Mediation Program
a hands-on adventure in how to reconnect people with Liv Larsson, Kay Rung, Reena Ginwala & Ricardo Guillén
Starts 1 september 2025
This international program has 3 parts:
1. Trainer led skill training, maps and theory 24 sessions in two time zones.
2. Structured mediation practice in smaller groups, video feedback 24 sessions.
3. A common forum for reflection, questions, movies etc.
Registrations for 2025/26 from
Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, India, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA
Acting as a Mediator: A Unique Opportunity
Serving as a third party in conflict is an opportunity to lend your communication skills to others during challenging moments. Being a mediator is both meaningful and demanding, as it involves fostering peace, compassion, and care between people.
Taking on the role of a mediator challenges your communication skills, enhances your ability to understand others' perspectives, deepens your awareness of your inner dialogue, and helps you grow in empathy and self-expression.
In this program, you’ll have the chance to learn, experience, and practice mediation skills. We will explore both informal and formal mediation, reconciliation, and addressing specific dilemmas. Together, we will form a supportive group that encourages learning from the inside out. Welcome to a year-long practical training program grounded in the principles of Nonviolent Communication (NVC).
Program Structure
The program is designed to build your mediation skills progressively:
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24 Trainer-Led Sessions:
We start by introducing and demonstrating specific, concrete skills. These sessions lay the foundation for your practice and integration. As the program advances, these skills will be applied with increased mediator awareness and flexibility. All trainer-Led Sessions will be offered twice and as recordings if you for any reason can't join a session. -
24 Integration Group sessions:
In small groups of 3-5 participants, you will regularly practice skills in realistic scenarios. These cases will increase in complexity and duration, starting with brief 1-minute exercises and progressing to comprehensive situations. You’ll apply multiple skills and navigate the 5-step mediation map. -
Additional Topics:
We’ll explore key areas to deepen mediator awareness, including:-
Mediator self-care
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Key differentiations
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The impact of shame on conflict
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Building trust
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Perspective-taking
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Adult developmental processes
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As the program evolves, your practice will shift from concrete actions to more subtle, nuanced awareness in your role as a mediator. Dates for the sessions you find below
Training Structure
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Start: The program kicks off with trainer-led sessions to establish a solid foundation.
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Practice Groups: You’ll join small integration groups for structured practice, a central element for integrating mediation skills.
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Ongoing Learning: The training alternates between practice periods and presentations of advanced mediation concepts.
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Final Phase (Summer 2026): During this period, your small groups will design their own practice schedules. You can film mediation sessions for feedback and receive guidance on areas for improvement.
Recommended Reading
The training is partly based on the book by Liv Larsson A Helping Hand Mediation with Nonviolent Communication (available in Swedish, German, English, Dari, Dutch, Polish and Finnish). We recommend you to read the book as part of your preparation for the training.
Included Resources
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Workbook (PDF): A structured guide to support learning and practice. 2025/26 edition
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E-Book: A Helping Hand, Mediation with NVC by Liv Larsson.
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E-Book: Cracking the Communication Code by Katarina Hoffmann & Liv Larsson.
Our Approach
This program is most effective for those who are willing to embrace the process of learning through trial, error, and feedback. Progress requires effort, persistence, and a growth mindset. Perfection is an moving target, but with commitment, most people can master these skills.
Who Can Register?
We ask that participants have at least 10 days of prior NVC training before joining this program. Additionally, we recommend reading A Helping Hand: Mediation with Nonviolent Communication by Liv Larsson. The book is available in Swedish, German, Dari, Korean, Chinese, English, Dutch, Polish, and Finnish.
If you believe you can benefit from this training without the recommended 10 days of NVC experience—for instance, if you work as a mediator or have relevant experience—please contact us before applying. Together, we’ll determine if this program is the right fit for you.
What you will learn
Introduction (to the group, structure and the mediation practice).
Mediation map:
Mediation toolbox:
Mediators toolbox - part 1: Empathic presence, listening beyond sympathy.
Mediators toolbox - part 2: Helping the parties to listen with empathy.
Mediators toolbox - part 3: Interrupting with care
Mediators toolbox - part 4: First-Aid empathy - when things get rough.
Mediators toolbox - part 5: Self-empathy - processes on how the trainer works on being self-connected to be of help for others. Self-expression
Mediators toolbox - part 6: Tracking - How to keep track and focus on the parts that really matter.
Key differentiations: We use key differentiations to get deeper clarity about options
How to build and rebuilt trust, how to work with resistance and find autonomy.
Informal mediation. When to intervene and how.
How to start and end formal mediation. Agreements/solutions/next steps
Mediation practice in different settings (examples from real life or prepared scenarios).
Reconciliation - Restorative practises.
Variations of the NVC-mediation
Mediating challenging situations.
Feedback on recorded mediations.
Shame in mediation and conflict
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The Compass of Needs
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Mediation when someone is withdrawing, silent - Mediation when someone turns to anger
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Mediation when someone attacks themselves
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Mediation with rebellion, self-sufficiency
Mediators self-care (group, individual, pairs)
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How to build empathy support for challenges
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Dealing with judgments and labels.
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Processing inner doubt, fears, anger.
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Shame processes.
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Enemy image process.
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Inner chooser/inner educator process
Help us train more mediators
We have people who want to join our mediation program and can not pay the full tuition.
If you want to support us in training more mediatiors you can contribute with a donation.
When you fill in the donation form we will email you a payment link that you can pay with card or PayPal.
This is much appreciated, thank you!
The mediation trainer team
Liv Larsson
Kay Rung
Ricardo Guillén
Reena Ginwala
Trainer team
is Certified Trainer with CNVC since 2002. She has worked as a coach, mediator and workshop leader since 1992. Liv has written 20 books on the theme of NVC, for adults and children, translated to different languages. The titles include Anger Guilt and Shame - Reclaiming Power and Choice, A Helping Hand- Mediation with Nonviolent Communication and Cracking the NVC Code - all of them useful for a mediator.
She lives in the north of Sweden and one of her contracts as a mediator is for Swedish FSC - Forest Stewardess Council - mediating between the indigenous group of Sweden - the Same - and the biggest forest companies in Sweden as well as mining companies.
Liv has been sharing her special way of teaching mediation skills to many different groups - from UN mediators to social workers and parents and has been leading mediation trainings in Australia, Europe and Asia. One of here special skills and areas of interest is how shame is affecting both the mediator and the parties in a mediation. Her passions are cross-country skiing, hiking, swimming, yoga, nature, her son, writing and connecting with people.
has been working with Nonviolent Communication since 1997. He has developed a specific pedagogical model to teach mediation with NVC as an approach. He is in charge of Friare Liv longer training programs. His is intrested in creating maps for navigating conflicts with more ease. He works internationally with conflict management and mediation, including in Japan, Thailand, Australia, India, Sri Lanka and Europe.
Ricardo Guillén is a Berlin-based NVC trainer with over 10 years of experience. Originally from El Salvador, Ricardo moved to Sweden as a child, which has shaped his perspective on diversity, adaptability, and the challenges of cultural integration. He has mediated in company teams, families, groups, and criminal cases. Passionate about facilitation, he focuses on creating human-centered organizations and supporting businesses in enhancing agility and navigating complexity. In his free time, Ricardo enjoys learning new languages, studying adult development, and playing chess.
Reena Ginwala:
Reena Ginwala is a CNVC certified NVC trainer with experience sharing NVC across corporates, educational institutions, NGOs since 2014. She learnt about Mediation from the Indian Judicial context through her own life experiences of divorce, conflicts in business and family settings. She is passionate about Empathy based Restorative processes and NVC integrated Mediation. She teaches Mediation to professionals from diverse background at the Mumbai National Law University, India and has been associated with us since last 4 years learning, supporting and facilitating Mediation training.
Dates: 2025-2026
Trainer-Led Dates and Practice Times
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All sessions are trainer led, Integration group practice is done in a smaller groups. Thes are trainer led in the beginning.
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All trainer-led sessions are offered twice on different times to accommodate more timezones globally. The sessions might vary based on participants' questions and discussions.
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Every session is recorded, and you’ll have access to the recordings throughout the program.
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You’re welcome to attend as many sessions as you’d like.
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Evening session Stockholm 17:00-20:00, (translates to New York 11:00-14:00, LA 08:00-11:00 (adjustment for winter/summertime)
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Morning session Stockholm 8-11 (translates to New Delhi 11:30-14:30, Bangkok 13:00-16:00, Shanghai 14:00-17:00, Tokyo 15:00-18:00, Sydney 16:00-19:00 adjustment for winter/summertime)
Session 1: September 1/2
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Introduction and focus on the topic of conflict.
Session 2: September 8/9
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Introduction to the Mediation Hand and 5-Step Map, demos and practice.
Session 3: September 15/16
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The mediators toolbox
Integration 1: September 22/23
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Starting to practice the Mediation Hand and navigating the 5-Step Map in integration groups. Asking questions in the forum. (leader led )
Session 4: September 29/30
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Mediator intention and exercises. Empathy and self-empathy
Integration 2: October 6/7
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Continued practice. Repeating each building block. (leader led)
Session 5: October 13/14
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Toolbox interventions - deepening.
Integration 3: October 20/21
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Continued practice. How to give feedback (leader led)
Session 6: October 27/28 (Winter time)
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Preparing for a formal mediation
Integration 4: November 3/4
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Continued practice. (leader led)
Session 7: November 10/11
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Formal mediation.
Integration 5: November 17/18
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Continued practice with a focus on formal mediation.
Session 8: November 24/25
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Solutions (step 5 on the Map).
Integration 6: December 1/2
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Practice, navigating steps 1-5 on the map.
Session 9: December 8/9
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Moving through steps 1-4 and 5 on the map, into a fuller practice.
Session 10: December 15/16
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Inner educator and chooser process, dealing with inner conflict
Integration 7: December 22/23
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Practicing navigating the mediators inner process
Integration 8: January 5/6
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Continued practice and repetition according to everyone´s needs
Integration 9: January 12/13
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Continued practice and repetition according to everyone´s needs
Session 11: January 19/20
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Enemy images.
Session 12: January 26/27
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Key differentiations in mediation.
Session 13: February 2/3
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MBR film, continuation of key differentiations.
Session 14: February 9/10
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Mediation in crime (Ricardo).
Session 15: February 16/17
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Shame in mediation
Integration 10: February 23/24
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Continued practice focusing on key differentiations in mediation.
Integration 11: March 2/3
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Practice, mediation in crime and/or shame.
Session 16: March 9/10
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Developmental perspectives I.
Integration 12: March 16/17
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Practice focusing on perspectives.
Session 17: March 23/24
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Re-building trust through mediation
Integration 13: April 16/17 (Summer time)
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Continued practice and application of developmental perspectives (?).
Session 18: April 6/7
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Developmental perspectives II.
Integration 14: April 13/14
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Continued practice with a focus on recreating trust.
Integration 15: April 20/21
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Continued practice with a focus on recreating trust.
Session 19: April 27/28
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Shame in mediation (Part 2).
Integration 16: May 4/5
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Continued practice with a focus on recreating trust.
Integration 17: May 11/12
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Continued practice with a focus on recreating trust.
Integration 18: May 18/19
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Continued practice with a focus on recreating trust.
Session 20: May 25/26
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Using role plays as an alternative to mediation (Ricardo).
Session 21: June 1/2
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Summary of the program and feedback questions.
Session 22: June 8/9
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Protective use of force/mediation and the use of power
Integration 19: June 15/16
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Continued practice.
Integration 20: June 22/23
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Recordings for feedback.
Integration 21: July 20/21
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Ongoing practice and recording for feedback.
Integration 22: July 27/28
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Ongoing practice and recording for feedback.
Integration 23: August 3/4
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Ongoing practice and recording for feedback.
Integration 24: August 10/11
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Ongoing practice and recording for feedback.
Session 23: August 17/18
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Handling questions from the integration work. Working with biases.
Session 24: August 24/25
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Handling questions from the integration work and addressing any loose ends.
Double sessions
* We offer two sessions on the same topic on all the trainer lead dates to accommodate more timezones.
Global program 2024/25
Registered participants from:
Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Indonesia, Irland, Israel, Lithuania, Jordan, Mexico, Moldova, The Netherlands, Norway, Réunion, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, USA
3 steps to get started
STEP ONE — PREREGISTER Please preregister, even if you're unsure about attending. No obligation required.
STEP TWO — REGISTER AND PAY After preregistering, you’ll receive instructions on how to complete your registration and payment.
Early Bird Price: €2,195 (valid until May 30, 2025)
Regular Price: €2,495 (applies from May 31, 2025 onwards)
STEP THREE — DETAILS Once your payment is processed, you’ll receive login information and gain access to the program forum.
Cancellation Policy:
When you register, you reserve a seat in the mediation program. You may cancel your reservation free of charge up to 30 days before the program start date. Cancellations made less than 30 days prior to the start date will incur a charge of 50% of the program fee.
Cancellations made after the program has started are non-refundable, as these funds cover the trainer team's salaries and administrative costs for the program duration.
Scholarships
If you’d like to join the program but are unable to afford the full fee, you’re welcome to apply for a scholarship by sending us a message answering the following questions:
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How will you use the training, and who will benefit from your participation?
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How much can you contribute toward the cost of the program?
Scholarships are only available if we have a sufficient number of paying participants. Therefore, we encourage you to explore other sources of support and not rely solely on receiving a scholarship from us.
Priority will be given to individuals with low incomes and those facing other challenges.