Support and Development Groups will be occurring on an ongoing basis. For more information please contact: [email protected].
Support and Development Groups
The Center offers Support and Development groups for those professionals seeking to further pursue the ideals and skills learned during their participation in one of our Mediation Intensive Trainings. These advanced trainings in mediation and collaborative practice bring together small groups of persons who are seeking to integrate the Understanding-Based approach to working with conflict into their ongoing professional practices – whether in mediation, collaborative practice, traditional law practice, or other professional expressions of this work in both commercial and family disputes.
Each group will meet one evening per month from September through January (with limited space available). These advanced trainings will be facilitated by Jack Himmelstein and/or Katherine Miller. There will be three Support and Development groups in Manhattan and possibly a fourth that will take place in Westchester.
Focus and Format: The focus of the groups is on integrating the Understanding-Based model into participants’ work or intended work with conflict resolution in a manner that is authentic to the individual professionals. In particular, we seek to understand how we can work effectively with the subjective inner dynamic that underlies, and often fuels, conflict at an objective level. This subjective dimension includes emotions and attitudes as well as motivations and aspirations that the parties have about themselves and each other, their particular conflict, conflict itself and its resolution. This inner dimension is also at work in each of us as professionals and between us and the parties.
At each session, one participant (or possibly pair of participants in the collaborative law setting) presents a case or possibly other aspect of their work, including the challenges of beginning and developing one’s practice. This format has worked extremely well with the presenter(s) sending out a written summary in advance and the specific issue/concern that s/he wants to discuss. We examine not only what is of significance for that participant but also what issues are raised for the others of us as well. CLE credit is provided.