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40-Hour Family Mediation Skills Training

Family conflict mediation gives people who are divorcing or separated and co-parenting a creative alternative to the family courts for making decisions about their relationship, and how they impact their children’s lives. This alternative dispute resolution option is a cooperative and constructive way to resolve differences and plan for the future. Minnesota District Court requires that alternatives to court be considered early in the dissolution process. Expert instructors bring years of experience as a mediator, parenting time expeditor, parenting consultant and custody evaluator. The course covers family conflict resolution and emotional conflict surrounding family issues, as well as specific conflict resolution techniques for property and parenting dispute mediation. Special attention is paid to identifying families experiencing domestic violence. The experienced mediation trainers use demonstrations, role play, and other exercises for this mediation training to encourage interaction and reflection. Students learn from each other’s experiences related to dispute resolution and conflict management, and often form enduring professional ties.

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  • 2 Enrolled
  • English
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$1,795.00

This course includes

  • Duration 40.0 hr
  • Language English
  • Next Start Date March 30th 2026
Course Description
This course will run ALL IN PERSON from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM each day for the six training days. There will be stretch breaks, snack breaks, and a one-hour lunch break each day. Please note that drinks, snacks, and a catered lunch will be provided for all participants. An email will be sent in advance of the training start date to confirm any dietary requirements.

Days 1-3: March 20, 21, 22, 2025 (Thursday, Friday, Saturday) AND

Days 4-6: March 27, 28, 29, 2025 (Thursday, Friday, Saturday).

The course is designed for people in any professional background seeking to work with clients to solve all types of family conflicts. Whether you are a legal professional, therapist, or work with clients in family settings, this training will give you the skills to navigate emotionally charged conflicts. Students experience a supportive learning environment that includes hands-on exercises, group discussion, multimedia presentations and simulations that include a variety of disputes and individualized feedback from experienced coaches. Students learn from each other’s experiences related to dispute resolution and conflict management, and often form enduring professional ties.

Expert instructors Jana Aune Deach, Jennifer Stevens, and Michelle Camilli, along with guest speakers, bring years of experience as divorce and family law attorneys and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) providers in divorce and family mediation, financial early neutral evaluation (FENE), social early neutral evaluation (SENE), parenting time expediting (PTE), and parenting consulting (PC). The course covers family conflict resolution and emotional conflict surrounding family issues, as well as specific conflict resolution techniques for property and parenting dispute mediation. Special attention is paid to identifying families experiencing domestic violence. Our highly experienced trainers are joined by other experienced mediators to create an engaging atmosphere that encourages experimentation and participation. Students find this course invaluable in their professional lives, in formal mediation settings and for daily conflict management.

Mediation Center’s Family Mediation Training is certified by the Minnesota State Court Administrator Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) program, and meets the requirements to become a qualified family facilitative neutral under The General Rules of Practice for the District Courts Rule 114 in Minnesota. Professional Continuing Education Credits (in the form of CEU, CE, CLE and/or LMFT credits) are available.

Start Date: Mar 30th, 2026 @ 10:03AM MDT

End Date: Apr 3rd, 2026 @ 12:03PM MDT

Price: $1,795.00

Details: Here's the time for this course M, T, Th, F. Park in the zoo.

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Tobin Lay

JD, MBA, COO of Mediation Center

  • 9.1k
  • 5
  • 3 Courses
  • 1
About Instructor

Tobin Lay, JD, MBA, is the COO of Mediation Center, a facilitator, a qualified neutral (civil and family mediator) under Rule 114 of the MN General Rules of Practice, and occasionally works as an Adjunct Professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, teaching Negotiation, Theories of Conflict, and Organizational Conflict Management. Mr. Lay also volunteers with Community Mediation Minnesota as a member of its Board of Directors. Until recently, Mr. Lay has worked professionally as a public administrator, where he served as City Administrator and/or other roles for the Minnesota Cities of Landfall Village, Birchwood Village, and North St. Paul. Mr. Lay received a B.S. from University of Phoenix, with a major in Business Management, an M.B.A. from Hamline University, with a concentration in International Management, and a J.D. and Certificates in International Business Negotiations and Advocacy and Problem Solving from Hamline University School of Law.

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