Community Boards’ Conflict Resolution Clinics are intensive, two-hour workshops designed for both new and experienced conflict resolution practitioners, attorneys, HR managers, specialists, and other interested individuals. Led by seasoned professionals, these clinics cover an exciting variety of topics and conflict resolution and restorative justice practices.
2026 Conflict Resolution Clinics
The “How” vs. the “What”
Why Delivery Shapes Conflict More Than Content
With Marie MacNichol
April 16, Thursday, 11:30am – 1:30pm PDT
CB Member: $25 | Public: $45
Live Interactive Workshop on Zoom
Registration closes on April 16, 10:00am PDT
In conflict, attention is often focused on what is being said — the facts, positions, and points of disagreement. Yet conflict is just as powerfully shaped by how messages are delivered: tone, timing, language, intention, and behavior. These elements can either escalate tension or create space for understanding, even when the underlying issues remain unresolved.
This interactive workshop explores the distinction between content and delivery, and why delivery so often determines the direction a conflict takes. Participants will examine how delivery influences trust, defensiveness, and engagement, and how being intentional about delivery can support more effective mediation and dialogue.
This workshop is designed for mediators and conflict practitioners seeking to strengthen their ability to guide difficult conversations and support more constructive outcomes.
Participants will:
- Recognize how delivery often has a greater impact on conflict than the content itself.
- Learn the value of establishing shared agreements about how conversations will be conducted before diving into the substance of a dispute.
- Increase self-awareness of how their own communication choices can escalate or de-escalate conflict.
Marie MacNichol
Marie is a lawyer, mediator, trainer and coach. After many years practicing law with a focus on resolving disputes through litigation and negotiation, Marie now helps others resolve conflict by fostering understanding in a respectful environment. Alongside her own mediation practice, Marie serves on the Roster of Mediators for the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Martha’s Vineyard Mediation Center, and San Francisco Community Boards. To learn more, visit Marie’s website: www.mariemacnichol.com.
After registering, you will receive the Zoom information by email.
MAY
The Art of Pausing
How Conflict Resolution Meets Self-Care
With SJ Fernandez
May 7, Thursday, 5:30-7:30pm PDT
CB Member: $25 | Public: $45
Live Interactive Workshop on Zoom
Registration closes on May 7, 4:00pm PDT
The Art of Pausing is an interactive two-hour clinic designed to help participants transform conflict through intentional self-regulation and mindful communication. When tensions rise, our instinct is often to react quickly—to defend, withdraw, or push back. This training introduces the power of pausing as a counter-instinct: a simple, accessible practice that creates space for clarity, emotional grounding, and more collaborative dialogue.
Through a blend of short teaching segments, guided breath work, grounding exercises, and scenario-based role-plays, participants will explore how the nervous system responds to conflict and how intentional pause can interrupt escalation. Attendees will learn practical, real-time tools such as naming emotions, reframing reactive thoughts, and shifting into curiosity-based communication.
Interactive polls, chat engagement, and small-group discussions support participants in integrating concepts as they go. The session concludes with time for reflection and the creation of a personal “Pause Plan”—a customized set of strategies participants can apply to everyday interactions at work, at home, and in their communities.
This clinic is designed for anyone seeking to navigate conflict with more confidence, groundedness, and compassion. Whether dealing with workplace disagreements, family tension, or internal emotional distress, participants will leave with sustainable tools to support self-care and healthier communication.
From this workshop, participants will:
- Learn the role of pause in interrupting escalation and supporting emotional regulation.
- Understand how intentional pause reduces escalation and supports nervous system regulation.
- Practice and apply three self-care tools during moments of conflict: breath work, grounding, and emotional naming.
- Use reframing and perspective-shifting to move from reactive to constructive communication.
- Leave with actionable plans for applying intentional pause in workplace and personal settings.
MCLE Credits
This course is approved by the State Bar of California for 2 credits for the Recognition and Elimination of Bias in the Legal Profession and Society (provider #9323). $25 processing fee required.
SJ Fernandez
Sarah “SJ” Fernandez is a people-centered facilitator with an MA in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University. Drawing from her experience in People Operations and in wellness spaces as a Pilates instructor, she focuses on simple, practical ways to navigate tension and communicate more effectively. She uses a mix of grounding techniques and conflict-resolution tools to help people stay present and regulated during challenging moments. Learn more about SJ.
After registering, you will receive the Zoom information by email.
Clinic Cancellation & Transfer Fees
If you cancel more than 24 hours before the clinic start time, there is a $7.50 cancellation fee. This fee will be waived one time if registration is transferred to a subsequent clinic that begins within twelve months of the training start date. No refunds for cancellations 24 hours or less before the clinic start time.
QUESTIONS?
Trainings: Sarah Moss, Mediation and Training Coordinator, smoss@communityboards.org
General inquiries: Jim Garrison, Communications Director, jgarrison@communityboards.org