BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//The Center for Understanding in Conflict - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:The Center for Understanding in Conflict
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://understandinginconflict.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for The Center for Understanding in Conflict
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/Los_Angeles
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0800
TZOFFSETTO:-0700
TZNAME:PDT
DTSTART:20250309T100000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0700
TZOFFSETTO:-0800
TZNAME:PST
DTSTART:20251102T090000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0800
TZOFFSETTO:-0700
TZNAME:PDT
DTSTART:20260308T100000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0700
TZOFFSETTO:-0800
TZNAME:PST
DTSTART:20261101T090000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0800
TZOFFSETTO:-0700
TZNAME:PDT
DTSTART:20270314T100000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0700
TZOFFSETTO:-0800
TZNAME:PST
DTSTART:20271107T090000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260304
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260309
DTSTAMP:20260426T081855
CREATED:20250703T184546Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260121T204501Z
UID:48236-1772582400-1773014399@understandinginconflict.org
SUMMARY:40-Hour Mediation and Conflict Resolution Skills Training (West Coast)
DESCRIPTION:March 4 – 8\, 2026 | Green Gulch Farm\, Muir Beach\, CA \nTo register\, scroll to the bottom of this page. \nAre you the person others turn to when they are in conflict?\nWhether you mediate disputes professionally or want to improve how you support meaningful conversations – in families\, workplaces\, or communities – this immersive\, in-person training will provide you with the essential skills\, structure\, and confidence to navigate conflict with greater clarity and connection. \nWhat You’ll Learn\nGrounded in the Understanding-Based model from Challenging Conflict\, this training focuses on: \n\nPositive Neutrality – supporting all parties without taking sides\nThe Loop of Understanding – building empathy and connection through active listening\nCreative Options – crafting solutions that meet deeper needs and interests\nA Foundation for the Future – enabling lasting\, self-determined agreements\n\n  \nWho Should Attend?\nThis training is designed for anyone whose personal or professional life involves guiding others through conflict\, whether formally or informally. Our participants consistently report that this program reshapes not only how they approach conflict\, but how they understand communication\, decision-making\, and relationship dynamics. Here’s how this training applies to different professional roles: \n\nMediators and Conflict Resolution Professionals: Whether you are newly exploring mediation or seeking to deepen your practice\, this training offers a hands-on approach that moves beyond traditional tools and techniques. You will learn how to facilitate conversations where parties truly understand each other – often for the first time – and co-create durable\, meaningful resolutions.\nLawyers\, Collaborative Professionals\, and Ombuds: For legal professionals\, \, this model shifts the focus from advocacy and positioning to understanding and informed choice. You will learn how to support clients in engaging constructively with conflict while still addressing legal realities – without relying on control\, pressure\, or adversarial dynamics.\nHuman Resources Leaders\, Managers\, and Nonprofit Staff: If you are responsible for managing people\, teams\, or organizational culture\, this training provides a vital toolkit for navigating interpersonal tension\, staff grievances\, and sensitive conversations. The Understanding-Based model helps you foster clarity\, empathy\, and accountability – leading to more resilient teams and healthier workplace dynamics.\nExecutive Coaches\, Consultants\, and Educators: When your work centers on growth\, transformation\, and leadership\, conflict is often just beneath the surface. This training equips you with a new lens and skill set for working with clients or groups who are stuck in disagreement\, misalignment\, or tension. You will be better prepared to support breakthroughs – whether in strategic planning\, coaching conversations\, or facilitation work.\nAnyone Seeking a More Meaningful Way to Work with Conflict!\n\nYou do not need to be a professional mediator to benefit from this training. If you are the person people come to when there is tension – in your family\, workplace\, or community – or if you want to better understand and navigate conflict in your own life\, this training offers a practical\, compassionate framework that will change how you listen\, speak\, and relate to others. \nProgram Format\nThis in-person training features a mix of short presentations\, live demonstrations\, and small group role plays in  full-length practice mediations. You’ll have the chance to practice in a safe\, supportive environment with real-time feedback and coaching from experienced trainers. \nSchedule Overview\n\nWednesday\, Mar 4: Check-in is 1:45 – 2:15 pm; training begins 2:30 pm and runs until 9:00 pm\nThursday – Friday\, Mar 5 – 6: Full-day sessions\, 9:00 am – 9:00 pm (with ample breaks)\nSaturday\, Mar 7: 9:00 am-6:00 pm\nSunday\, Mar 8: 9:00 am-12:15 pm\n\nNote: Lodging check-in may not be available until 3:00pm Wednesday. \nVenue\nGreen Gulch Farm Zen Center in Muir Beach\, CA\, is a tranquil retreat space nestled among coastal hills. Accommodations are simple and beautiful\, with Japanese-inspired