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CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
 Sonoma Mediation Services offers classes and workshops on Communication, Negotiation, and Conflict Management as well as in specific areas in which we have developed specialties. Many of these classes are through Sonoma State University.
We teach these classes for academic credit through universities, as part of management training programs for businesses, as on-the-job training for employees in private and public organizations, and to satisfy personal interests.We offer these classes wherever and whenever there is a demand.
Some of these workshops lend themselves to short presentations of one to three hours; others are best taught as one to five day retreats. In most cases we can be flexible to meet your needs.
We believe that learning takes place best by doing. Therefore we provide opportunities to allow participants to try out and and practice what we have been teaching. Role plays, small group exercises are an important part of all classes.
Classes given through universities usually carry credits that can be used to meet continuing education requirements for attorneys, nurses, mediators, social workers and psychotherapists.
*** Click here for a list of currently scheduled classes
List of Classes and Workshops
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT FOR BUSINESSES
GROUP DYNAMICS IN BUSINESS AND FAMILIES: IMPLICATIONS FOR MEDIATION
SUCCESFUL NEGOTIATION—A MUST FOR MANAGERS
CLEAR CONNECTIONS—A COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP
NO LONGER SPOUSES—STILL PARENTS
THE ETHICAL MEDIATOR
MEDIATION—ALTERNATIVE TO A COURTROOM BATTLE
EMPOWERING ELDERS: THE VALUE OF MEDIATION
RESOLVING CONFLICTS IN THE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY
THE ANATOMY OF DIVORCE MEDIATION
Description of Classes
• CONFLICT MANAGEMENT FOR BUSINESSES
Preventing, limiting and managing conflict is an important part of the work of business owners and managers. Communication skills and negotiating no-how are tools as necessary as administrative abilities. Performance appraisals, necessary to good human resource management, must be given careful consideration. Gender discrimination, sexual harassment, racial/ ethnic/religious discrimination complaints must be handled skillfully to prevent escalating problems in today's litigious society. This workshop offers information and training to assist you in the difficult work of managing these areas of conflict.
• GROUP DYNAMICS IN BUSINESS AND FAMILIES: IMPLICATIONS FOR MEDIATION
The same rules of group dynamics and group process govern both businesses and families. Mediators who are familiar with these rules are better able to understand and explain the external and internal pressures that create conflict. Using a transactional analysis model, this workshop presents an overview of the structure of groups and the effect of internal and external pressures on the group process. The implications of this for mediation will be discussed. Participants will be encouraged to present cases to analyze, using the theory presented.
• SUCCESFUL NEGOTIATION—A MUST FOR MANAGERS
The need for "peacing together solutions", collaborative problem solving, is more and more important whether we are talking international politics, family relationships or business management. Collaborative problem solving is the key to successful negotiating. It is more effective, more efficient, and it honors individuals and relationships. A well-negotiated settlement allows the participants to continue to work together successfully, whether as colleagues or business associates. Leaning heavily on Ury and Fisher's GETTING TO YES, the class will learn to
1. Separate people from the problems.
2. Focus on interests, not positions.
3. Invent options for mutual gain.
4. Insist on using objective criteria.
• CLEAR CONNECTIONS—A COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP
Good communication is an essential tool needed by everyone. It determines your effectiveness in your business, professional and personal life. It involves understanding the verbal and non-verbal messages you are giving others as well as recognizing from their behavior as well as their words the messages they are sending you. Using a Transactional Analysis model, this workshop will help you clarify your skills so that you are better able to get your message across to others.
• NO LONGER SPOUSES—STILL PARENTS
Divorce is intended to end the spousal relationship. The parenting relationship continues until you die. Different research studies have come up with one important area of agreement: the welfare of your children depends on how good a co-parenting relationship you have developed. This workshop is designed to help you establish a business relationship that enables you to
1. See that your needs and the children's needs are met.
2. Come to agreements amicably.
3. Learn to cooperate to solve problems.
• THE ETHICAL MEDIATOR
Emerging mediation standards should serve three goals: to act as a guide for the conduct of mediators, to inform all parties in a mediation about the rules governing mediators, and to promote public confidence in mediation as a method of solving disputes. Nevertheless, mediation remains a minefield of potential ethical struggles.
This course will help participants examine existing and proposed ethical standards and apply them to different mediation models. Students will be encouraged to weigh these standards against their personal ethics, and, using consensus techniques, develop what they consider to be a satisfactory Code of Ethics for Mediators.
• MEDIATION—ALTERNATIVE TO A COURTROOM BATTLE
Too often in divorce, marriages become a battlefield, where words are the bullets and the mission is to destroy the other side. When played in a courtroom, the process is contentious, expensive, unpredictable and disempowering. A resolution is imposed by a judge who knows the law but not your special problems. (You can appeal of course and keep the battle going.)
This course explains how mediation can be applied to this process so that the end result fits the parties' special needs.
1. It describes mediation, its characteristics, the approach and attitudes that are most likely to make it successful and the conditions under which it is not likely to work.
2. It shows how mediation can make it possible to explore the legal issues involved, agree on ways to provide to share properties and debts.
3. It outlines the formation of a good parenting plan.
4. It discusses techniques that lead to creative ways to resolve the blocks to agreement that invariably arise.
5. It teaches communication and negotiating skills that are valuable beyond their application to the divorce process.
• EMPOWERING ELDERS: THE VALUE OF MEDIATION
This course is designed for those working with Elders, whether as human service providers, health care professionals, agency staff, family members or attorneys. The realities and myths of aging are discussed. The value of mediation in resolving difficult issues is addressed: intergenerational disputes, health care, conservatorship issues, disabilities, discrimination, property management, probate and wills.
• RESOLVING CONFLICTS IN THE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY
The new advances in Health Care have created moral dilemmas and promoted conflicts for all concerned: patients, families, the health care professionals. This course reviews the dilemmas and the difficulties they present. It goes on to describe the mediation process and how it works. It demonstrates how mediation can successfully resolve the problems to make it possible to arrive at timely decisions that respect the patient's rights, the families' concerns and the professionals responsibilities. It describes a negotiation process that provides a more satisfactory solution than litigation.
•THE ANATOMY OF DIVORCE MEDIATION
This is a workshop for couples considering divorce. It explains the legal, financial, personal and family issues involved. It points out the differences between mediation, therapy, and advocacy. It discusses mediation, and continues by elaborating on when and when not to mediate.
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