Contents derived from the book "101 Careers in Counseling" .
DESCRIPTION: Counselors have long provided services related to counseling. A recent popular service that many counselors offer is meditation. While a divorce lawyer counsels only one of the marriage partners, a mediator assists both husband and wife. The mediator's task is to help the couple discuss and agree on division of their property, custody of their children, and other divorce-related issues. These negotiations are designed to avert a costly, stressful, and time-consuming court dispute by settling the terms of the divorce before the case goes to court.
EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS: Currently, there are few graduate programs in mediation, so mediators come from many fields, such as law, social work, business, criminal justice, and counseling. Master’s degree in a counseling field is optimal. However, there is no licensing procedure for divorce mediators.
CORE SKILLS NEEDED:
- Must be ‘grounded’ professionals able to manage conflict
- Recognize and refrain from any biased behavior
- Clearly and firmly establish ‘ground rules’ for mediation sessions
RELATED WEB SITES AND PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
- Mediation Institute - www.mediationinstitute.net/
- Families in Transition - www.divorcemediationusa.com/
- Divorce Mediators - www.mediate.com/divorcemediators/
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