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The Mediation Center, Inc.

February 15, 2024 by

This internship is ideal for a student considering becoming a mental health counseling professional, lawyer, or mediator. (Mediation is an unregulated profession in Virginia.)  

The Center primarily offers divorce mediation as an alternative to litigation. The mediation process enables people in conflict to develop a greater degree of self-determination, empowerment in sharing one’s viewpoint, recognition of the spouse’s viewpoint and therefore responsiveness to the spouse, while they explore solutions to specific issues.  

You will have the opportunity to observe the mediator using active listening and other communication skills, transformative techniques, motivational interviewing, etc. as appropriate, and notice that it is beneficial for a mediator to have some familiarity with cognitive-behavioral therapy.   

Hours:

Internship hours can be scheduled according to the intern’s availability; however, evening availability between 5pm and 8pm is desirable so that interns can observe the two-hour mediation sessions. Mediation sessions are scheduled as requested and needed by the parties either on site or on Zoom, as clients prefer.  

Duties

  • Answer phone calls to schedule mediation orientation sessions 
  • Set up files for new clients 
  • Observe screening sessions for domestic violence and general appropriateness for participation in mediation 
  • Conduct research to ascertain the latest domestic violence screening tools used in mediation 
  • Schedule and observe mediation sessions as approved by the clients 
  • Write summaries of mediation sessions and debrief with the mediator (debriefing may be in-person or via Zoom) 
  • Help develop a questionnaire for debriefing clients after their participation in mediation

Pre-Requisites

  1. Must meet all UMW and Department of Psychological Science internship requirements. 
  2. Required courses: 
    1. PSYC 201 – Social Psychology or PSYC 233 – Adult Development or PSYC 349 – Psychology of Human Sexuality 
    2. PSYC 315 – Foundations of Clinical Psychology 
    3. PSYC 362 – Research Methods for Psychology 
  3. Recommended courses:
    1. PSYC 253 – Fundamentals of Learning and Motivation

Assessment

  • 42 hours of work per credit hour (most interns do 3 credits with 126 hours of work) 
  • Grade is based on on-campus supervision, agency evaluation, reflective journal, and a final paper 

Agency Contact

A. Blanton Massey, J.D., LL.M.

1119 Caroline Street 

Fredericksburg, VA 22401 

abm@VirginiaMediation.com 

Office: (540) 373-1848

Cell phone: (540) 809-8683

Website: Website