Tuesday 27 January 11am – 12pm
For Family Justice Professionals
Register here
A webinar focussing on the key benefits and elements of trauma informed practice.
Trauma Informed Practice equips mediators with practical strategies to recognize and embed trauma sensitively into all stages of the mediation process.
With Trauma informed mediation rapidly becoming a cornerstone of best practice – it is vital you get equipped to ensure your clients feel respected, heard, and able to fully participate in the process.
Come along to our seminar to be introduced to this recognised practice with Elaine Richardson, Mediator and Trauma Informed Lawyer, and Kerry Lawlor, Psychotherapist and Trauma specialist.
We will be looking to teaching you to recognise the signs and impacts of trauma – including those from childhood using the ACE study, or recent, even ‘live’ experiences of acute stress and fostering emotional and physical safety. Seeking to avoid re-traumatisation, and empowering clients through transparency, empathetic listening, choice, and flexibility – the informed sensitivity improves equitable, sustainable outcomes for all.
Mediators using these principles report stronger trust and rapport with clients, more honest and constructive communication, while also feeling more confident when working with distress, anxiety, or dysregulation in the room.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the principles of trauma-informed practice.
- Define what trauma-informed mediation is and why it is becoming a cornerstone of best practice.
- Recognise the ethical and professional importance of embedding trauma awareness into mediation.
- Recognise the signs and impacts of trauma.
- Identify common indicators of trauma in clients, including those rooted in childhood (e.g., ACE study findings) and those arising from recent or ongoing stress.
- Understand how trauma can affect communication, participation, and decision-making in mediation.
- Promote emotional and physical safety in mediation.
- Learn strategies to foster a safe environment that reduces the risk of re-traumatisation.
- Explore how transparency, empathetic listening, choice, and flexibility contribute to client empowerment.
- Apply practical trauma-informed strategies in mediation practice.
- Integrate trauma-sensitive approaches into all stages of the mediation process.
- Use techniques to manage distress, anxiety, or dysregulation in the mediation room with confidence.
- Enhance outcomes and mediator confidence.
- Build stronger trust and rapport with clients through trauma-informed approaches.
- Support more constructive communication, equitable agreements, and sustainable outcomes.
| Your speakers | |
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Kerry Lawlor, MA, PG Dip, MBACP (Accred), is an Integrative Psychotherapist, Supervisor, and Trainer with expertise in supporting individuals and professionals through psychological challenges. A director at The Workplace Collective, she specialises in mental health support for legal and high-achieving professionals, provides supervision for Family Lawyers across the UK, contributes to Law Society publications, and leads the Leadership Programme for Mountain Rescue England and Wales. She also delivers mental health training, developing wellbeing strategies, resilience, and high-performance mindsets. Drawing on approaches such as Internal Family Systems, CBT, Trauma-Informed Care, and Mindfulness, Kerry’s work focuses on imposter phenomenon, low self-worth, perfectionism, and supporting those exposed to others’ distress to prevent vicarious trauma and burnout. |
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I run my own business and I’m a solicitor, collaborative practitioner and accredited child inclusive Hybrid mediator. I supervise other mediators as their Professional Practice Consultant – PPC and I supervise family lawyers as their Family Law Supervisor. I train lawyers and mediators in domestic abuse, safeguarding, trauma and high conflict. I am a Scottish Law Society certified trauma informed lawyer. I am a co-chair of the national Dispute Resolution committee for Resolution. |
