divorce mediation training

Ericka B. Gray has been a full-time conflict resolution professional since 1987 and has been providing conflict management, mediation, training and consulting services since 1985. She serves on the mediation panels of a number of dispute resolution programs and consults to corporations to provide dispute intervention, training, and dispute resolution systems design services relating to interpersonal and workplace disputes. In addition to her mediation practice in divorce, family business and complex family issues, she is experienced in mediating workplace and employment disputes, business issues, including dissolution, contract, securities and financial, and health care, including mental health, among other types of disputes. 

Ms. Gray has taught mediation at Boston College Law School since 1992 and at Suffolk University Law School in Boston since 2000.  A licensed psychologist, Ms. Gray previously was employed in the design and delivery of health care services for Pennsylvania Hospital and practiced as a psychologist in community mental health and managed care settings, as well as maintaining a private practice.  Ms. Gray is a member of the Massachusetts Trial Court’s Standing Committee on Dispute Resolution.  She is on the Leadership Council of the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) Workplace Section’s Advanced Practitioner committee and holds the highest level of membership, Advanced Practitioner status, in both the Family and Workplace Sections of ACR. She served on the Board of Directors of the New England Regional Chapter of ACR for many years.  Ms. Gray served as the founding Executive Director of the Middlesex Multi-Door Courthouse in Cambridge, MA (1989-1993) and as Director of the Superior Court's Comprehensive Justice Center in Burlington County, NJ (1987-1989).  She was a senior mediator and trainer for JAMS/Endispute (1993-1995) and served as the Executive Director for the Academy of Family Mediators (1995-1998). 

Margaret S. Powers, MA, LCSW, MSW, is a licensed clinical social worker, has maintained a private practice in Arlington Heights, IL, for more than twenty-five years.  Ms. Powers’ practice focuses on mediation, collaborative law, custody evaluations, and therapy with individuals, couples and families.  In addition, Ms. Powers has served as a mediation and dispute resolution consultant to academic institutions, governmental facilities, Fortune 500 companies, and non-profit organizations.

After obtaining advanced degrees in psychology and social work, Ms. Powers began working in the fields of mental health, foster care, and community advocacy.  Thereafter, Ms. Powers transitioned to becoming an emergency room social worker at Ravenswood Hospital (Chicago, IL), and, later, a medical social worker at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s Hospital (Chicago, IL).   Prior to entering private practice, Ms. Powers worked as a Divorce Mediator in the Cook County Domestic Relations Division (IL), where she was assigned to Judge Aaron Jaffe, and Judge Susan Snow.

In her twenty-eight years of private practice, Ms. Powers has facilitated over 6000 divorce and family mediation cases, and more than 200 collaborative law cases.  Ms. Powers’ educational, clinical and professional background provides a unique perspective and expertise in the mediation field, which is traditionally dominated by legal professionals.  Ms. Powers embraces a collaborative model in her professional work, often bringing in financial planners and attorneys to the mediation process.  Ms. Powers is frequently sought out to deal with the most complex and dysfunctional of cases, as she is particularly adept at dealing with severely fragmented and chaotic situations.  

In recognition of her ongoing commitment and contribution to the fields of mediation and collaborative law, Ms. Powers has been honored with numerous awards.

Ms. Powers has served as a board member for multiple mediation and conflict resolution organizations, including: the International Academy of Dispute Resolution, the Association of Conflict Resolution (Ethics Chair, and Diversity and Equity Chair), the Mediation Council of Illinois (past President, and Ethics Chair), and the Academy of Family Mediators (Ethics Chair).  Ms. Powers is also a founding member of the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois, and, The Association of Conflict Resolution.  Ms. Powers established the National Association of Social Work (Illinois Chapter) Mediators Interest Group, where she serves as Chairperson.  Lastly, in 2002, Ms. Powers was honored with being selected as one of 18 Illinois social workers to participate in an exchange to South Africa, where she taught mediation to social workers and government employees in Durban. 

Ms. Powers currently teaches mediation at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and Northwestern University, and has previously taught at DePaul University’s Center for Dispute Resolution.  Through her private practice, Ms. Powers offers an internship in mediation, one of only a handful of programs in IL.