The practice of mediation often feels like a lonely endeavor. We work without the benefit of peers or mentors. Many mediators have no cohorts for case review or brainstorming. No old timer is waiting in the wings to teach us the ropes or let us in on time-tested trade secrets. Often we are left to reinvent the wheel when it comes to best practices and marketing techniques. And, until now, there has been no way for mediators to reduce costs by engaging in cooperative marketing.
I am interested in finding ways for us to gather and engage in on-going conversation with trusted colleagues. Many of us would appreciate being a part of a collaborative forum for promoting ourselves, our practices, and the mediation process. How can we create partnerships that invite us to share talents, in-sights, and concerns? How can we work collectively to increase our profits and improve our skills? How can we join forces and increase our viability, visibility, and revenues? How can we can finally bring mediation into the mainstream?
Showing posts with label mediation training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mediation training. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Thirty Five Years of Mediation: Why Haven't We Come Farther?
With Co-author/Guest blogger Professor Susan F. Dubow
The history:
Using mediation to resolve disputes can be traced, across a variety of cultures, to biblical and ancient times. In this country, the founding fathers recognized the process but mediation did not have a valid place in American policy until 1946 when the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) was formed to resolve labor disputes. During the 1960s the seeds for paradigm shifts and social change were planted and cultivated. The civil rights, feminist, environmental, and peace movements were born. There was dissatisfaction with governmental and other institutions and the courts were backlogged. A push for a better way to resolve disputes ensued.
In 1976 Chief Justice Warren Burger held a conference and ceremony to commemorate the 70th anniversary of legal scholar Roscoe Pound’s presentation The Causes of Popular Dissatisfaction with the Administration of Justice to the American Bar Association. Pound’s paper of 1906 changed the direction of the American courts. At the Pound Conference of 1976 legal scholars met to brainstorm possible improvements to the American legal system. The potential of the mediation process was acknowledged and Chief Justice Berger “blessed” the start of the ADR movement. That was 35 years ago. Today, the average person and the average legislator still don't really understand or appreciate the concept or how mediation can be best utilized.
Together, Susan and I have spent more than a half century in the mediation industry and during the last eleven years we’ve trained more than 10,000 professionals in the mediation process. We believe tremendous brain power and effort has been devoted to the process and profession. But, ultimately when we compare mediation to other things that have been around since the mid-1970s we are disappointed. We ask ourselves “what went wrong?” “Why haven't we come further?” “Why hasn’t mediation made it into the “cultural mind?” We spend a lot of time asking ourselves and other mediators these questions.
As we see it, there are nine things wrong with the mediation picture.
1. When the human animal (like other animals) feels threatened the initial response is fight, flight or freeze. People in conflict want blood, vengeance, and validation. Asking someone in conflict to collaborate is contrary to biology. Mediators have not found a way around the physiology.
2. Most mediators are not able to create and maintain an environment safe enough for true collaboration. Mediation horror stories abound. People often emerge from the process feeling railroaded and coerced.
3. Even after thirty five years there is still reluctance on the part of the legal industry to accept the mediation process as a stand-alone method of dispute resolution. Instead mediation is often viewed as a component of the litigation process. (Is mediation still perceived as McJustice or is there a fear that mediation will cut into the finances and power the status quo affords?)
4. Advocacy is much sexier than peacemaking. Remember, super-heros don’t sit down and work-it-out with the bad guys.
5. There is no American Mediation Association. Without a national organization no one is there to give us a unified voice, protect our legislative interests, or promote good mediation PR.
6. Mediators work in a wide range of niche markets, facing different issues and interests. (For instance, mediators in the financial services arena operate in a different world and with a different world view than those who provide Victim-Offender Mediation.)
7. Baseball, Middle-East, and other highly visible mediation processes often bring no resolution.
8. The results of the mediation process are typically narrow. Until we can broaden the effect and actually provide transformation the participants and the public have nothing to talk about. And, without that buzz we are going nowhere.