guest rooms and shared bathrooms. Three nourishing vegetarian meals per day are provided\, along with snacks\, coffee\, and tea. WIFI is available\, but cell service is limited. \nParticipants must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 at least two weeks prior to the program. \n \nAbout the Center for Understanding in Conflict and Our Model\nThe Center for Understanding in Conflict (CUC) was founded over four decades ago by Gary Friedman and Jack Himmelstein\, who pioneered a radical approach to mediation and conflict resolution. Drawing from their experiences as lawyers\, educators\, and people impacted by conflict themselves\, they developed what is now known as the Understanding-Based model. \nThis approach challenges the traditional win-lose\, adversarial frameworks that dominate many legal and organizational systems. Instead of seeing conflict as something to suppress\, manage\, or solve through external authority\, the Understanding-Based model embraces it as an opportunity for deeper human connection which supports the impulse to work together towards mutually beneficial solutions. . \nAt its heart\, the model is grounded in four core principles: \n\nUnderstanding – cultivating deep awareness of oneself\, others\, and the conflict itself\nResponsibility – inviting parties to take ownership of the process and outcome\nWorking Together – choosing dialogue and direct engagement over separation or shuttle diplomacy\nGoing Under the Conflict – exploring what lies beneath positions to get to meaning\, emotion\, and deeper needs\n\nSince the 1980s\, thousands of professionals – including mediators\, lawyers\, coaches\, therapists\, managers\, and community leaders – have trained with the Center. Many have incorporated the Understanding-Based model into their lives and work\, transforming not just how they navigate conflict\, but how they relate to others and themselves. \nThis training is a continuation of that legacy. It’s more than just a skills workshop – it’s an invitation to participate in a movement that honors empathy\, autonomy\, and connection at the center of conflict resolution. \n \nTrainers\nCatherine Conner has been a mediation and collaborative practice trainer since 2004. She is a frequent presenter at collaborative conferences and family law workshops. She authored Collaborative Practice Materials with Steven Neustadter and Margaret Anderson. Catherine Conner’s private practice focuses on family law alternate dispute resolution\, including mediation\, collaborative practice\, and private judging. She graduated from the UC Berkeley School of Law in 1982 and is a founding partner of Conner\, Lawrence\, Rodney\, Olhiser & Barrett\, LLP. In 1992\, Catherine became a Certified Family Law Specialist.  She has been honored as the recipient of the Rex Sater Award for Excellence in Family Law\, the Eureka award by Collaborative Practice California and was the 2018 honoree for Careers of Distinction.  She was on the Board of Directors of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals from 2007-2014 and served as the President in 2013. \n\n\n\n\n\n\nHansa Patel is an attorney\, mediator\, and teacher.  As an attorney\, Hansa zealously advocated for abused and neglected children or defended their parents’ rights in the San Francisco juvenile dependency court for fourteen years.  Hansa is passionate about serving the underprivileged community.  Feeling depleted by the court system\, Hansa explored new ways to empower her clients to resolve conflict.  Mediation empowers Hansa’s clients to choose how they want to engage with conflict\, co-create resolutions\, and even transform a relationship.  In the USA\, Canada\, and Africa\, Hansa teaches mediation\, including integrating mindfulness skills into conflict resolution.  Hansa wants her clients to have the same tools she cultivates in her children:  a mindful approach to resolving challenges in life. \nArmine Baltazar is a mediator and a collaborative attorney in Los Angeles.  After over 20 years of practicing in the litigation arena\, Armine finds it deeply fulfilling to help couples find a non-litigated way through divorce. She co-founded HEALTHY Divorce\, a Los Angeles Superior Court pilot project that links lower-income divorcing couples with support services such as legal\, parenting\, mental health\, and housing. She is also a member of CUC’s Programs Committee and is the Chair of Virtual Divorce California’s Diversity Committee. \n Armine teaches mediation at Monterey College of Law and has been a guest lecturer at Loyola Law School and Santa Monica City College.  She has been a school board member of a private\, pre-K through 12th grade Armenian heritage awareness school in Hollywood for over ten years. She graduated from UCLA’s School of Law in 1997 and is a member of various mediation and collaborative organizations and study groups. She has appeared on CBS News and on radio for her legal opinion and has twice been a guest speaker on the podcast\, “The Amicable Divorce Expert.” \n\n\n\nCosts\nThe program training fee is $1\,485 plus a fee for the facility\, lodging\, and meals as follows: \n\nPrivate room at Green Gulch:  $825\, for a total of $2\,310\nShared double room at Green Gulch:  $675\, for a total of $2\,160\nCommuter for those not staying at Green Gulch:  $325\, for a total of $1\,810\n\nPlease note that the bathrooms are shared at Green Gulch. You can find more details about accommodation at Green Gulch by clicking here. \nA deposit of $500.00 is necessary to secure registration. \nCOVID-19 Protocols\nGreen Gulch requires: \n\nA negative rapid antigen test within 24 hours of arrival\nA second rapid test upon arrival (bring your own)\nMasks are optional\n\nProtocols may change; participants will be notified of updates. \nCancellation Policy\n\nCancel 4 or more weeks before: Refund minus $250 fee\nCancel 2 – 4 weeks before: 50% refund unless your spot is filled\nLess than 2 weeks: No refund unless we find a replacement\n\n\nContinuing Legal Education\nCalifornia  \nThe Center for Understanding in Conflict is an accredited provider of California Continuing Legal Education by the State Bar of California.  