Perhaps you have heard about mediation, taken conflict resolution training or participated in a mediation, and now you are interested in becoming a mediator. Maybe you envision yourself helping people or individuals within organizations that are in conflict. This article will explore how to become a mediator in Ontario, Canada. Although we are focusing primarily on Ontario, many of the concepts covered in this article can also be applied in other jurisdictions.
We are often asked about what one needs to be a mediator in Ontario. It is important to note that there is no regulatory body that governs mediation or mediators in Ontario at the time of this writing. There is also no certification necessary to practice mediation in Ontario. As a result, there are no required steps to become a mediator. While there are no required steps, here are some steps you may wish to consider.
STEPS TO BECOME A MEDIATOR
What are the steps to become a mediator?
Most articles that discuss how to become a mediator begin by suggesting that one chooses a niche or a specific area of interest within mediation. Although this can be helpful, and we will be discussing this in our next step, we believe a better place to start is to consider your reason for wanting to practice mediation.
Clarifying your “why” can help you better refine your thinking about approaching your formal or informal mediation practice. What draws you to want to mediate? Who would you like to help? What skills or previous experience do you possess that can help you?
Where can you see yourself being the most helpful? Do you have a network in a particular field?
The process of identifying your interest in mediation can also help you to decide whether you want to pursue a career in mediation or if adding mediation skills to your toolkit will be sufficient to help you to achieve your desired outcome. A clear “why” can also save you time in the other steps that we will be discussing.
The next step is to consider a niche. The field of mediation, although still emerging, is quite vast. There are a number of ways and areas in which one can apply mediation skills. Some people choose to use their mediation skills to complement their existing careers or practices. For example, HR professionals, lawyers, police officers, and many others use mediation or conflict resolution skills in their existing roles. Other people choose to pursue mediation as a full-time career. Most full-time mediators choose to limit their practises to certain types of disputes (for example, employment issues, workplace disputes, family issues, estate disputes, insurance disputes, etc).
Sometimes choosing a niche can be challenging because you might not be familiar with the mechanics, necessary skills or potential opportunities in different areas of mediation. As such, it can be difficult to know if you will enjoy practicing in that area. If choosing a niche is challenging, try contacting mediators who practice in these areas. This might give you some insights into the area and help you decide the direction you would like to pursue.
Also, remember that the area you choose to explore initially does not have to be the area you choose to practice for your entire mediation career. It is not unusual, for example, for a new mediator to practise in an area in which they have had prior experience and then transition over time to mediating other types of disputes. Some mediators also practice in multiple areas at once. Since many of the skills that one uses in mediation are transferrable, one can choose to pursue another area if the need or desire arises. However, it is important to note that some areas of mediation will require additional training to be proficient.
Areas of mediation practice include but are not limited to:
If you are interested in mediation, you likely already possess a number of skills and knowledge that will assist you in your practice. Ask yourself how comfortable you are facilitating a mediation formally or informally with the skills that you currently possess.
Also, consider how comfortable others would be trusting you to facilitate a process that can help them to try to resolve their disputes. You may wish to ask individuals who you trust to offer honest feedback about how effective you might be for that role. Sometimes these conversations can help us to see our blind spots and to identify skills we might need to develop prior to acting as a mediator or providing conflict resolution processes in our existing roles. Even people with considerable experience resolving conflicts in their existing roles will consider taking additional training prior to becoming a mediator. We offer a workshop on Alternative Dispute Resolution that focuses on developing practical negotiation and mediation training to increase participants’ confidence and heighten their dispute resolution skills. A significant number of our participants have ten, twenty or even more years of experience in their fields and yet they want to enhance and refine their mediation skills for their present roles and, for some, with a view to a future career in mediation.
As you add tools to your conflict resolution toolkit, it can also be helpful to know what skills mediators use most frequently. Some examples of skills mediators possess and constantly develop are:
It might also be helpful to consider applying for a mediation designation. The following organizations in Ontario offer memberships and designations in different areas of mediation:
Finally, networking can also be an effective way to equip yourself. Some of the aforementioned organizations host networking opportunities for their members. Contact local mediators to see if they would be willing to offer some of their time to connect and answer some of your questions. Also, always be attentive to mentorship opportunities. This may be formal mentorship or coaching in a particular skill that you are interested in developing. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions, and we will do our best to connect you to resources that we are aware of.
As we have mentioned in some of our other articles, it can be challenging to get mediation experience, particularly at the beginning. That said, the more experience you can gain, the more confident and capable you will be when you are mediating.
Of course, you can start by trying to get direct experience, for example, looking for volunteer opportunities in your community or in your field of expertise. Also, a number of organizations have developed programs that allow aspiring mediators to practice their skills in real scenarios. We have listed some of these organizations below.
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
The Ontario Community Mediation Coalition is a not-for-profit association of community mediation services in the Province of Ontario, who hold a common definition of community mediation, agree on a standard of excellence and criteria for membership in the coalition, and support each other in our efforts to build strong communities through peaceful approaches to problem resolution.
This organization often has volunteer opportunities that can be helpful for getting your feet wet in an arena that is safe. They use a co-mediation model for their community mediations so that can also bring a dynamic that can be quite helpful as well.
it is important to envision the task of gaining experience broadly. If there are no opportunities in your area, consider ways to develop some of the skills in other settings. For example, you may not be mediating but you can develop and practise the skills of identifying key interests or framing issues for problem solving at a meeting. You can practise interactive listening at a family dinner. Practising your mediation skills, even in contexts where you are not mediating, will give you important experience. Also, there might be ways to get more experience through practical training that offers practice mediations (link to https://sfhgroup.com/online-course/alternative-dispute-resolution-workshop/) that allow you to develop your skills where there are few downsides.
Another way to get experience is by contacting people you know who may be interested in conflict resolution services. This might include individuals who you know in the mediation field or individuals who also utilize conflict resolution skills in their roles. Those who are most familiar with you may be more likely to use your services or connect you to others who might require your services.
As you gain experience, be intentional about learning from those experiences.
Ask yourself:
Finally, if you are thinking about offering your services through your own practice, envision yourself as an entrepreneur who provides mediation services. As is the case with many start-ups, getting a business off the ground is a risk and requires courage, resilience and strategy.
Marketing your skills can help others to know that your services are available. If no one knows your practice exists, how can they support it? Introduce your network to your skills, update your social media page, get a website if that is helpful, offer talks on conflict resolution to those who are willing to hear from you.
If you are interested in learning how to distinguish your practice from others, consider what we shared in this article.
Once you have gained some experience, consider applying to a mediation roster. Applying to rosters can also help to make others aware of your services. Although rosters do not guarantee that you will be chosen to offer your services, successfully joining a roster can increase your credibility and enhance your resume.
CONCLUSION:
STEPS TO BECOME A MEDIATOR
Enjoy the journey! Feel free to contact us for more details.
To learn conflict resolution skills that you can use at work and in your personal life, please visit our Alternative Dispute Resolution Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
To improve your negotiation skills and get the results you want while negotiating, please visit our Become a Powerful Negotiator Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
To gain skills to handle difficult conversations and difficult people with confidence, please visit our Dealing With Difficult People Workshop page to learn more about upcoming in-person and instructor-led online sessions.
We are a Canadian company that offers professional development programs around the world. The Stitt Feld Handy Group is a division of ADR Chambers, one of the largest providers of dispute resolution services in the world.