9. While many mediators are persuasive magicians, capable of amazingly altering perceptions, ultimately we mediators suffer from a unique form of low self-esteem. Many of us refuse to even embrace the title “Mediator.” Instead we identify ourselves and each other as Attorney-Mediator, Therapist-Mediator, Non-Lawyer Mediator, etc. Do we see ourselves as bit players along the Conflict Management Continuum? Is it conflict phobia that fuels the burning desire to eradicate conflict? Or is there another reason that so many of us are willing to work as volunteers, more invested in the outcome than the clients we serve?
Just consider this:
A Westernized form of Hindu meditative techniques arrived in the United States and Europe in the 1960s. A 2007 study by the U.S. government found that nearly 9.4% of U.S. adults (over 20 million) had practiced meditation within the past 12 months, up from 7.6% (more than 15 million people) in 2002. Why has meditation done so much better at going mainstream than mediation?
Steve Jobs founded Apple Computers in 1976. If he had been at the Pound Conference instead of in his garage working on his computer where do you think the mediation process would be today? Who among us has the Jobs-like vision that will be necessary to take us to the next level?
Clearly, current shifts in almost every aspect of our society – economic, familial, political, and environmental – point to the need for a new problem-solving mechanism and mediation just might be an idea whose time has come. So stay tuned. Our next article will focus on what each of us can do so that we are not having the same discussion ten, twenty, or thirty years from now?
Susan F. Dubow, a pioneer in the field of Alternative Dispute Resolution, served as the Director of the Court Mediation and Arbitration Program, the ADR Division of the 17th Judicial Circuit, Broward County, for over 22 years. She is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator and Primary Mediation Trainer and a member of the Florida Supreme Court's Mediator Ethics Advisory Committee. Susan is an Adjunct Professor at Nova Southeastern University's Shepard Broad Law Center, President and CEO of Mediation Training Group, and a Past-president of both The Association of South Florida Mediators and Arbitrators (ASFMA) and The Florida Academy of Professional Mediators (FAPM.)
The history:
Using mediation to resolve disputes can be traced, across a variety of cultures, to biblical and ancient times. In this country, the founding fathers recognized the process but mediation did not have a valid place in American policy until 1946 when the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) was formed to resolve labor disputes. During the 1960s the seeds for paradigm shifts and social change were planted and cultivated. The civil rights, feminist, environmental, and peace movements were born. There was dissatisfaction with governmental and other institutions and the courts were backlogged. A push for a better way to resolve disputes ensued.
In 1976 Chief Justice Warren Burger held a conference and ceremony to commemorate the 70th anniversary of legal scholar Roscoe Pound’s presentation The Causes of Popular Dissatisfaction with the Administration of Justice to the American Bar Association. Pound’s paper of 1906 changed the direction of the American courts. At the Pound Conference of 1976 legal scholars met to brainstorm possible improvements to the American legal system. The potential of the mediation process was acknowledged and Chief Justice Berger “blessed” the start of the ADR movement. That was 35 years ago. Today, the average person and the average legislator still don't really understand or appreciate the concept or how mediation can be best utilized.
Together, Susan and I have spent more than a half century in the mediation industry and during the last eleven years we’ve trained more than 10,000 professionals in the mediation process. We believe tremendous brain power and effort has been devoted to the process and profession. But, ultimately when we compare mediation to other things that have been around since the mid-1970s we are disappointed. We ask ourselves “what went wrong?” “Why haven't we come further?” “Why hasn’t mediation made it into the “cultural mind?” We spend a lot of time asking ourselves and other mediators these questions.
As we see it, there are nine things wrong with the mediation picture.
1. When the human animal (like other animals) feels threatened the initial response is fight, flight or freeze. People in conflict want blood, vengeance, and validation. Asking someone in conflict to collaborate is contrary to biology. Mediators have not found a way around the physiology.
