Seminars and Workshops

Afsana holds a unique position in the ADR profession. Since starting her career as a Mediator, Afsana recognized a gap and began developing a series of workshops to help lawyers, mediators, cross-sector professionals and workplaces build their cultural knowledge. She is one of few Mediators in Ontario who has actively advocated to increase the number of women and racialized mediators and arbitrators and believes cultural competence training will help the lawyer’s selection process. Afsana believes it is important for ADR practitioners to reflect the multicultural population it serves. She has been teaching and developing courses for 4 years and has presented her workshops globally, with a special focus on Toronto.

Please scroll down to see what lawyers and judges are saying about Afsana’s workshops.

If you and your firm are interested in attending one of Afsana’s programs, please contact her at afsana@gcmediation.com. 

Cultural Competence and Effective Communication Workshop

1.5 Day Workshop

Ontario is one of the most multicultural places to live in the world. With over 200 diff erent cultures, understanding cultural sensitivities have become one of the cornerstones in ensuring best business practices. Diverse workplaces have many benefits including productivity, innovation and growth. To cultivate a healthy work culture, competency training is a must.
This one and half day course is an interactive workshop that will help build your cultural knowledge using scenarios and role plays to help open a more in-depth discussion.

The workshop is for all levels of competencies and some scenarios are more basic, to ensure attendees at all levels can participate.

If you would like to book this workshop for your firm, please contact Afsana at afsana@gcmediation.com.

Information

De-Escalation Strategies Workshop

When workplaces are stressful and overwhelming, managing employees can be difficult and matters can escalate rapidly into tough situations. Understanding how our brain works in the heat of the moment and knowing how to de-escalate can help us deal with our tasks and colleagues more effectively.

This course is helpful for employees at all levels to understand their work environment and how to respond to high-stress situations. Using tools and role-plays, this is an engaging workshop that will help you learn critical strategies.

Coming Soon

Microaggressions

Microaggressions are very harmful. The cumulative impact of microaggressions can lead to depression, other mental illnesses, and physical illnesses. It feels like “death by a thousand papercuts.” Due to the impact of microaggressions, only 3% of Black employees reported wanting to return to the office full-time, as compared to 21% of White workers. In many workplaces, marginalized groups often leave due to a lack of support and understanding.

Reducing microaggressions is paramount for all workplaces trying to cultivate diversity. This is a practical course about understanding what microaggressions are and how we can interrupt our behaviour with colleagues and friends.

Coming Soon

Cultural Competence in Mediation Workshop

3 Hours Workshop

November 30, 2023 – 2 pm – 5 pm est

This is a three hour program with an interactive workshop. The aim of the program is to provide attendees with an introduction to cultural competencies, or awareness required during mediation, either as a lawyer or a mediator.

You will work through scenarios to develop your thinking on how to identify cultural sensitivities to ensure adequate service and representation are being provided to the client.

For more information about this program, please click the button below.

If you would like to book this workshop for your firm, please contact Afsana at afsana@gcmediation.com.

The seminar is accredited for 3.0 hours of EDI Professionalism Content by the Law Society of Ontario.

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Testimonials

Afsana covered a very sensitive topic in an easy and helpful manner. She prompted interaction with those in attendance and caused me to do some reflection on my own biases and perceptions of others. I would recommend this to anyone who would like to learn more about the importance of being self-aware and ways to change, or at least challenge, your pre-existing beliefs.

Ron De Paola

“The program Inferences and Differences in Practicing Law should be a mandatory watching for all people working in the judicial or mediation field. An excellent program.”

The Honorable B.T. Granger Q.C., Lawyer

“The program presented by Afsana was very informative and practical. She drew on her experience as an immigrant and trained mediator in discussing diversity issues and how to accommodate clients. Excellent. Trish”

Trish Mongeon

”Afsana led a workshop on cultural competence in mediation for our membership of ADR professionals. She assembled a rich mixture of research, anecdotes, and interactive exercises that all worked in confluence to produce a highly effective and meaningful presentation. Our attendees used words like enriched, inspired and informed to articulate how her workshop made them feel. Beyond being a skilled presenter of complex, critical and delicate concepts, Afsana brings a level of professionalism to the collaborative planning process of the event that I most sincerely appreciate. It was a joy and honour to work with her and I look forward to our next opportunity for collaboration.”

Tommy Lam

“I thought it was very good. Well laid out. Your presentation skills are warm calm and friendly and you are extremely knowledgeable in the field.”

Toronto Lawyer