through. Somewhere along the way, a quiet confidence has settled into your practice. So what comes next?
For a lot of experienced mediators, the honest answer is: I'm not sure. You're past the early scramble of learning the craft, but you'd like to keep growing — and you'd like that growth to count for something. That's exactly where the AMDRAS Practicum comes in.
What is the Practicum?
The Practicum Certificate is an advanced skills program and an approved pathway to Advanced Mediator accreditation under the Australian Mediator and Dispute Resolution Accreditation Standards (AMDRAS) — the national standards that set out what's expected of accredited mediators in Australia.
It isn't about teaching you to mediate from scratch. It's built around the practice you already have. The focus is on reflective practice, complex case discussion, and honest professional feedback — the things that genuinely lift a seasoned mediator's work rather than simply revisiting the basics.
Is it for you?
The Practicum is designed for mediators who:
- are currently accredited as a mediator under AMDRAS;
- have been nationally accredited for at least four years (that's two renewal cycles); and
- have completed at least 150 hours of mediation practice.
If you read that list and thought "yes, that's me" — you're very likely ready.
What's involved
It's a real commitment, but a manageable one. You'll take part in 12 hours of live engagement (online or in person), to be completed within two months. You'll bring a real, de-identified case to present for structured peer discussion, keep a short reflective journal, and give and receive considered feedback. The thread running through all of it is applied learning — your own practice, examined closely and made stronger.
Reflective practice can sound abstract until you see it in action. In the short video below, a practitioner works through the Gibbs reflective cycle — a simple, structured way of learning from a mediation by stepping through what happened, how it felt, and what you'd do differently next time. It's the kind of thinking the Practicum is built around.
Why it's worth doing
Advanced Mediator accreditation is recognition that you operate at a high level — and that recognition opens doors, whether that's the kind of work you're offered, the panels you can join, or simply the standing you carry into the room. Just as importantly, the Practicum gives you something experienced practitioners rarely make time for: a structured chance to step back, reflect, and sharpen the way you work, alongside peers doing the same.
Ready to take a closer look?
We run the Practicum across the year, with workshops scheduled in 2026. You'll find the full eligibility detail, course structure, fees and dates — and you can download the course guide — on our Practicum page.
Want to guide reflective practice in others?
In the video above, a practitioner used the Gibbs reflective cycle to learn from her own mediation. But Gibbs is just one reflective model — and doing your own reflection is a different skill from guiding someone else through theirs.
Mi's Clinical Supervision Training prepares experienced mediators and FDR practitioners to step into the supervisor's chair: facilitating reflective practice, providing safe professional debriefing, and supporting practitioner wellbeing. It's built around Mi's Tripod Model of Reflective Clinical Supervision — Learning, Accountability and Wellbeing — and leads to a nationally recognised Statement of Attainment in CHCMGT005 Facilitate Workplace Debriefing and Support Processes.