2. Most mediators are not able to create and maintain an environment safe enough for true collaboration. Mediation horror stories abound. People often emerge from the process feeling railroaded and coerced.
3. Even after thirty five years there is still reluctance on the part of the legal industry to accept the mediation process as a stand-alone method of dispute resolution. Instead mediation is often viewed as a component of the litigation process. (Is mediation still perceived as McJustice or is there a fear that mediation will cut into the finances and power the status quo affords?)
4. Advocacy is much sexier than peacemaking. Remember, super-heros don’t sit down and work-it-out with the bad guys.
5. There is no American Mediation Association. Without a national organization no one is there to give us a unified voice, protect our legislative interests, or promote good mediation PR.
6. Mediators work in a wide range of niche markets, facing different issues and interests. (For instance, mediators in the financial services arena operate in a different world and with a different world view than those who provide Victim-Offender Mediation.)
7. Baseball, Middle-East, and other highly visible mediation processes often bring no resolution.
8. The results of the mediation process are typically narrow. Until we can broaden the effect and actually provide transformation the participants and the public have nothing to talk about. And, without that buzz we are going nowhere.
9. While many mediators are persuasive magicians, capable of amazingly altering perceptions, ultimately we mediators suffer from a unique form of low self-esteem. Many of us refuse to even embrace the title “Mediator.” Instead we identify ourselves and each other as Attorney-Mediator, Therapist-Mediator, Non-Lawyer Mediator, etc. Do we see ourselves as bit players along the Conflict Management Continuum? Is it conflict phobia that fuels the burning desire to eradicate conflict? Or is there another reason that so many of us are willing to work as volunteers, more invested in the outcome than the clients we serve?
Just consider this:
A Westernized form of Hindu meditative techniques arrived in the United States and Europe in the 1960s. A 2007 study by the U.S. government found that nearly 9.4% of U.S. adults (over 20 million) had practiced meditation within the past 12 months, up from 7.6% (more than 15 million people) in 2002. Why has meditation done so much better at going mainstream than mediation?
Steve Jobs founded Apple Computers in 1976. If he had been at the Pound Conference instead of in his garage working on his computer where do you think the mediation process would be today? Who among us has the Jobs-like vision that will be necessary to take us to the next level?
Clearly, current shifts in almost every aspect of our society – economic, familial, political, and environmental – point to the need for a new problem-solving mechanism and mediation just might be an idea whose time has come. So stay tuned. Our next article will focus on what each of us can do so that we are not having the same discussion ten, twenty, or thirty years from now?
Susan F. Dubow, a pioneer in the field of Alternative Dispute Resolution, served as the Director of the Court Mediation and Arbitration Program, the ADR Division of the 17th Judicial Circuit, Broward County, for over 22 years. She is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator and Primary Mediation Trainer and a member of the Florida Supreme Court's Mediator Ethics Advisory Committee. Susan is an Adjunct Professor at Nova Southeastern University's Shepard Broad Law Center, President and CEO of Mediation Training Group, and a Past-president of both The Association of South Florida Mediators and Arbitrators (ASFMA) and The Florida Academy of Professional Mediators (FAPM.)
Monday, July 4, 2011
Advice For The Novice and Wanna-be Mediator
Recently, in an on-line mediator forum someone posted the following question. "I'm a lawyer with twenty-one years of experience in a variety of types of law. I'm thinking of shifting gears and mediation might be a great next step for me. Does anyone have any tips? How did you decide to become a mediator? What courses or training materials helped you? Did you have anything particular in your background that you found especially helpful? Any guidance appreciated."
