Certificate in Family Mediation
Join Ontario’s only university family mediation program and develop the skills and experience you need to mediate conflict and help families enduring difficult times move forward collaboratively.
What you will learn
In our part-time Certificate in Family Mediation, you will gain the insights, skills, and practical experience to help families work together to resolve conflict in a practical and safe manner. This program will help you:
- Prepare to work closely with families in conflict to help them work through disputes, identify fair and reasonable solutions, and strengthen their relationships
- Reduce families’ emotional stress, ensure an equal voice to all parties, and help form lasting agreements
- Gain practical mediation experience and develop emotional intelligence
Program Benefits
- Fulfills the training requirements for the Accredited Family Mediator (AccFM) designation with the Ontario Association for Family Mediation
- Prepare to fulfill the family mediation training requirement to pursue the Certified Specialist in Family Mediation (FDRP Med) designation through the Family Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario
- Learn first-hand from certified and practicing industry-expert coaches and instructors who regularly encounter the types of interpersonal challenges that result from family conflict
- Participate in experiential learning opportunities, including role-playing sessions, which will allow you to develop your mediation skills and improve your confidence as a new practitioner
Webinars
- Family Mediation Program Information Webinar [00:58:40] [Watch now]
Learn more about our Certificate in Family Mediation, including information on courses, instructors, and how to enrol.
* From 00:29:05, instructor Mary Anne Popescu speaks about the pathways to being a professional family mediator.
- The Changing Landscape of Family Dispute Resolution in Canada [00:59:06] [Watch now]
Learn more about how COVID-19 and changes to the Divorce Act have helped to increase access to justice and promote more inclusive dispute resolution practices. Family Law Specialist and program Instructor Archana Medhekar, BSC, LL.B, LL.M, ACC.FM, is the featured speaker in this engaging discussion.
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How Family Mediation has Changed Since the COVID-19 Crisis [00:02:25] [Watch now]
Since the pandemic, Family Mediators have experienced drastic changes in how they serve their clients. Hear from our instructor Mary-Anne Popescu on how family mediators still affect positive change in their clients’ lives through online venues.
Part-Time Program:
Format: Part-Time
Delivery: Live online classes and coaching sessions (12 weekends, Sat & Sun 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM)
Program Length: 6 months
Term Starts: Fall, Winter
Summer Intensive Program:
Format: Intensive
Delivery: Live online classes and coaching sessions (4 days per week 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM)
Program Length: 6 weeks
Term Starts: Summer
CSFM1000 Family Mediation Fundamentals
Participants will learn about the nature of conflict and conflict management, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes, negotiation with a focus on the interest-based negotiation model developed by the Harvard Program on Negotiation, and Mediation with an emphasis on facilitative mediation as applied in a family mediation context.
CSFM1020 Family Law
Participants will learn about the law-making systems in place in Canada, the legislative jurisdiction over family law, and the family justice system in Ontario. They will learn of the law pertaining to custody of and access to children, child support, spousal support, and property equalization and division. Participants learn how to search online for legislation, regulations, and reported decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada and the Ontario Court of Appeal. They will review statutory and case law. The instructor will demonstrate the use of computer software to determine potential financial support and property outcomes.
CSFM1010 Assessing and Screening for Domestic Violence
This course covers essential elements within and throughout the family mediation process that all family mediators must be fully attuned to. The instructor will inform participants about domestic violence and power imbalance as phenomena that are characteristic of many families and how to screen and assess readiness and appropriateness for mediation. The instructor will provide participants with a screening instrument and they will role-play its application to safety planning within the context of family mediation. A variety of learning modalities are used including lecture, group discussions, exercises, and role-play.
CSFM1030 Family Relations
The course in Screening for Domestic Violence and Power Imbalance informs participants of an essential element of the family mediation process required by all of the principal family mediation organizations. The instructor will inform the participants about domestic violence and power imbalance as phenomena that are characteristic of many families. The instructor will provide them with a screening instrument and they will role-play its application. The instructor will review the impact of what participants learn through screening, in particular, whether mediation is appropriate, and if so, those measures a mediator can take to ensure that he or she provides a safe environment. A variety of learning modalities are used including lecture, demonstrations interactive experiential activities, and role-play.
CSFM1040 Advanced Family Mediation
This course is an experiential application of the skills learned throughout the Family Mediation Certificate Program. The trainer will combine lecture along with interactive learning activities including role-play to cover topics such as mobility, intergenerational issues, dealing with impasse, conflict analysis, unconscious and implicit bias, cultural fluency, working with high-conflict behaviors, management of multiparty situations, drafting, and process design to address power imbalance. The course will include an overall comprehensive look at the mediation process and deepening of the mediator experience will be explored through reflective practice.
Certificate in Family Mediation
Fall 2023
Sep 30, 23-Mar 24, 24
Live Online Classes
$4,995.00
Certificate in Family Mediation (Intensive)
Summer 2023
May 01-Jun 17, 23
Intensive
(Live Online Classes)
$4,995.00
