09 Aug MEDIATION TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
MEDIATION TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: FROM THE CLASSROOM TO REAL CASES
Mediation and other Appropriate Dispute Resolution Methods (MASC) are currently undergoing a period of significant transformation and growth in Spain. The entry into force of Organic Law 1/2025 of 2 January, on measures to improve the efficiency of the Public Justice Service, has considerably strengthened the role of negotiated methods for preventing and resolving disputes.
This new legal landscape is also generating growing interest in mediation, conciliation and ADR training, both among professionals who wish to incorporate these tools into their existing practice and among people considering a new professional career in mediation and dispute resolution.
However, training as a mediator is not simply about studying legislation or learning communication, negotiation and conflict management techniques. Mediation is, above all, a highly practical profession.
This leads to one of the questions most frequently asked by people completing their mediation training:
How can I move from theoretical mediation training to handling my first real mediation cases?
At Logos Media, we work precisely on bridging this gap between mediation training and professional practice, offering different programmes that allow participants to progress from initial learning to preparing for professional practice and, subsequently, to continue gaining experience through practical work and professional mentoring.
Organic Law 1/2025 and the new landscape for mediation and ADR in Spain
Organic Law 1/2025 has introduced an important change in the way civil and commercial disputes are approached in Spain.
The new legislation strengthens Appropriate Dispute Resolution Methods (MASC) and, subject to the exceptions established by law, introduces the requirement to demonstrate a prior negotiation attempt as a procedural prerequisite before commencing court proceedings in certain civil and commercial matters.
Mediation, private conciliation, direct negotiation between the parties or their lawyers, confidential binding offers, independent expert opinions and collaborative law are all part of this new landscape.
For this reason, good professional training in mediation, conciliation and ADR must now go beyond learning traditional mediation techniques.
Future professionals need to understand the new legal framework, become familiar with the different methods of negotiation and dispute resolution and, above all, learn how to apply them to real situations.
Mediation, conciliation and ADR training 2026 · 2027
A new edition of the Specialist Programme in Mediation, Conciliation and ADR (MASC), including parental coordination and other dispute resolution methods, will begin in October.
This training programme is designed for people who wish to specialise in mediation and dispute resolution and acquire the knowledge and skills required to develop professionally in this field.
The programme combines theoretical knowledge, legal aspects, practical tools, skills development and an introduction to different areas of mediation practice.
In the current context, I believe it is particularly important for future professionals to understand not only mediation but also private conciliation and the different MASC and ADR mechanisms, which have become increasingly relevant following the changes introduced by Organic Law 1/2025.
Further information about the Specialist Programme in Mediation, Conciliation and ADR (MASC) · 2026 · 2027:
What are the requirements to become a mediator in Catalonia?
This is one of the questions frequently asked by people interested in undertaking mediation training in Catalonia or Barcelona.
It is also an area where there is still some confusion.
One commonly held belief is that anyone wishing to become a mediator in Catalonia must specifically hold a university bachelor’s degree under the current Spanish degree system.
However, Catalan legislation refers to an official university qualification and does not specifically require a current university degree known in Spain as a grado.
Article 17.2 of Catalan Law 15/2009 of 22 July on mediation in the field of private law establishes that individuals wishing to apply for registration in the general registers of mediators of the Mediation Centre of Catalonia must meet, among others, the following requirements:
- a) Hold an official university qualification.
- b) Provide evidence of specific training and professional competence in mediation and in the corresponding area of specialisation.
- c) Be registered with the relevant professional body, belong to a professional mediation association accredited by the department responsible for civil law matters, or provide mediation services for the public administration.
This distinction is important.
The law does not specifically refer to a current Spanish university grado. Instead, it requires an official university qualification.
Therefore, an official university qualification obtained under a previous Spanish university system, such as an official diplomatura universitaria, may satisfy this requirement, provided that the individual also meets the other legally established conditions for registration.
This clarification is particularly relevant for professionals who completed their university studies under previous academic systems and may mistakenly believe that their qualification prevents them from entering professional mediation practice.
Naturally, each individual should check their particular academic situation and verify that they meet all the requirements established by the competent authority.
The legislation also provides, among the professional requirements, the possibility of belonging to a professional mediation association officially accredited by the competent department, such as the Associació de Professionals de la Mediació de Conflictes de Catalunya (ACDMA).
From theory to practice: how do you start working as a mediator?
