NVMS has been providing skill-building courses for professionals and new mediators for over 25 years. Our highly interactive courses are approved by the Supreme Court of Virginia for continuing mediator education credits (CME) and the Virginia Bar for continuing legal education credits (CLE).
Click the category heading to jump to course descriptions and upcoming sessions below.
Advanced Mediation Skills
- Mediating Complex and Multiparty Civil Cases
- Mediating EEO and Workplace Disputes
- Mediation Practicum: Federal Workplace
- Preparing Memoranda and Agreements
Alternative Dispute Resolution Process
- Alternative Dispute Resolution: Beyond Mediation
- Circle Training
- Facilitation and Group Consensus Building
- Mediation Skills and Process
- Negotiation Skills
- Powerful Coaching
Conflict Resolution Skills
- Building Trust and Overcoming Distrust
- Civility in the Workplace
- Culture and Conflict
- Conflict Resolution Fundamentals
- Managing Difficult Conversations
- Managing Emotions in Conflict
- Nonviolent Communication
- Solution Focused Problem Solving
Virginia Mediator Certification Courses
- General District Court Observation Training
- General District Court Mentorship (Co-mediations only)
- Mediation Skills and Process
- Mediating Complex and Multiparty Civil Cases
- Orientation to the Virginia Judicial System
- Preparing Memoranda and Agreement
- Family Mediation Skills (TBA 2021)
- Domestic Violence Assessment (TBA 2021)
- Resolving Economic Issues in Divorce (TBA 2021)
- Family Mediation Mentorship (Co-mediations only – TBA 2021)
Advanced Mediation Skills
Advanced practice workshops are designed for experienced mediators who seek to enhance their knowledge and expertise through a more intensive study of theory and practice. Classes fulfill NVMS Professional Certificate Program requirements and can count for continuing education credits.
Mediating Complex and Multiparty Civil Cases
Required for Mediation in the Federal Workplace Certificate and the Circuit Court Civil Certification
Prerequisites: Mediation Skills and Process
This workshop covers the skills and approaches needed to work with a combination of multiple parties, attorneys, substantive experts, and complex issues.
Mediating EEO and Workplace Disputes
Required for Mediation in the Federal Workplace Certificate
Prerequisites: Mediation Skills and Process
This workshop is an in-depth, hands-on training about the special aspects of mediating EEO and workplace employment disputes.
Mediation Practicum: Federal Workplace
Fulfills the observation requirement for Mediation in the Federal Workplace Certificate
Prerequisite: Mediation Skills and Process (Federal Workplace Focus)
This workshop fulfills the observation requirements for the General District Court certification and provides new mediators the opportunity to deepen their mediation skills.
Preparing Memoranda and Agreements
Required for the Mediation in the Federal Workplace Certificate and the Circuit Court Civil Certification
Prerequisites: Mediation Skills and Process
One of the last acts in a successful mediation is the drafting of an agreement or memorandum of understanding. This workshop will develop participants’ skills in preparing documents for parties, counsel, and court.
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Processes
The following courses will support participants in building a strong grounding in ADR processes and skills. These workshops benefit those interested in applying these interventions in their workplace or their community. Classes fulfill NVMS Professional Certificate Program requirements and can count for continuing education credits.
ADR: Beyond Mediation
Required for the Mediation in the Federal Workplace Certificate
This workshop provides an up-to-date look at ADR methods, applications, sources of information, and how to use and participate effectively in ADR.
Circle Training
Details coming soon!
Facilitation and Group Consensus Building
Elective for the Conflict Resolution Skills and the Leaders Managing Conflict Certificates
In this core facilitation skills workshop, participants master the techniques and skills necessary to professionally structure, facilitate and build consensus within meetings, conferences, and multiparty decision-making groups.
Mediation Skills and Process
Required for all Virginia Court Mediator Certification categories
Required for the Mediation in the Federal Government Certificate
Elective for the Leaders Managing Conflict Certificate
Mediation training will give you the skills to facilitate productive conversations and foster a collaborative environment where solutions can develop to help everyone involved. We have been offering this successful workshop since 1992, preparing thousands to support others in resolving disputes through mediation.
Negotiation Skills
Required for the Mediation in the Federal Workplace Certificate
Elective for the Conflict Resolution Skills and Leaders Managing Conflict Certificates
This course provides focuses on an “interest-based” approach to negotiation. Participants will learn the skills and techniques necessary to practice the art and science of persuasion and negotiation.
