In our last blog we talked about why we’re so passionate about family mediation and what we think the benefits are of using the family mediation process to find a resolution when you separate from someone. We believe it can help with healing after divorce an with life after divorce. It enables couples to manage their separation in a much more constructive way and this can be a crucial tool in coping with divorce.
If you like what we say about this and feel that it sounds like a great way to help separating couples then maybe you want to think about training as a family mediator? Mediators come from all different backgrounds but especially from legal, therapeutic and social work industries. You can choose whether you work for an organisation who provides a family mediation service or whether you set up on your own.
The training for family mediation is divided into two parts. Firstly, you need to undertake a foundation training course. It’s really important that you do this with a provider that is authorised to provide training by the Family Mediation Council or you won’t be able to move to do the second part. The second part is that you register with the Family Mediation Council as a family mediator and you then start working as a family mediator so that you can work towards obtaining your accreditation.
The accreditation process is not easy but for those committed to family mediation as a career it represents your journey as a family mediator using dispute resolution as a way to help separating couples to deal with a divorce or separation. The most challenging part of the accreditation process is obtaining family mediation work and it is often helpful to give some thought to how you will do this prior to paying the fee for a foundation course. You can obtain work through an organisation that you work for if they offer family law mediation services. Or you can volunteer with a family mediation centre, or you can offer your service yourself. The correct choice for you will depend on your training route (some training courses mean you can’t mediate on your own straight away but that you learn by working with another mediator first), where you work, how confident you feel and the kind of person you are and the skills you have.
If you would like to know more about training as a family mediator then have a look at our training page as we have a training course that you can do in just a morning that outlines the entire training and accreditation process so that you understand what’s involved before you pay out the not inconsiderable sum for a foundation training course. It’s also worth saying that we are always happy to have a chat with anyone who expresses an interest in family mediation training to help you on your journey. So by all means give us a call on 01306 646690 or email us louisa@lkwfamilymediation.co.uk