Once training has been completed, another question arises which, in my view, is even more important:
How do I actually start practising as a professional mediator?
The first case file, the first telephone call from someone facing a dispute, the initial contact with the other party, the information session, preparing documentation, communicating with lawyers, setting professional fees, managing confidentiality or dealing with an unexpected situation are all aspects of professional mediation that are difficult to learn through theory alone.
For this reason, on 9 September 2026, Logos Media is organising an online session entitled “Start Your Professional Practice: From Mediation Theory to Practice.”
The programme is particularly aimed at people who have completed their mediation training and wish to begin practising, as well as professionals who already have mediation training but have not yet had the opportunity to handle enough real cases.
The aim is to approach mediation as we actually encounter it in professional practice: from receiving the first enquiry through to preparing and conducting sessions, managing documentation, communicating with the parties and the professionals advising them, and dealing with the different situations that may arise during a mediation process.
Ultimately, the programme aims to answer a very practical question:
What should I do when I receive my first mediation case?
Further information and registration for “Start Your Professional Practice: From Mediation Theory to Practice”:
Mentoring for mediators: gaining experience through real cases
There is a further stage in the learning process: professional mentoring in mediation.
We can study a case, analyse it in the classroom or work through simulations. All of these methods are necessary and extremely valuable.
But a real dispute is different.
People react, hesitate, change their positions, express emotions, consult their lawyers, make new proposals or introduce issues that were not apparent at the beginning of the process.
This is precisely where professional experience becomes particularly valuable.
For this reason, Logos Media also offers a professional mentoring service for mediators who wish to continue gaining practical experience after completing their formal training.
This mentoring provides an opportunity to develop experience in approaching real cases alongside experienced professionals, analysing the preparation of the mediation process, strategy, interventions, difficulties that arise and the decisions that need to be made throughout a mediation.
Where the nature and circumstances of the case allow it, and always subject to strict respect for confidentiality, applicable regulations and the consent of the people involved, mentoring may include direct exposure to and supervised participation in real mediation processes.
It is not simply a matter of observing.
The objective is for the person undertaking the mentoring to progressively learn how to work with real disputes under the guidance and supervision of an experienced professional mediator.
This programme is a professional mentoring service subject to fees. The fees cover practical training, supervision, professional guidance and the mediator mentor’s time and involvement throughout the learning process.
In this way, mentoring can help bridge one of the most difficult gaps at the beginning of a professional career: the distance between completing mediation training and feeling genuinely prepared to manage your first mediation cases.
Training, practice and professional experience in mediation
After years of working in mediation and conflict management, I have become increasingly convinced that training is essential, but also that there comes a point when it is necessary to move from theory into practice.
A good mediator needs training, methodology and legal knowledge.
But a mediator also needs to know how to listen, observe, manage silence, understand emotions, identify interests, ask effective questions, generate options and develop the professional judgement required to know when to intervene and when it is better to allow the parties themselves to move forward.
This experience develops progressively.
That is why I believe it is particularly valuable to build a professional pathway connecting mediation training, specialisation, professional practice and mentoring:
train · prepare for professional practice · handle your first cases · continue learning alongside experienced professionals.
Mediation, conciliation and other ADR methods are entering a new stage in Spain.
Organic Law 1/2025 has strengthened the role of negotiation and appropriate dispute resolution methods. We now also face the challenge of training professionals who are capable of practising mediation with rigour, responsibility, independence and genuine practical experience.
Further information on mediation training and professional practice
Start Your Professional Practice: From Mediation Theory to Practice
9 September 2026 · Online training
Logos Media
https://logosmedia.es/inicia-la-teva-activitat-professional-de-la-teoria-a-la-practica-de-la-mediacio/
Programme in Mediation, Conciliation and ADR (MASC) · 2026 · 2027
Starting October 2026
Logos Media
https://logosmedia.es/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/TITOL-DESPECIALISTA-MEDIACIO-CONCILIACIO-I-ADR-MASC-2026-27-v.13.7.2026.pdf
Enquiries about mediation, training and professional practice
If you have any questions about mediation training, the requirements to become a mediator in Catalonia, starting a professional mediation practice, practical mediation experience, ADR, MASC or professional mentoring for mediators, please feel free to contact me.
Daniel Sererols Villalón
Mediator in Barcelona, Spain
Tel. +34 661 463 306
Email: daniel@mediadorconflictos.com