Powerful Coaching
Required for the Leaders Managing Conflict Certificate
This course will teach participants profound coaching tools, provide solid practice opportunities, and offer a safe place to explore and experience the powerful impact of giving and receiving coaching.
Conflict Resolution Skills
The following courses support participants in building a strong grounding into conflict resolution principles and skills. These workshops benefit those interested in using these skills to build stronger relationships and to prevent conflict in the workplace, community, and personal lives. Classes fulfill NVMS Professional Certificate Program requirements and can count for continuing education credits.
Building Trust and Overcoming Distrust
Required for the Leaders Managing Conflict Certificate
This program will explore what trust is and its critical role in personal and organizational dynamics and offer specific, practical ways to build and/or rebuild trust when it is broken.
Building Civility
Required for the Leaders Managing Conflict Certificate
This training is designed to help organizations and individuals develop a culture of shared trust and respect by understanding why civility is important, identifying what makes a behavior be perceived as civil or uncivil, and creating strategies, policies, and procedures to prevent and deal with uncivil behavior.
Culture and Conflict: Managing Diversity and Inclusion
Required for the Conflict Resolutions Skills Certificate
Awareness of cultural factors is critical to understand and address conflict in order to avoid unintentional bias. This workshop includes exercises, theory, and practical strategies.
Conflict Resolution Fundamentals
Required for the Conflict Resolution Skills and the Leaders Managing Conflict Certificates
Prerequisites: This workshop is relevant and applicable to all individuals and leaders looking to enhance their conflict resolution skills. Participation does not require prior experience or knowledge.
This workshop will explore conflict at the interpersonal level and will give you tools to increase your confidence to constructively manage and resolve what can be stressful and difficult moments. Through realist life scenarios, you will practice analyzing conflict situations (context, actors, information, dynamics) and develop effective communication skills.
Managing Difficult Conversations
Required for the Leaders Managing Conflict Certificate
It is a fact of life that sometimes we need to have conversations we’d rather not. Whether delivering bad news, giving a negative performance evaluation, objecting to additional workload, presenting options during a crisis, or simply letting people know that the direction of a certain project is changing – communicating difficult topics can be an emotionally charged event. Understandably, many people would do anything to avoid the situation. Unfortunately, avoiding these topics does not make them go away. During this hands-on workshop, you will gain the confidence to recognize, plan, and manage these conversations by practicing the techniques discussed.
Managing Emotions in Conflict
Required for the Conflict Resolutions Skills Certificate
This course will teach you to be aware of your inherent reactions and how to disrupt your Fight-or-Flight response. You will learn simple and effective techniques to do this focused on breath, posture, and vision.
Nonviolent Communication
Required for the Conflict Resolutions Skills Certificate
In this session, you will be introduced to the non-violent communication process, which can guide us to reframe how we express ourselves, how we hear others, and how we can resolve conflicts using a four-step model.
Solution Focused Problem Solving
Required for the Leaders Managing Conflict Certificate
This workshop is designed for individuals who engage in the diagnosis, management, and resolution of complex organizational problems. Participants will learn a framework for assessing organizational conflict, strategies, and tools to facilitate change.
Virginia Mediator Certification Courses
The courses in this section are required to complete Virginia Court Mediator Certifications.
General District Court Observation Training
Fulfills the observation requirement for General District Court Certification
Prerequisite: Mediation Skills and Process
This workshop fulfills the observation requirements for the General District Court certification and provides new mediators the opportunity to deepen their mediation skills.
General District Court Mentorship (Co-mediations only)
Fulfills the co-mediation requirements for General District Court Certification
Prerequisites: General District Court Observation Training or 2 court observations
This workshop fulfills the co-mediation requirements for the General District Court certification.
Mediation Skills and Process
Required for all Virginia Court Mediator Certification categories
Mediation training will give you the skills to facilitate productive conversations and foster a collaborative environment where solutions can develop to help everyone involved. We have been offering this successful workshop since 1992, preparing thousands to support others in resolving disputes through mediation.
Orientation to the Virginia Judicial System
Required for General District Court, Circuit Court Civil, Juvenile and Domestic Relations, and Circuit Court Family Certifications
This course is essential for mediators who practice in Virginia, as it gives an overview of the Virginia judicial system and court-referred mediation programs.