Orange County 40-Hour Mediation Training. Learn to guide constructive conversations.

This course was informative, practical, and incredibly valuable. The realistic role-playing scenarios helped me practice essential mediation skills like active listening, reframing, and identifying interests while learning to manage emotions and difficult conversations. The course strengthened my understanding of the mediation process and gave me greater confidence in helping people feel heard, respected, and empowered to work toward mutually acceptable solutions.

I highly recommend Dr. Earwicker’s 40-Hour Basic Mediation Training. The on-demand, self-paced format made it easy to complete on my own schedule, and the course gave me a strong foundation in mediation as I prepare to begin a new career after age 60. I would recommend it to lawyers, non-lawyers, therapists, or anyone interested in mediation or a new career path.

The course's use of interactive, AI-assisted role-play sessions was a particularly effective teaching
method. Practicing as mediator in realistic, back-and-forth conversations made the material feel applied
rather than abstract, and the communication throughout each session felt genuine and responsive rather
than scripted. This back-and-forth structure gave me the chance to actually practice de-escalation,
reframing, and interest based negotiation in real time, rather than simply reading about them.

Overall, this course was an enlightening and intriguing introduction to the practice of mediation. It was
clearly well put together, with a thoughtful progression that moved from foundational concepts through
increasingly complex, realistic scenarios. Starting with simpler two-party disputes and building toward
multi-party and emotionally charged situations, such as a parenting plan negotiation, gave the material a
natural sense of momentum and allowed each new skill to build on the last rather than being introduced in
isolation.

The written materials in Dr. Earwicker's course were clear and well organized. Concepts were explained in language
that was understandable without being oversimplified, and each sessions objectives were stated plainly
enough that I always knew what skill I was meant to be focusing on and why it mattered to the broader
practice of mediation.

Dr. Earwicker's course gave me valuable tools for handling impasses, teaching how to slow the conversation, identify underlying interests, and reframe rigid positions into solvable issues. The course gave me lots of techniques for reframing negative perspectives, helping transform tension into constructive dialogue.

The course was straightforward and provided the information to understand the mediation process, the dynamics of power, personality types, and cultures encountered in mediations. It provided the tools to move the parties from the opening to the agreement while de-escalating any issues, understanding the parties’ interests, and making sure everyone is properly heard. I can’t wait to get my practice started and put these tools into action. Thank you for the opportunity to obtain my certification!

Thank you for an exceptional mediation course. The course was clear and well-organized, and the materials were practical and relevant. Each assignment was evaluated within a day or two, which helped me stay engaged and motivated as I progressed through the material. The feedback I received was especially helpful—it was always constructive, specific, and thoughtful. It not only clarified key concepts but also gave me practical direction on how to strengthen my skills.

This course surpassed my expectations. Not only did I gain knowledge about all aspects of mediation but I had the opportunity to practice mediation skills as I progressed through the course. Practice was not reading case studies but actually mediating in real-time simulations. This was instrumental in building my confidence as a mediator. Another extraordinary aspect of this course was the personal developmental feedback provided by Dr. Earwicker. His feedback provided developmental actions that I could integrate to grow as a mediator and his availability and openness to questions added even more value. This intentional personal touch resulted in my feeling valued as a learner; I was not just another collected fee passing through an automated system.

The course reinforced the importance of empathy, de-escalation, and structured communication. My background in communication and conflict resolution allowed me to feel confident facilitating difficult conversations, while the simulations helped strengthen my mediation techniques and adaptability. Overall, the experience increased my confidence as a mediator and provided valuable practical experience that I can apply in future mediation practice.

What sets this course apart is that it doesn't just teach you how to run a mediation. It teaches you how to listen at a level most people never reach, to find the shared interest buried underneath a hardened position, and to hold space for two people who are hurting without losing your own footing in the process.

The skills I built here extend far beyond a mediation room. If you are serious about becoming someone who can navigate conflict with confidence, clarity, and compassion, this is exactly where you start.

The curriculum moves you from foundational theory into increasingly complex simulations that force you to apply what you've learned under real pressure. By the time I reached the final scenario, I wasn't just recalling techniques, I was actually using them in the moment, with competing emotions and entrenched positions on both sides of the table.

This course exceeded my expectations in both depth and practical application. The progression from foundational concepts to increasingly complex role-play simulations was well-designed and allowed me to build confidence incrementally rather than feeling thrown into the deep end. The pacing felt intentional, and each simulation built meaningfully on the last.

