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.
2025 Conflict Resolution Clinics
APRIL
How Our Judgments Help Us Understand Others
With Marie MacNichol
April 24, Thursday, 5:30-7:30pm PDT
CB Member: $25 | Public: $45
Live Interactive Workshop on Zoom
Being judgmental gets a bad rap, but what if it can help mediators? Marie MacNichol has developed a training using the Understanding-Based Approach and its six underlying concepts to serve mediators in their support of the mediation process. Come learn about how to transform the human experience of judgment into a positive outcome.
In this interactive workshop participants will learn to recognize and understand how negative thoughts and judgments that arise during mediation can be used to help the mediator understand and connect with the parties.
By attending Marie’s workshop, you’ll learn:
- Acceptance of negative thoughts, judgments, and feelings as normal and useful.
- Self-awareness that our negative thoughts, judgments, and feelings may be arising from our own history.
- How using “Acceptance and Understanding” will allow you to feel connected with parties in mediation and support the mediation process
Marie MacNichol
Marie MacNichol is a mediator and Intellectual Property Attorney with more than 25 years of industry experience in resolving patent, licensing and contract disputes, and litigations. She founded her mediation practice to help parties in conflict by providing services that promote understanding of all issues in a respectful and non-coercive environment. Learn more about Marie.
After registering, you will receive the Zoom information by email.
Back to top
MAY
Navigating Family Conflict: A Streamlined Approach with Nonviolent Communication
With Lisa Rothman
May 8, Thursday, 5:30-7:30pm PDT
CB Member: $25 | Public: $45
Live Interactive Workshop on Zoom
Nonviolent Communication (also known as NVC or compassionate communication) is a method of communication created by psychologist Marshall Rosenberg based on universal human feelings and needs. The purpose of NVC is to create empathy and to promote cooperative solutions that meet peoples’ needs.
NVC is an extremely helpful tool for preventing and repairing family conflicts. There are, however, a number of common pitfalls beginners make that can result in the process backfiring.
This workshop offers a streamlined approach that avoids these pitfalls while remaining 100% faithful to Marshall’s vision. It also provides experienced practitioners with a new way of thinking about Marshall’s model to maximize both effectiveness and efficiency.
Whether you’re new to NVC or a seasoned practitioner, you’ll get a lot out of this workshop. Past participants shared: “This workshop changed how I parent” and “I’m walking away with a different perspective of how I can approach conflict and navigate it with my children.”
What you’ll get from attending:
- A streamlined four step process for preventing and resolving conflicts that results in win-win solutions for everyone.
- Insight into why compromise doesn’t work in the long run.
- A mindset shift that makes conflict prevention and repair possible.
- Inspiring and educational case studies of families using this process to transform long standing conflicts.
- Techniques on how to avoid the common pitfalls that escalate conflict despite parents’ best intentions.
- How to make requests —not demands—while remaining confident that no one will give up on what’s important to them.
Lisa Rothman
Lisa has spent the last two decades learning, practicing, and teaching hundreds of parents how to prevent family conflicts without feeling like pushovers or police officers. Lisa has studied with Marshall Rosenberg, the founder of Nonviolent Communication, and Miki Kashtan, the seed founder of the Nonviolent Global Liberation Community. Learn more about Lisa.
After registering, you will receive the Zoom information by email.
Back to top
JUNE
Coming soon!
JULY
Relational Workplace Mediation: A Structural Approach
With John Ford
July 30, Thursday, 5:30-7:30pm PDT
CB Member: $25 | Public: $45
Live Interactive Workshop on Zoom
Workplace mediation offers a promising path for both new and experienced mediators. However, relying solely on the traditional mediation model does not consistently yield successful outcomes.
John introduces a structured approach to relational and interpersonal mediation in the workplace, designed to significantly enhance the likelihood of success. Building upon the traditional mediation model, integrating elements from psychotherapy, organizational development, nonviolent communication, and neuroscience to create a robust and reliable process.
If you practice workplace mediation–or want to–and you are eager to learn from a mediator with a track record of success, this session is for you.
The key topics explored and discussed include:
- Reframing the opening session as an orientation and training opportunity
- Utilizing caucuses intentionally and early to reduce emotional tension
- Harnessing the power of acknowledgment to validate emotions
- Reframing friction points as opportunities for achieving clarity
- Drafting documents using a library of clauses to create customized clarity
- Emphasizing the importance of a commitment ceremony and follow-up
- Confidentiality differences and the helpful role of a management champion
HR Certification Institute
Program ID will be provided upon completion of training. This program has been pre-approved for 2 General Credit Hours toward aPHR®, aPHRi™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™ and SPHRi™ recertification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®).
MCLE
This course is approved by the State Bar of California for 1 MCLE credit for the Recognition and Elimination of Bias in the Legal Profession and Society (provider #9323).
John Ford
John is a seasoned workplace mediator and conflict resolution coach with three decades of experience. He is the author of Peace at Work: The HR Manager’s Guide to Workplace Mediation and the creator of several tools designed to enhance empathy and communication in mediation, including The Empathy Set™ of cards. Learn more about John.
After registering, you will receive the Zoom information by email.
Back to top
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