<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Athens Area Mediation Service offers free training sessions<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><a name=custom1668779></a><a name="CP_JUMP_1668779"></a><a name=custom1654274></a><a name="CP_JUMP_1654274"></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Oct 10, 2014<br>From staff reports<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The Athens Area Mediation Service is sponsoring an intensive training in mediation skills on the following Fridays from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.: Oct. 17, Oct. 24, Oct. 31, Nov. 7 and Nov. 14. The location will be on or near campus.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The training is a series so attendance to all five sessions is encouraged. It's open to the public and free for people affiliated with Ohio University. The usual fee for non-university participants is $300, but scholarship assistance may be available.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Participants who attend the sessions will learn to use the listening skills and thoughtfully structured approaches of mediation to respond to a wide variety of conflict situations.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>"Families, neighbors, co-workers – there's a lot of people to work things out with," said John Schmeiding, director of the Athens Area Mediation Service. "[We teach participants] how to help people feel safe and open up … how to help people move from anger to creatively thinking about how to make things better."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The training style has been described as informal, participatory and fun, and more than 600 participants have enjoyed it the last 10 years. Many past participants have reported being more effective in addressing conflict in the workplace and in their family lives.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>For more information, call 740-594-6169 or <a href="mailto:athensmediation@gmail.com"><span style='color:blue'>athensmediation@gmail.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Christine Suniti Bhat, Ph.D., L.P.C, L.S.C.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Associate Professor & Program Coordinator, Counselor Education, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Faculty Advisor, The Alpha Chapter of Chi Sigma Iota,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Department of Counseling and Higher Education,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Patton College of Education, OHIO UNIVERSITY, Athens, OH 45701<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Office: McCracken Hall, 374<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Phone: 740-593-4425; Fax: 740-593-0477; Email: <a href="mailto:bhatc@ohio.edu"><span style='color:blue'>bhatc@ohio.edu</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Website: <a href="http://www.cehs.ohio.edu/facultystaff/bhatc/"><span style='color:blue'>http://www.cehs.ohio.edu/facultystaff/bhatc/</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Media: <a href="http://www.ohio.edu/ucm/media/experts/ohioexpert.cfm?formid=1822088&pageid=1844292"><span style='color:blue'>http://www.ohio.edu/ucm/media/experts/ohioexpert.cfm?formid=1822088&pageid=1844292</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>