This program was exceptional! I found each of the 10 Modules more interesting than the previous one.  I had no real experience in my law practice as a mediator since I spent my career advocating and litigating on behalf of my injured worker clients in the law firm I helped found.

Your program opened my mind and heart to another way to approach problem solving! I particularly appreciated the methods you used in your introductions to each module before diving into the particulars of each set of lessons. It set a framework in my brain of what to expect, which made it easier to really learn once I began the tutorials. Thank you!

I found the course thorough, well constructed and full of valuable content. I hadn't used AI for anything more than parlor tricks. It really felt like I was carrying on a conversation with other people. In fact I had to remind myself more than once I wasn't. 

All-in-all, the course was a positive experience. I feel it will benefit me quite a bit in my mediation practice.

This was not a passive, checkbox course. It was self-paced, highly interactive, and designed for real learning rather than simply earning a certificate. I was able to progress through the material around a demanding schedule, with extensive reference resources available for deeper study. The strong emphasis on individualized feedback made the experience practical, engaging, and genuinely valuable.

This 40-hour mediation training exceeded my expectations in both content and delivery. The course was well-structured, practical, and thoughtfully paced, allowing me to build skills progressively while also having time to reflect and integrate what I was learning. The role-plays, scenarios, and guided reflections helped translate theory into practice and deepened my understanding of interest-based negotiation, mediator neutrality, ethical boundaries, and effective communication techniques. I also appreciated the clear explanations of the mediation process, from intake through closure, and the attention given to drafting durable, balanced agreements.

This Mediation Course was phenomenal; it covered everything. I have no questions after the end of this course; it was very detailed, very professional, and very well explained.  Dr. Ben Earwicker was professional and attentive. Thank you so much.

Self-paced learning has been the most valuable part of this course for me. I am able to work through each module, review the mediation prompt, and reflect before beginning the exercise. The self-paced design continues to help me absorb the material, reflect, and apply theory in a deliberate way rather than simply enduring an extended training session.

Dr. Earwicker's certification was a fun, engaging, and highly responsive mediation course that brings real-world skills to life. Practical, interactive, and confidence-building—I’d recommend it to anyone serious about mediation. Thank you, too, for being very quick and responsive.   It made the class very relaxing not having to wait long for feedback or help.  

The Virtual Mediation program was a great find! The role-play simulations and practical application of mediation skills were the most valuable to me. They helped me better understand how theory translates into real conversations. The course helped me strengthen my active listening, neutrality, and confidence in managing difficult discussions. I found that this course presented a clear structure, realistic scenarios, and opportunities to practice mediator language. Thank you for all of your wonderful feedback and for the opportunity to be a part of this course.

I appreciated how quickly assignments were graded and feedback was given, which helped me build confidence in myself and helped me know what things I could easily improve upon. The videos were engaging, and the amount of work involved was very reasonable. I can tell you put a lot of thoughtful work and effort into this curriculum. Thank you!

This mediation certification course provided me with more information than I realized would even be available. It provided me with real time scenario situations to mediate using the skills I had learned from the videos. What I found most important was the feedback directly from Dr. Earwicker. It wasn’t just cut and paste feedback. It was very specific to my mediation in my reflections

What stood out most to me in your approach was the way you integrated AI into the course. I thought that was ingenious. I’ve taken other mediation courses before and, frankly, many of them felt flat—they simply didn’t translate well into practice. Your use of AI, by contrast, added an immediacy and practicality that made the lessons come alive. It allowed me to apply what you were teaching contemporaneously, which was invaluable.

Ultimately, this course has helped me evolve from a problem-solver to a solution-facilitator, which I believe will make me not only a more effective attorney, but also a better communicator overall.

In this course, I have come to appreciate that mediation is more than simply managing disputes—it is about creating a safe and constructive space where people can be heard, respected, and guided toward resolution. The role-play simulations allowed me to put theory into practice and experience the challenge of balancing neutrality, empathy, and structure while facilitating difficult conversations.

I wasn't sure how an online training would work for this, but am pleasantly surprised at how effective this training was.  I appreciate the time and effort you took to create it, as I would not have been able to receive such great training otherwise - my schedule prevented anything in person.  Thank you for everything!

As a licensed clinical social worker, I came into this course with a strong foundation in therapeutic communication, emotional attunement, and conflict work. What this course added for me was a more structured framework for mediation—particularly how to remain neutral and process-focused in situations where my clinical instincts might otherwise lead me toward interpretation or problem-solving.

