Collaborative Trainings
Our collaborative trainings are usually arranged by regional collaborative practice groups for their members and guests. The trainings can be customized to meet the needs of the collaborative practice group and typically are 2-3 day trainings. Please contact us to make arrangements for a collaborative training.
MEDIATION SKILLS FOR COLLABORATIVE PRACTITIONERS
This training addresses the practical, theoretical and personal dimensions of integrating the understanding based mediative perspective into a collaborative practice. The training will assist collaborative professionals to support the parties’ understanding of each other that can lead to a successful resolution. To support a client-centered process, the participants will learn:
- The difference between traditional advocacy, neutrality and collaborative advocacy * Awareness of the tensions that arise in a collaborative case
- Reaching agreements with clients regarding process
- The bases for decision-making, including the role of the law
- Developing creative options that address differing needs and interests
CREATING THE COLLABORATIVE TEAM
A client-centered collaborative process is enhanced by a well-functioning collaborative team. Collaborative professionals come with varying backgrounds – litigator, therapist, mediator, financial planner and others. This training will explore creating a collaborative team which supports and protects the clients as collaborative professionals transition from working with colleagues in their own field to working with professionals from other fields. We will have a particular focus on:
- Understanding the role of each professional in the collaborative process
- Educating the clients regarding the role of each professional
- Communicating with professionals from other fields
- Initiating and conducting difficult conversations with collaborative colleagues
NEGOTIATIONS IN A COLLABORATIVE CASE
Collaborative professionals learn in basic collaborative training about the importance of a different way of negotiating in collaborative cases. This training explores collaborative negotiations in depth to improve the ability of collaborative professionals to guide the parties to a successful resolution. The program includes the following issues:
- The meaning of transparency in collaborative negotiations
- The role of advocacy in collaborative negotiations
- The balance between asserting the needs of one’s own client and empathizing with the needs of the other party
- Navigating relationships with the parties and other collaborative professionals.
ROLE OF THE LAW IN COLLABORATIVE CASES
Collaborative professionals struggle with the role of the law in collaborative cases.
This training will clarify the role of the law in collaborative cases and how collaborative professionals can guide parties to their own determination of the weight and relevance of the law to their situation. Participants will learn the following:
- Reference points for decision-making
- Why to bring in the law and the value of the underlying principles of the law
- How to bring in the law in a collaborative case
- Role of each professional in supporting the client through the process of addressing and processing the law in a collaborative case, including mental health, financial and vocational professionals.
THE COLLABORATIVE ENDGAME
This program explores how to deal with the final stage of working toward a completed agreement on all issues while maintaining a Collaborative framework and feel throughout. Participants learn how they can break down the end game into productive and mutually rewarding steps without succumbing to the traps of traditional distributive bargaining. Creative options are generated and then tested based on both parties’ interests in ways that allow the professionals and parties to reach closure with respect and care.
DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS WITH COLLABORATIVE COLLEAGUES
The relationship between collaborative colleagues is critical to the success of collaborative cases. When problems develop in such relationships, collaborative professionals are sometimes hesitant to address them and the impact on the team can be dire. This training addresses the following:
- Impediments to difficult conversations
- How to initiate such conversations
- Skills and structure to conduct successful conversations with collaborative colleagues.
Organizations and Groups for which we have conducted collaborative trainings and workshops:
- Cincinnati Academy of Collaborative Professionals
- Collaborative Council of the Redwood Empire
- Collaborative Family Law Professionals of Marin
- Collaborative Practice California
- Collaborative Practice East Bay
- German Association for Cooperative Practice
- Hudson Valley Collaborative Divorce Association
- International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
- New York Association of Collaborative Professionals
- New York State Dispute Resolution Association, Inc.
- New York State Office of Court Administration
- North Jersey Collaborative Law Group
Registration:
Please browse through our list of Collaborative Trainings, and register online. We also accept registration by mail. Participants will be accepted in order of registration. We will confirm your reservation as soon as you are placed in the program.
Participant quote – “This workshop exceeded my expectations. It was real, relevant, deepening and broadening. I believe it will have a tremendous impact on our group’s skill level, cohesiveness and connection.”