A long dialogue between mediators ensued. I contributed four times to the discussion. Here's what I had to say:
Post #1. In my opinion, before you make any decisions there are some significant pieces of information you will need. First, does your state certify mediators? If so you will want to go to a training program approved by your local courts. Basically mediators fall into two categories - family/divorce and commercial/civil. While you may decide to be trained in both areas it is important - for marketing and other purposes - that you are clear on who you are (your brand) and what you are "selling." When you say "shift gears" I am assuming that you are talking about giving up the practice of law and become a full-time mediator. In order to make that happen you will need both mediation competence and good connections. Talk to some lawyers who have successfully made the transition and see what they say. I also suggest you read Tammy Lenski's book - "Making Mediation Your Day Job." Finally, if you decide that you will be a family/divorce mediator you will also want to decide if your target market is represented parties or pro-se couples. If you decide that you want to build a practice in the growing field of pro-se/pre-suit divorce mediation please consider attending my upcoming training - Friendly Divorce Mediation Training: Make Money, Make a Difference - www.FriendlyDivorceTraining.com. I wish you all the best in your new endeavor. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions that I can answer for you.
Post #2. In the current economy it is wise to pursue multiple streams of income. Mediation can provide a steady income stream if you are committed to investing the time and effort necessary for building a business that provides a quality product. Mediators can use (a) court annexed programs to build connections and gain experience and (b) administrative agency cases to supplement a private practice. However, the mainstay of a mediation practice should be client elected cases in a niche market. Like all service businesses the mediator must actively market him/herself and offer clients real value.
Post #3. It just so happens that we are in the right place at the right time. The legal services industry is undergoing a huge shift and as mediators we can strategically position ourselves to benefit from the shift. Take a look at this article from the recent edition of the ABA Journal. http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/paradigm_shift Law Job Stagnation May Have Started Before the Recession—And It May Be a Sign of Lasting Change
Post #4. I agree with Sam about the challenges we face as a profession. Yes, we should have followed the social work model when training standards were created thirty years ago. And, we still have no national voice, lobbyist, or PR spokesperson. Oh well. We are a profession in its infancy. Twenty years from now this profession will look very different. (Just notice how many universities are now offering programs in mediation and conflict management.) Often people who take my 40-hour training do not get certified, never mediate a case, and still tell me that the training changed their lives because it changed the way they look at and handle conflict. Yes, Sam is correct; there are many mediocre mediators out there. (But, there are many mediocre lawyers, doctors, and waiters too.) The market has a way of sorting out the good from the bad. I do not like the 40-hour training concept. However, I know that the first 40-hours are just an intro. Those who want to really learn the craft need to keep current with continuing ed. But, on the flip side, since mediation is so much more of an art than a science, without some natural talent all the training in the world cannot make certain personality types masterful mediators. And, while competence is important, it’s not enough. I believe that building a mediation practice is all about marketing - which I define as the ability to convey a vision of how one's product/service can give the client/customer value. If you can do that you can succeed as a mediator or anything else.
A long dialogue between mediators ensued. I contributed four times to the discussion. Here's what I had to say:
Post #1. In my opinion, before you make any decisions there are some significant pieces of information you will need. First, does your state certify mediators? If so you will want to go to a training program approved by your local courts. Basically mediators fall into two categories - family/divorce and commercial/civil. While you may decide to be trained in both areas it is important - for marketing and other purposes - that you are clear on who you are (your brand) and what you are "selling." When you say "shift gears" I am assuming that you are talking about giving up the practice of law and become a full-time mediator. In order to make that happen you will need both mediation competence and good connections. Talk to some lawyers who have successfully made the transition and see what they say. I also suggest you read Tammy Lenski's book - "Making Mediation Your Day Job." Finally, if you decide that you will be a family/divorce mediator you will also want to decide if your target market is represented parties or pro-se couples. If you decide that you want to build a practice in the growing field of pro-se/pre-suit divorce mediation please consider attending my upcoming training - Friendly Divorce Mediation Training: Make Money, Make a Difference - www.FriendlyDivorceTraining.com. I wish you all the best in your new endeavor. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions that I can answer for you.
