Civil & Family Mediation Training

Live Virtual Event - March 25-29, 2026, via Zoom

The founders of CCMA (Dr. Char Berquist and Heather Blades) have been offering high-quality professional mediation training for over 20 years. Our 5-day Civil and Family Mediation Training features more than a dozen experienced mediators serving as trainers and coaches. Many of these coaches and trainers are also CCMA Associates!

Make the choice now to gain skills and transform your career and relationship -  join us for our next virtual mediation training.
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Training Options
You have three training options to choose from. View the learning objectives for each training here.
  • Civil and family/domestic mediation training (days 1-5, March 25-29, 2026)
    • This 40-hour training includes both civil and family/domestic mediation training. It cover basic mediation skills, as well as the information you need to conduct family mediation, particularly child custody mediation.
    • The training runs Wednesday-Sunday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CST each day, ending at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
  • Civil mediation training (days 1-3 only, March 25-27, 2026)
    • This training covers basic mediation skills and applies these skills to civil cases.
    • This training runs Wednesday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CST each day, ending at 1:30 p.m. on Friday.
  • Family mediation training (days 3-5 only, March 27-29, 2026)
    • ​This advanced training applies basic mediation skills to family cases, including divorce and child custody mediation.
    • This training runs Friday-Sunday from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CST each day, ending at 3 p.m. on Sunday. 
    • Note: You must have completed civil/basic mediation training PRIOR to attending this training, as it does not cover basic mediation skills.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ ​

About the Training
In CCMA's highly interactive virtual mediation training, you develop your mediation skills through role-plays and interactive exercises. You also receive extensive one-on-one coaching and evaluations of your skill development from coaches with a wide range of experience in a variety of types of civil and family mediation. This feature sets CCMA's training apart from others - no other training let you learn from and network with as many skilled mediator coaches! Mediation is as much an art as a science, and participants consistently report that the perspectives shared by their coaches are invaluable to their learning. 
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The training covers a variety of topics, including:
  • Communication Skills:
    • ​Active listening, questioning, and note-taking techniques.
    • Verbal and non-verbal communication strategies.
    • Understanding conflict styles, personality types, and cultural influences.
    • Distinguishing between interests and positions in conflicts.
  • Mediation Skills:
    • ​Differences and similarities among mediation, negotiation, arbitration, and litigation.
    • Key qualities of a mediator and strategies for building trust and empathy.
    • Structure of the mediation process and agreement drafting.
    • Ethical obligations, confidentiality, and when to involve outside resources.
    • Techniques to manage challenges like emotional parties or inflexible participants.
  • Family Mediation:
    • ​Processes for family case referrals and relevant legal regulations.
    • Addressing financial, custody, and parenting aspects of divorce and child custody mediations.
    • Managing the effects of conflict and divorce on children, including developmental considerations.
    • Handling cases involving non-parties (e.g., grandparents or new spouses) and addressing domestic violence concerns.
Check out a complete list of learning objectives here.

Virtual Format 
CCMA's founders are experienced with offering highly interactive online training that incorporates lecture, small group activities, discussion, role play, and other dynamic elements.

By structuring our online trainings using the most up-to-date virtual education pedagogy, CCMA provides excellent learning outcomes and outstanding participant experiences. Plus you can learn about mediation from the comfort of your home or office!

Worried about the technology? CCMA training events always include a staff member who is available to help with any hiccups, or to provide assistance as needed.
Since 2022, 88% of training participants rated our mediation training as EXCELLENT (and 100% rated it either EXCELLENT or GOOD)!
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In the words of our past training attendees:
  • "The training was excellent! There were enough activities, breaks, and interaction to keep it from never getting tedious  - that is truly a feat!"
  • "I felt connected to the group - this is one of the most engaging trainings I've ever participated in."​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
  • I’ve been in various Zoom trainings for a year, and this was my favorite in terms of allowing participation but keeping it moving along."
  • "This was one of the most engaging and seamless trainings that I've participated in or conducted."

Over a Dozen Trainers and Coaches
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CCMA's Mediation Training offers an unparalleled learning environment by bringing together expert trainers as well as coaches with experience in all types of mediation, including civil mediation, family mediation, employment mediation, EEOC mediation, dependency mediation, victim-offender mediation, and more.