As a recent college grad, online classes have been something that I have oftentimes disliked just because of the difficulty of teaching through online lectures. These lectures bypassed many of my fears as they were incredibly informative and helpful. I enjoyed that the modules were laid out so that the exercises that were assigned made sense with the material we had been learning. I was also very impressed by the chat bot model for the exercises as they were surprisingly realistic.

This was a fantastic course with a variety of teaching modalities and thorough content to prepare me for the world of mediation. I am far more confident in my skills after the AI role-play practices and incorporating Dr. Earwicker's feedback after each assignment. Highly recommend!

As a therapist by trade, I found this course to be exceptionally clear, well-structured, and directly applicable to my clinical and professional work. The material was presented in a way that made complex mediation concepts feel accessible without oversimplifying them, which I truly appreciated. The explanations were thoughtful, grounded, and practical, allowing me to immediately see how the skills translate into real-world situations.

Overall, I truly am impressed with the content of the course, and how it is flowing.   I'm so impressed by the course :).  Thank you, I look forward to what's left!

Even though I came in with no background in mediation, the course helped me feel well prepared. The ideas about interest-based communication and de-escalation really stuck with me and helped during the role-plays. I now see how these tools can apply not just in mediation, but in everyday situations too.

I like the way this course builds. You provide the information, confirm with quizzes, then allow for use of knowledge – role play. I also enjoy that each role-play has built on the material and itself. It has given me the opportunity to improve including my active listening, open ended questions, reframing, and making sure I stay neutral.

The lectures contained a great deal of depth into a wide range of material, and I appreciated the source references so that I can deepen further into the material.  I would highly recommend this course to anyone seeking good mediation training.

This class really helped me understand that mediation isn’t just about following a process — it’s about helping people feel heard and safe enough to communicate honestly. The whistleblower role-play between Maya, a senior accountant, and James, the CEO, was intense but realistic, and it gave me a chance to practice staying calm, neutral, and focused when emotions ran high.

This course has become an invaluable toolbox for me—not only in the context of mediating family law disputes, but also in transforming my overall approach to conflict

To be candid, when I began the class, I wasn’t terribly enthused. I thought it might be something I could shortcut my way through. In fact, it was quite the opposite. It required real effort—but I am better for it. Revisiting the fundamentals of the mediation process was refreshing, and I plan to read Getting to Yes because of your recommendation. I see its application not only in mediation, but in negotiation and everyday life.

One of the most eye-opening aspects of this course has been the exploration of implicit and explicit bias. These concepts have challenged me to reflect on my own assumptions and behaviors, and how they may inadvertently affect my interactions with clients, colleagues, and opposing counsel.

This course has become an incredibly enjoyable and enriching experience. Each module builds upon the last, and the tools I’ve gained—especially those related to planning strategies for a successful mediation practice—are proving to be invaluable in both academic and personal contexts. The practical applications of these strategies have started to influence how I approach conflict resolution in my daily life, making me more thoughtful, intentional, and effective in my interactions.

Ultimately, this course is helping me evolve from a culturally aware attorney to a culturally responsive one. It is not enough to be familiar with different cultures; I must also be intentional in how I engage with them.

The inclusion in your program of both the tools needed to be a good mediator (such as active listening, managing emotions, bias and cultural diversity, ethical standards) and then the practical steps to build a mediation practice were invaluable. There were many suggestions that had not occurred to me before I signed up for your program when I was first asked to become a mediator by several judges in my legal community.

I give this course 5 stars out of 5. I appreciate how efficient it was to get the required 40 hour training without having to sit in a hotel conference room for a week, not get paid the whole time, and listen to someone read from slides with random Q&A for the same five participants. The on-demand format was fantastic.

As a therapist, I found this mediation course to be incredibly clear, well-organized, and immediately applicable to my work. The concepts were explained in a way that felt accessible without being simplistic, and the practical examples helped bridge theory and real-world practice. I especially appreciated how the course complemented my clinical skills while offering a distinct mediation framework. Overall, it was a thoughtful, engaging experience that I would highly recommend to other therapists and helping professionals.

Overall, this course significantly strengthened my confidence and competence as a developing mediator. I am well-prepared to apply these skills in professional and community settings, and I highly recommend this training to others seeking a comprehensive and practical mediation education.