The Working Creatively with Conflict Training – appropriate for both newly admitted and experienced attorneys – will qualify for 32 participatory and 8 self-study CA MCLE credit hours. \nNew York \nIn New York\, The Mediation Intensive Training will fulfill 40 NY CLE credit hours (6.5 Ethics credits; 19.5 Professional Practice credits; and 14 Skills credits).  For continuing legal education purposes\, the Mediation Intensive Training is appropriate for both newly admitted and experienced attorneys. \nPhoto and Video Notice\nPhotos or videos may be taken for promotional use. If you prefer not to appear in any media\, just let us know – we will fully honor your request. \nAdditional Notes\nRegistrations received fewer than 72 hours before the program will be accepted at the discretion of the training team due to role-play and logistics needs. \nFor questions\, contact us at admin@understandinginconflict.org \n  \n**Please select desired ticket and quantity using the +/- feature before clicking ‘Get Tickets.’
URL:https://understandinginconflict.org/event/40-hour-mediation-and-conflict-resolution-skills-training-west-coast/
LOCATION:Green Gulch Farm\, 1601 Shoreline Highway\, Muir Beach\, CA\, 94965\, United States
CATEGORIES:Basic mediation,West Coast Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://understandinginconflict.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Event-Card-3.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260330T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260330T100000
DTSTAMP:20260426T081855
CREATED:20260305T200544Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260305T201028Z
UID:62956-1774861200-1774864800@understandinginconflict.org
SUMMARY:5 Things I Did to Build My Practice and 5 Things I Wish I Had Done
DESCRIPTION:Solopreneurs building an Understanding-Based conflict resolution practice need more than just skill in supporting clients – it takes strategy\, patience\, and a willingness to try\, fail\, and repeat! Join Caitlin Meredith and Melanie Rowen\, two experienced Understanding-Based practitioners who are also professional/business development coaches\, for an honest\, practical conversation about what it takes to build a business from the ground up or transition from another kind of practice. \nWhat We’ll Cover \n\nThe early moves that made the biggest difference – and why\nCommon mistakes and what we’d do differently today\nFinding your niche and articulating your value to clients\nBuilding referral networks and establishing credibility\nThe business fundamentals mediators often overlook\nStaying motivated through the slow-build phase\n\nParticipants will have space to share their own experiences\, ask questions\, and learn from each other. \n\nTrainers\n\n\nMelanie Rowen is a mediator and conflict coach who believes in the power of understanding-based conflict resolution to transform our world. She frequently trains individuals and groups on conflict resolution skills with the Center for Understanding in Conflict and in other settings. \nMelanie has worked in professional development for many years\, including previously as the Associate Director for Public Interest & Public Sector Programs at Berkeley Law and in attorney development at Latham & Watkins LLP. In her law practice career\, Melanie litigated civil rights cases\, including marriage equality\, employment discrimination\, issues involving transgender and gender non-conforming youth and their families and issues facing LGBTQI elders\, at the National Center for LGBTQ Rights. Melanie’s mediation\, coaching and training practice focuses on improving dynamics where ongoing relationships are essential\, including workplace teams\, family and community organizational settings. \n\n\nCaitlin Meredith\, MPH\, MA\, is a mediator\, coach and conflict skills trainer who works with individuals\, organizations and families navigating transitions and conflict. Her curiosity about conflict led to 13 years with Doctors Without Borders in war zones in sub-Saharan Africa\, and then to consulting in the criminal justice system.\n\nAfter working in the aftermath of big conflicts\, she decided to learn more about preventing and working through disagreements through courageous conversations. This curiosity led her to the Center for Understanding in Conflict. In addition to her private practice\, Caitlin volunteers her time as a mediator for community and court-based mediation programs in Colorado and California. She also teaches Core Mediation and Negotiation classes at the Monterey College of Law and co-hosts a podcast about women’s financial literacy. In all of her endeavors\, Caitlin finds honest\, clear and vulnerable communication to be the key ingredient for creating meaningful connections in our lives. Also\, humor.
URL:https://understandinginconflict.org/event/5-things-i-did-to-build-my-practice-and-5-things-i-wish-i-had-done/
LOCATION:ONLINE
CATEGORIES:Live Training,Online Training,Webinars
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://understandinginconflict.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Event-Card-1.png
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR