asking friends to help me practice mediation?

[Zoe Girl]

I have my business cards on order, a basic plan for a mediation side business, and I realize I would feel better with some more practice in this area. The plan is to do some side business mediating situations when an adult child moves home. There are so many ways this happens, divorces, job losses, graduating school and not finding a well paying job, even health and financial issues on the parent side. So I think that being able to make an agreement would be a wonderful way to make it more successful. I have mediation training, facilitator training, and about 50 hours of volunteer practice in mediation. However I really want some more practice.

One way to do this is to put out some advertising offering 3 mediations for free or super low cost, but then the idea came up this afternoon that maybe I can get some friends or family to play parts and help me practice. I know we did that in my mediation training, I don't know, any suggestions?

[rodeosweetheart]

I think that's a good idea except that how many friends does one have that fit this niche? So maybe either offer mediation for a broader range of issues, or advertise a session somewhere like the library, do a presentation on the service you offer, and see if anyone shows up, and then you could mentor those people for free for the three sessions?

[Zoe Girl]

Those are good ideas, I was thinking about having them play a part rather than be in that niche, but some experience with adult kids in general would help. Maybe I could reach out to some of the mediator contacts I have to help me practice as well.

[freshstart]

Just my opinion, but I always hated that role playing stuff in our inservices, it always felt fake. I think rodeosweetheart's ideas are good.

[razz]

Libraries are often looking for community services to offer to their patrons. It also helps promote what one does. I think that it would be more realistic and helpful to deal with strangers who would benefit than friends who are trying to help you out. The motivation is very different.

[Zoe Girl]

Thank you Freshstart and razz, those all sound like better ideas. I know my parents are visiting soon and I KNOW they would not want to do this. There is really only one friend that I think would be interested.

[kally]

how is this working out?

[Zoe Girl]

Nothing really happening right now, I felt like I was pushing and didn't have the energy to put the effort I really needed to put in to make it work. However I did talk to someone at my school and during the conversation it came up that she could use this service. I don't know her well so that is best for a mediation. I am going to follow up this week. Also my job coach suggested to offer a special rate for a few first customers through a service like thumbtack, and then go to a full rate. Most of all I just have such a work load spike and don't want to start off not being able to fulfill requests.