Web Analytics and Web Statistics by WebSTAT

Finding the way across the golden bridge...



NEW TRAINING


Starts January 18th, 2016 finishes on Saturday 30th of January.

Classes start each day at 13:00 and end at 18:00pm

Cost is £2,750 per person

We are pleased to announce that we will be holding a 60 hour Mediation training programme starting on Monday 18th January at 13:00pm. The course will be held at the beautiful facility at St John’s Mill Conference Centre on the Isle of Man.
Stacks Image 976
On this page we hope to give you all the information that you need to help you decide that this is the course you really want to attend so please read on and if there is anything else you need from us just feel free to contact us and we will tell you what you want to know.
To answer that question we should first examine what makes a training experience positive. Firstly it is the content of the course, secondly it is the educational materials provided, lastly and arguably most importantly, it is the instructors providing the training. The Mediation Agency, with Dr. Frank Hanna and Nancy Peterson, M.Med. at the helm, have trained over eight-hundred students of mediation. Courses are comprised of 'real-world' role-plays based upon professional mediation experiences. Dr. Hanna's background as a mediator includes contract work for the EEOC (similar to the EOC) in the USA. Ms. Peterson held a position as Director of Education for the New York State Dispute Resolution Association, where she was responsible for the ongoing education of mediators within sixty-two mediation centres. Dr. Hanna and Ms. Peterson are experienced mediators and have each presided over thousands of mediations. As instructors their 40 and 60-hour mediation training is unequalled in the USA and UK for its content and competency of its instructors. Quite simply there is no other comparable UK mediation training available with this level of trainers or coursework.
It has been our experience that as the content of the course is challenging, both emotionally and educationally, classes longer than five-hours are too exhausting. We focus on the maximum student experience, both in absorbing information and the emotional journey the class can extract from students. Five hours a day doesn't mean the students thought process stops at the end of the class. Often we have been told the impact of self-awareness brought on by role-play and student/instructor interaction, inspires a great deal of self-reflection and thought that lasts long after the class has ended. We want students to be fresh and open to new concepts and ideas. Overwhelming students, or saturating them emotionally, does not aid in our goal of making the class both educational and enjoyable. As such we have discovered five-hour classes to be optimum for our training.
Dr. Hanna has often been quoted as saying, "I attended and completed mediation courses at the two most prestigious universities in the world, Harvard and Pepperdine in the USA. Prior to that I was the senior partner of one of the premier firms of solicitors in Belfast, and I lived through the 'troubles' in Northern Ireland. With all that background, I thought after my formal mediation education, I was ready to mediate as a professional. I was wrong." Dr. Hanna realised his education hadn't ended with hanging his Harvard and Pepperdine diplomas on his wall, it had just begun. Training is only the beginning. It was only after mediating hundreds of cases that Dr. Hanna felt he could ethically call himself a professional mediator. The structure of our course goes deeper and further than any other course in the UK or the USA. We have actually built experience into our process. You will fully understand what we mean by this after the course has finished.
Dr. Frank Hanna's profession background includes over twenty years as the senior partner of a large law firm in Northern Ireland. His practice was focused on employment and personal injury cases. Dr. Hanna survived the 'troubles' during the height of Northern Ireland's terrorist activity, learning many lessons about conflict as a result. During his practice he realised the majority of cases settled out of court during negotiations. This led him to explore mediation as an alternative to litigation and he pursued an education in the USA at Harvard and Pepperdine Universities. Following that he was one of only two mediators selected from thousands to mediate for the EEOC (similar to the EOC). Nearly twenty years later, Dr. Hanna has mediated many thousands of professional cases and taught over eight-hundred students in the art and professionalism of mediation.

Nancy Peterson, M.Med. has a curriculum vitae dedicated to helping people though their personal struggles. Realising early in her career that conflict, and the way people reacted to it, was the basis of most human suffering, she obtained her education in mediation including a Masters Degree in Mediation. She and partner Frank Hanna developed and taught classes in mediation both privately and for the City of Phoenix and State of Arizona. Nancy went on to mediate frequently for Maricopa County in Arizona in their community programme and for their department of probation. Nancy was hired by NY State Dispute Resolution Association as their Director of Education and Professional Development where she was responsible for setting standards and continuing education for sixty-two mediation centres. Currently Nancy is mediating and teaching in the UK with partner, Dr. Frank Hanna.
Mediation, like any skill, requires both experience and continuing education. The Mediation Agency does not leave students after their training. We will co-mediate with any student that requests our time and will offer additional training to former students when requested at a reduced rate or in many cases, free of charge. We firmly believe our education as mediators continues through experience and training indefinitely. Dr. Hanna says, "We learn from our students even as they learn from us. With our students varied range of experiences and backgrounds, fresh perspectives and insights we are gifted with new ideas in dispute resolution during every class. It makes our classes stronger, giving our students the pride of knowing their experiences are equal and valuable to the learning process."
It has been proven time and time again that people learn only when the subject or course is appealing to them or with content that is exciting. The training The Mediation Agency provides is intensely educational, but fun too. Students typically leave comments that state they have formed bonds with fellow students as well as the instructors. Because, as we have mentioned before, the training is often emotionally challenging, students form lasting friendships as a result of their shared experiences. A good example of the overall spirit of the class is seen after the end of a days training. It is common for students to stay for quite a while after the class has adjourned, chatting with the instructors or classmates or even going to dinner together as a group. Even when the course has ended, we have heard of many instances where former students became partners, forming their own mediation related companies.
Absolutely! This is a beautiful island with many things to see and do! We will provide many ideas for day or evening excursions, dining selections, photographic opportunities and even suggest hotel accommodation on the island. We are proud of the Isle of Man and feel very certain our students will enjoy its many gifts while they are visiting!
Yes. We are proud to say that we have graduated over 800 mediators world wide. Many are practicing professionally both in Europe and the USA. Please take some time to read what former students say (Click Here) and feel free to contact any of our professional referrals (Click Here). We hope we get to include you on our list of graduates.