Post #2. In the current economy it is wise to pursue multiple streams of income. Mediation can provide a steady income stream if you are committed to investing the time and effort necessary for building a business that provides a quality product. Mediators can use (a) court annexed programs to build connections and gain experience and (b) administrative agency cases to supplement a private practice. However, the mainstay of a mediation practice should be client elected cases in a niche market. Like all service businesses the mediator must actively market him/herself and offer clients real value.
Post #3. It just so happens that we are in the right place at the right time. The legal services industry is undergoing a huge shift and as mediators we can strategically position ourselves to benefit from the shift. Take a look at this article from the recent edition of the ABA Journal. http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/paradigm_shift Law Job Stagnation May Have Started Before the Recession—And It May Be a Sign of Lasting Change
Post #4. I agree with Sam about the challenges we face as a profession. Yes, we should have followed the social work model when training standards were created thirty years ago. And, we still have no national voice, lobbyist, or PR spokesperson. Oh well. We are a profession in its infancy. Twenty years from now this profession will look very different. (Just notice how many universities are now offering programs in mediation and conflict management.) Often people who take my 40-hour training do not get certified, never mediate a case, and still tell me that the training changed their lives because it changed the way they look at and handle conflict. Yes, Sam is correct; there are many mediocre mediators out there. (But, there are many mediocre lawyers, doctors, and waiters too.) The market has a way of sorting out the good from the bad. I do not like the 40-hour training concept. However, I know that the first 40-hours are just an intro. Those who want to really learn the craft need to keep current with continuing ed. But, on the flip side, since mediation is so much more of an art than a science, without some natural talent all the training in the world cannot make certain personality types masterful mediators. And, while competence is important, it’s not enough. I believe that building a mediation practice is all about marketing - which I define as the ability to convey a vision of how one's product/service can give the client/customer value. If you can do that you can succeed as a mediator or anything else.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Intro Redux
I am a mediator and mediation trainer based in Florida. As part of Mediation Training Group I teach Florida Supreme Court Certified Civil and Family mediation training programs and Continuing Mediator Education. My own mediation practice is focused on ProSe/PreSuit divorce. (Cases where the divorcing couple goes through the process without retaining attorneys. They may consult with attorneys but they do not hire attorneys.) I am now teaching other mediators our unique marketing and practice methods. If you want to launch or expand your own divorce mediation practice within this emerging market niche take a look at www.FriendlyDivorceTraining.com. This training program is available in streaming video format at Mediate.com. Let me know if you have any questions.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Have You Launched Your Divorce/Family Mediation Practice?
Dear Family Mediator,
Have you successfully launched your divorce/family mediation practice?
Are you satisfied with your divorce/family mediation practice?
Newly trained mediators often report that they face obstacles in their efforts to launch their divorce/family mediation practices. It seems that whether the goal is to build a practice for couples that are represented by attorneys or for those that are pro-se, the road to private practice is often bumpy. Obstacles can include:
- a lack of confidence regarding the novice mediator’s ability to effectively facilitate the session,
- a lack of confidence regarding the mediator’s knowledge of the legalities involved in divorce, including calculating child support and writing the marital settlement agreement,
- market saturation,
- a failure to create an inclusive marketing plan, and
- the lack of a professional mentor and/or a support system.
If these or any other obstacle has kept you from achieving your goal of launching a divorce/family mediation practice, please don't give up. I have long believed that the 40-hour training model that we use in Florida is only a first step for embarking upon a new career as a professional divorce/family mediator. If you are already certified but you still feel unprepared to go to the next level, I have a solution for you. If you have tried to get your practice going with less then satisfactory results, I have a solution for you. You are invited to join "Launch Your Practice: A Professional Group For Divorce/Family Mediators." The group will meet over a six month period. During this time we will explore topics related to mediation techniques and strategies as well as to the marketing of a mediation practice. Our time together will include three day-long meetings (August 2009, October 2009, and January 2010), bi-monthly phone conversations and an in-depth email dialogue. Enrollment is limited and participants will be selected so that there will be no direct geographic market competitors. Please call or email me if you want to learn more.