​Unlike other trainings, where you hear from just one or two trainers, CCMA's training allows you to learn from many mediators with a wide variety of perspectives and approaches to mediation. Additionally, you get to network experienced professional mediators and conflict professionals. Our trainers and coaches have decades of experience in mediation - and they are all passionate about helping you learn about this field and build your skills!

State-Approved Training
CCMA's mediation training is designed to meet most state's mediator requirements.
  • Completion of CCMA's civil training meets the mediation training requirement for Missouri Supreme Court Rule 17 for general civil mediators, and the family training meets Rule 88 requirements for family mediators.* 
  • This 40-hour training is approved for CDRE in Kansas as a core civil or domestic mediation training. ​
  • The event has also previously been approved for mediators in other states including Illinois, Texas, Arizona, and Louisiana.
​Don't see your state listed - contact us (we have information on mediation training requirements nationwide). 
This mediation training has been previously approved in:
  • Missouri 
  • Kansas 
  • ​Louisiana
  • Texas
  • Illinois
  • ​Arizona
  • Plus it meets most other states' training requirements!
*Individual circuits may have additional requirements for mediators who wish to receive direct court referrals.

Continuing Education Credits
This training provides between 20-40 hours of continuing education credit* (based on the credit type), and has been previously approved for the following types of credit:
  • CLE (continuing legal education) -  5-day training = 40.8 MCLE including 2.7 ethics hours; 38.5 Kansas CLE (CLE available for other states, please contact us for information)
  • ​CDRE credit in Kansas
  • ​The option to self-submit for CE or CEUs.​
    • Counselor Continuing Education credits
    • NASW (from the National Association of Social Workers) credits
    • SPHR, GPHR, and PHR (from the Society of Human Resources Management) - for the civil mediation training portion* 
CE credits for other types of professionals may also be available. Contact us for more information. 
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​*Approvals pending.
**This training has been previously approved for SPHR/PHR credit; participants will receive a certificate of completion which they must individually submit to the organization to have the training hours approved following the event.​

Training Fees
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CCMA's mediation training offers an unparalleled value. Your registration fee includes the following:
  • Completion of a certified mediation training program.
  • Instruction and coaching from over a dozen mediation and conflict professionals.
  • Over 800 pages of interactive digital training materials.
  • Access to a Google classroom with additional resources and features.
  • Continuing education credits.
  • A certificate of completion, suitable for framing.
 Seats are limited, and our trainings have consistently sold out for the past several years, so early registration is recommended. ​Receive a 10% discount when you register 3+ participants with the code GROUP. 
  • 5-day Civil and Family Mediation Training - March 25-29, 2026
    • $1000 - early-bird registration before February 15
    • $1100 -  standard regsitration after February 15
  • 3-day Civil Mediation Training - March 25-27, 2026
    • $750 - early-bird registration before February 15
    • $850 - standard regsitration after February 15
  • 3-day Family Mediation Training* - March 27-29, 2026​
    • $750 - early-bird registration before February 15
    • $850 - standard regsitration after February 15
    ​*​Note: You must have completed civil/basic mediation training PRIOR to attending family training, as it does not cover basic mediation skills.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 

Civil and Family Mediation Training

$1,100.00 $1,000.00

This 5-day mediation training will be held virtually via Zoom Wednesday-Sunday, March 25-29, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (CST) each day, ending at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
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Civil Mediation Training

$850.00 $750.00

This 3-day mediation training will be held virtually via Zoom Wednesday-Friday, March 25-27, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (CST) each day (on Friday you will end at 1:30 p.m.).
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Family Mediation Training

$850.00 $750.00

This 3-day mediation training will be held virtually via Zoom Friday-Sunday, March 27-29, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (CST) each day. (We end at 3 p.m. on Sunday).


Note: You need to have completed basic/civil mediation training (either from CCMA or another organization) before attending this training.
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What Sets CMMA Mediation Training Apart?

Over a dozen highly experienced trainers and coaches.

State-certified mediation training.
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A Google classroom with additional resources.

Networking opportunities with professional mediators.
​Highly interactive virtual training.

​500+ pages of interactive digital training materials.

A 5-day training - so you are done in less than a week.

We have a 20+ years of mediation training experience.