Advanced Mediation Skills Practicum
Beginning September 20, 2011

New York Center for Interpersonal Development

is pleased to offer:

Advanced Mediation Skills Practicum
a program designed for Mediators trained
in the Understanding-Based Model

presented by: Sequoia Stalder, Esq.

21 CLE Hours
New York CLE Approved
New Jersey CLE Approved
For both newly admitted and experienced attorneys

Are you looking to deepen your understanding of the mediation process and put those skills to work?  Sign Up NOW to join our next Practicum, starting September 20, 2011!  Limited Seating!

The Practicum is a 5 month program that includes:

• Introduction:  A half-day training that begins with an overview of the Practicum program and continues with a review of the skills and stages of the mediation process. Role play work will be used to ground the skills reviewed and to orient those skills in the community mediation setting.


• Monthly Skills Development & Practice:  Over the subsequent five months, participants will gather once per month for 3 hours in the evening at a Manhattan based location to practice and develop their skills.  Topics such as Contracting, Looping, Working Through the Conflict, Role of Law, Option Generation, Impasse and more are covered in detail through lecture, discussion and role-play work.


• Co-mediation Opportunities:  Practicum participants are given extensive opportunity to co-mediate actual cases at NYCID's offices in Staten Island and at Richmond County Small Claims Court, Civil Court and Housing Court with a Certified New York Center for Interpersonal Development (NYCID) Mediator.  Participants are notified via e-mail of available cases and are assigned on a rotating schedule giving everyone the opportunity to participate on a regular basis. While there is no minimum mediation requirement, we ask that participants try to mediate a minimum of one case per month for the 5 month program.


• Ongoing skills development:  After each mediation, mediators complete a self evaluation and debrief with the lead mediator providing an opportunity for extensive feedback and ongoing learning.


• Observation for Certification as a Community Mediator:  At the completion of the Practicum, participants can elect to be observed by the Director of Mediation Services for certification as a community mediator as part of the Community Dispute Resolution Centers Program of the New York State Office of Court Administration, Office of ADR and Court Improvement Programs.  While there is no guarantee regarding certification, we are committed to working with practicum participants who are not initially certified to develop a plan for skill development and future certification.


• Spotlight Series:  The Spotlight series is a monthly forum for mediators who work with NYCID.  NYCID's mediators come together for discussions, information, workshop-style practice sessions, and to network.  Spotlight events are announced by e-mail and are optional for Practicum Participants.

Cost: $1000
(Credit card payments accepted)

Financial aid available to those who qualify

Register Now!

What Participants are Saying About Our Trainings:

• "I loved this training. You covered so much in a short period of time and I really feel like I came away with a solid understanding of the mediation practice."

• "The understanding based approach really spoke to me.  I am so amazed and appreciative that a framework like that exists."

• "The training was amazing.  It was so engaging and applicable to so many scenarios.  There was a great mix of students and the trainers really helped the class develop a rapport with each other."

• "I would highly recommend this training for any attorney ~ whether you are interested in mediation or not.  The communication skills will make me a more effective fact gatherer from my clients, a more effective negotiator with my adversaries and a more effective advocate before tribunals of every kind.  For the practitioner ~ either as mediator or advocate ~ this training is indispensable.”

• "I attended a six week mediation practicum with Sequoia Stalder last year and he is an excellent teacher and practitioner. Sequoia has great depth of knowledge of the Understanding-Based approach to mediation and this is evident in his passion and instruction."

• "The trainers helped to put theory into real context and brought the beauty and magic of mediation to life."

About the Presenter:
Sequoia Stalder, Esq.

Sequoia Stalder is a mediator/attorney practicing in New York.  He is currently the Director of Conflict Resolution Services and the Director of the Training Institute at New York Center for Interpersonal Development (NYCID), the Richmond County Community Dispute Resolution Center.  In this role, he oversees all of NYCID’s mediation programs and trainings, with a yearly caseload of over 800 cases. 

Sequoia regularly provides beginner and advanced mediation trainings to a diverse array of professionals including lawyers, judges, therapists, teachers and others. He regularly lectures on mediation and related topics in law schools, courts, non-profits, government and social-service organizations. In addition to his role as Director of NYCID’s Training Institute, he is a member of the training faculty for the Center for Understanding in Conflict (Center for Mediation in Law) and sits on the Center’s Education Committee.

Sequoia also has a private mediation practice and is a principal of Stalder Raich, a mediation and conflict consulting firm in New York City. His areas of specialization are Family and Divorce mediation, Business mediation and Workplace and Organizational conflict consulting.

Sequoia sits on the board of the Family and Divorce Mediation Council of Greater New York. He is a member of the Association for Conflict Resolution, the New York State Dispute Resolution Association and the Dispute Resolution Section of the New York State Bar Association.