All the best,
Elinor
Elinor Robin, PhD
Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator and Mediation Trainer
Boca Raton, FL
954-415-5645 CELL
elinorobin@aol.com
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Still Crazy After All This Time
Holy Cow!! Its seven months since I last posted to this blog. Its not like I have posted elsewhere, I am just very, very busy. Lots going on - all of the time.
Shortly after my last post I moved my radio show to WBZT. Actually, there were two shows - a morning show that I did with two colleagues and an evening show, sponsored by a local treatment center, which focused on addiction and recovery. This went on for six months. But, for a variety of logistical reasons I decided to go back to WWNN and on June 20 my newest (and I think best) show - Robin and Dubow On The Radio - debuted. Dubow is of course my friend and colleague (my co-trainer at Mediation Training Group) Mediator Susan Dubow. Susan is a political pundit and my focus is (as always) relationship dynamics. So, we talk about conflict and everything from the presidential race to celebrity divorce. We would love to get more callers - especially those seeking advice - and to encourage that we have secured some great rewards. (Fantastic restaurant and personal service gift certificates.) So listen on Thursday evenings from 6-7pm - www.wwnnradio.com or 1470am if you are in South Florida - and call in.
David and I remain busy with A Friendly Divorce. And, we are constantly learning more about the complex process and effects of divorce. Sadly, we are finding that the terrible economy is acting as the final straw for many of our clients. These are couples who probably could have held their marriages together were it not for the added stress brought on by the current real estate crash, business crisis, and financial fiasco. In spite of the sadness we often witness, we find our work very gratifying, knowing that we are helping our clients conserve their resources, protect their children and save their sanity. In April we moved into a bigger and much nicer office, on June 24 we celebrated our AFD one year anniversary, and this month we contracted for office space so that we can now meet with clients in satellite offices in Plantation, Orlando, Palm Beach Gardens, Jacksonville, Tampa and Gainesville.
This week I begin another Family Mediation training program. At the same time my son Seth is moving to NY for his dream job while my daughter Sari is in active pursuit of hers. More to follow.
Shortly after my last post I moved my radio show to WBZT. Actually, there were two shows - a morning show that I did with two colleagues and an evening show, sponsored by a local treatment center, which focused on addiction and recovery. This went on for six months. But, for a variety of logistical reasons I decided to go back to WWNN and on June 20 my newest (and I think best) show - Robin and Dubow On The Radio - debuted. Dubow is of course my friend and colleague (my co-trainer at Mediation Training Group) Mediator Susan Dubow. Susan is a political pundit and my focus is (as always) relationship dynamics. So, we talk about conflict and everything from the presidential race to celebrity divorce. We would love to get more callers - especially those seeking advice - and to encourage that we have secured some great rewards. (Fantastic restaurant and personal service gift certificates.) So listen on Thursday evenings from 6-7pm - www.wwnnradio.com or 1470am if you are in South Florida - and call in.
David and I remain busy with A Friendly Divorce. And, we are constantly learning more about the complex process and effects of divorce. Sadly, we are finding that the terrible economy is acting as the final straw for many of our clients. These are couples who probably could have held their marriages together were it not for the added stress brought on by the current real estate crash, business crisis, and financial fiasco. In spite of the sadness we often witness, we find our work very gratifying, knowing that we are helping our clients conserve their resources, protect their children and save their sanity. In April we moved into a bigger and much nicer office, on June 24 we celebrated our AFD one year anniversary, and this month we contracted for office space so that we can now meet with clients in satellite offices in Plantation, Orlando, Palm Beach Gardens, Jacksonville, Tampa and Gainesville.
This week I begin another Family Mediation training program. At the same time my son Seth is moving to NY for his dream job while my daughter Sari is in active pursuit of hers. More to follow.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Sage Advice
In the last few days the signs have been everywhere. And, they are all pointing to this blog. All of the sage advice is saying - YOUR MUST HAVE A BLOG. So, here I am. Welcome to my blog.
