Mediation Survivor’s HandBook
by Peg Nichols

IAF member Peg Nichols is a former small claims mediation program coordinator and Kansas Supreme Court approved mediator/trainer. She was editor of a mediation association newsletter, and frequently speaks about mediation

Her Mediation Survivor’s HandBook is a beginner’s guide to mediation. Parties who choose mediation to seek resolution of a dispute, or have been ordered to mediation by a court, can use Mediation Survivor’s HandBook to guide them through the basics. Separate chapters cover civil, divorce/family, victim/offender, peer, and probate mediation. The final chapter is a set of guide-lines parties can carry with them into the mediation session.

Facilitators and mediators borrow so readily from each other’s bag of strategies it is sometimes difficult to determine the differences between the two processes. Reviewer Mike Smith of Atlantic Book Review writes: “If you’re getting ready for mediation, do yourself a huge favor and pick up a copy of this handbook.”

Brief explanations will help interested readers understand the difference between the facilitative, evaluative, and transformative styles of mediation. A short chapter explains some of the initial steps individuals can take if they wish to prepare themselves for offering mediation services to the public or to the courts. Mediation Survivor’s HandBook can be ordered online at http://www.mediationsurvivorshandbook.com.