We are very pleased to advise that the Comite Des Organismes Accrediteurs en Mediation Familiale (Quebec) has published on its website a translated version of Mediate BC’s Distance Mediation Practice Guidelines. These guidelines were a key deliverable from our Distance Mediation Project, a six-year research initiative funded by the… more »
It’s no wonder we get so many questions from mediators about what we looked for when picking a videoconferencing platform to use for our distance mediation service. The panoply of platforms that is available these days is positively dizzying. Add to that the highly sensitive and confidential sessions that … more »
If you’ve been following this blog, you likely know that our distance mediation service has been leaning towards the use of computer-based videoconferencing. You may also know that, when they are more suitable or preferred by clients, we use other types of technologies – including the telephone. In today’s post… more »
This past Friday, I had the good fortune to attend the Pacific Legal Technology Conference 2011 in beautiful downtown Vancouver. Among the many excellent sessions I attended, one in particular stood out for me: “Risks, Security, and Ethics in the Cloud”, presented by Simon Chester of Heenan Blaikie… more »
In a recent post, I explored some of the advantages of using computer-based videoconferencing platforms to conduct family mediations from a distance. In spite of our preference for these platforms, our distance mediation team recognizes that they also come with a number of disadvantages. Some of these are inherent… more »
A growing number of mediators have, of late, been asking me what type of communication technology our service uses to conduct distance family mediations – and why. Being a fan of circumlocution, I always point out first that safety considerations and client preference, comfort level and accessibility to technology are… more »
Technophobia: …the fear or dislike of advanced technology or complex devices, especially computers. (Wikipedia) One of the very real challenges faced by some mediators wanting to offer technology-assisted services is technophobia – their own, as well as that of some of their clients. With the ever-increasing speed of… more »
I’m going to interrupt my series of posts on good reasons to use distance mediation to share, with those of you who are mediators, a technology lesson that came my way late yesterday afternoon. Our team of distance mediation practitioners, who I’ve already referred to in an earlier post,… more »
There are a lot of articles on the Internet about how technology is the “great equalizer” when it comes to disabilities. I didn’t fully understand the degree to which this is actually the case until reading Norman Doidge, M.D.’s book, The Brain That Changes Itself (Penguin Books, 2007). The book,… more »
Most obvious as a good reason to use distance mediation, compared to traditional in-person mediation, is how it eliminates the difficulties created by physical distance and other travel barriers like rain, fog and snow – all too familiar in British Columbia these days. Sometimes, travel to mediation isn’t just difficult;… more »