My name is Dr. Elinor Robin. I am a mediator, mediation trainer and emerging media personality. (Susan Dubow, who will hereafter - in this blog - be known as Susan, my best friend and training partner at Mediation Training Group, calls me a media whore. But Emerging Media Personality is much more accurate - don't you think?
Anyway, in addition to training others to mediate, I mediate workplace disputes (mostly for the US Postal Service and the EEOC) AND I mediate divorces and related matters with my husband and partner David Spofford. We call our mediation practice A Friendly Divorce - www.AFriendlyDivorce.com. No, its not an oxy-moron. Our co-mediation model is unique in that we bring both a male-female balance and an uncommon mix of legal and psychological expertise to the mediation table. Additionally, we take our clients one more step, preparing all of their necessary court documents so our one-stop-shop (OK, all inclusive service) allows them to then go in front of the court for an uncontested divorce.
My media activities currently revolve around my radio shows which are heard on WWNN Radio -1470AM (www.wwnnradio.com - click on Listen Live) in South Florida. I am on Monday and Thursday nights from 8 to 9pm with The Dr Elinor Robin Show. Then on Sunday mornings from 10-11am I do a show called "What's Your Beef?" with Susan. This show gives us and the listeners a chance to vent, rant, and rave about whats wrong with the world. Then from 11-noon I host the MysticHolistic Hour. Thanks to my Executive Producer Rick Seid we have a steady stream of mystics and holistics (everything from Tarot Card readers to Chiropractors) who come to the studio with their individual methods for knowing and healing.
Radio is not my only media outlet. I also write some on-line and in print columns which focus on different aspects of personal and professional growth, relationships and conflicts. You can find me anywhere from www.WomenEntrepreneur.com (part of Entrepreneur Magazine) to The Solution News - www.thesolutionnews.com - a local newspaper serving the recovery community.
As time goes on I promise I will divulge much more. So stay tuned.
Best, Elinor
My name is Dr. Elinor Robin. I am a mediator, mediation trainer and emerging media personality. (Susan Dubow, who will hereafter - in this blog - be known as Susan, my best friend and training partner at Mediation Training Group, calls me a media whore. But Emerging Media Personality is much more accurate - don't you think?
Anyway, in addition to training others to mediate, I mediate workplace disputes (mostly for the US Postal Service and the EEOC) AND I mediate divorces and related matters with my husband and partner David Spofford. We call our mediation practice A Friendly Divorce - www.AFriendlyDivorce.com. No, its not an oxy-moron. Our co-mediation model is unique in that we bring both a male-female balance and an uncommon mix of legal and psychological expertise to the mediation table. Additionally, we take our clients one more step, preparing all of their necessary court documents so our one-stop-shop (OK, all inclusive service) allows them to then go in front of the court for an uncontested divorce.
My media activities currently revolve around my radio shows which are heard on WWNN Radio -1470AM (www.wwnnradio.com - click on Listen Live) in South Florida. I am on Monday and Thursday nights from 8 to 9pm with The Dr Elinor Robin Show. Then on Sunday mornings from 10-11am I do a show called "What's Your Beef?" with Susan. This show gives us and the listeners a chance to vent, rant, and rave about whats wrong with the world. Then from 11-noon I host the MysticHolistic Hour. Thanks to my Executive Producer Rick Seid we have a steady stream of mystics and holistics (everything from Tarot Card readers to Chiropractors) who come to the studio with their individual methods for knowing and healing.
Radio is not my only media outlet. I also write some on-line and in print columns which focus on different aspects of personal and professional growth, relationships and conflicts. You can find me anywhere from www.WomenEntrepreneur.com (part of Entrepreneur Magazine) to The Solution News - www.thesolutionnews.com - a local newspaper serving the recovery community.
As time goes on I promise I will divulge much more. So stay tuned.
Best, Elinor
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