ANNUAL CONFERENCE – IMAGINE…..
Our online conference in September – “A Gender Agenda” – was fantastically well attended and received. We will be continuing our theme of Embracing Diversity In Mediation throughout the next six months, culminating in the 2025 conference.
Following the great success of our first fully residential conference at Northampton in September 2023, we now return to the in-person two-day format to build on the opportunities it provides for strengthening the FMA Community. We have also shifted the main conference away from the busy conference and training season in September/ October.
Over these two days, we invite you to Imagine the Expanding Diversity of Humanity, Human Relationships, and of Family Mediation Practice. We encourage you to use your imaginations both to understand better the challenges faced by the families and individuals we serve, and to develop the offering we provide to those families.
Day One – “All You Need Is…” – is our day for awareness, through expert presentations and lively plenary discussion. You’ll be invited to join an innovative finance workshop –“Can’t Buy Me Love.”
Day Two – “We Can Work It Out” – is our day for reflecting on practice and developing together, through experiential discussion and specialised workshops. The workshop topics will, as always, reflect different aspects of re-accreditation and portfolio CPD.
The two days of learning will be punctuated by a Hard Day’s Night of fun, including dinner, a costumed cabaret, and either or both a silent disco or live band.
IMAGINE ALSO….
A series of free online workshops to continue the conversations we begun at the 2024 online conference – there will be four workshops between February and June on aspects of diversity:
More information and registration: A Series Of Free Online Conversations – The Family Mediators Association
Prices for the conference have been held from 2023, and our Early Bird rate runs until 28.02.2025. You’ll also see below that if you are still working towards accreditation there is a much lower set of fees; we really welcome newer mediators and YFMA members to join us. As ever, there is a substantial reduction for FMA members, so now is the time to join FMA if you aren’t already with us!
The Adelphi Hotel has an extraordinary history and is an ideal location to meet together in the North West. We think you’ll love it as a conference venue! We look forward to seeing you there!
Award-winning researcher & neurodevelopmental psychiatrist specialising in brain-body connections, particularly hypermobility and neurodivergence. As an Associate Professor at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Dr Eccles co-founded the world’s first Neurodivergent Brain-Body Clinic and chairs the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Neurodevelopmental Psychiatry Special Interest Group. Her mission is to challenge stereotypes and inspire curiosity in her discipline.
Dr. Mohamed M. Keshavjee is a London-based barrister with SOAS LLM (Hons) and PhD, specializing in cross-cultural mediation. He designed HH Aga Khan IV’s global mediation program, training 1,500+ mediators across 25 countries through CEDR and NFM UK partnerships. The 2016 Gandhi King Ikeda Peace Award recipient has keynoted at the World Mediation Forum, OECD conferences, and European Parliament. An expert for the Hague Conference, he has trained judiciaries in Africa and authored four books. His work bridges Islamic dispute resolution traditions with contemporary ADR practice, while his scholarship encompasses Gandhian studies and diaspora communities. Dr. Keshavjee remains active in advancing intercultural mediation globally.
Jeremy Lawrence is a mediator with advanced training, faculty member at the Society of Mediators, and listed on the SEND Register for special educational needs mediation. Founder of MediationWorks Online, he draws on 30 years as a congregational rabbi in Auckland, Sydney, and London. An Oxford MA graduate, he was mentored by Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks, serving as his BBC Reith Lectures research assistant. A BBC Radio 2 contributor, he co-founded the Auckland Interfaith Council and Jewish Mediation Service Australia. Honorary Principal of Sacks Morasha JPS and former Canary Wharf chaplain, he’s a sought-after speaker on ethics and interfaith dialogue.
Meera Kapadia is a UKCP-registered Indian Adult & Adolescent Psychotherapist, Darzi Fellow, and Health/Social Care Consultant specializing in staff wellbeing, coproduction, safeguarding, and quality improvement. With 30+ years’ experience across NHS (CAMHS/adult), education, and social services, she offers therapy in Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati, and English. Passionate about race, culture, and mental health, she conducted groundbreaking research in India and trained Gujarat earthquake survivors in psychosocial interventions. A coproduction pioneer, she led two HSJ Award-winning projects (Primary Care/CAMHS) and judged HSJ awards. Her work, published internationally, amplifies underrepresented voices through community-action research.
Sarah-Jane Turnbull is an accredited family mediator and Director at Pax Mediation, a dedicated family mediation service based in the North East. With a background in family law and a deep commitment to making mediation accessible and effective, Sarah-Jane brings both compassion and pragmatism to her work with separating families.
She also serves as a member of the Family Mediation Standards Board, where she helps to uphold and develop professional standards across the profession.
At this year’s FMA Conference, Sarah-Jane will be speaking about the financial barriers that prevent clients from accessing mediation, drawing on her frontline experience to explore the challenges and potential solutions for improving access to family mediation.
Alex Drummond is a senior accredited CBT psychotherapist specializing in neurodiversity drawing from both professional expertise and lived experience with ADHD. She successfully applies CBT for anger management and relationship conflict, including child protection cases, and has served as an expert witness in an autism-related assault case.
Beyond private practice, Alex lectures at the University of South Wales, chairs the South Wales Police Legitimacy Board, and contributed to Stonewall’s Transgender Advisory Group. She’s a sought-after conference speaker on neurodiversity and transgender client care.
Elizabeth is a qualified social worker with over 40 years’ experience in child and family welfare. She began as a Probation Officer and Family Court Welfare Officer before specialising as a Guardian ad Litem. In 2001, she became Cafcass Director for the East Midlands and later London. Post-Cafcass, she served as CEO of the National Association of Child Contact Centres. Her career includes six years on Derbyshire’s Adoption & Fostering Panel. Beyond work, she enjoys music, travel, and her dog Poppy.
Alia Lewis is an award-winning solicitor specialising in representing neurodivergent children in complex child protection cases. Inspired by her autistic son’s diagnosis, she founded the UK’s first specialist Autism/ADHD care proceedings team and co-created FLANC (Family Law Advice for the Neurodivergent Community), advocating for equal access to justice. Ranked in Chambers as a top DEI lawyer and recognised by Legal 500 as a Next Generation Partner, she won Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (2023) for children’s rights. FLANC received innovation awards (2024) and a Modern Law commendation (2025) for systemic reform in family justice.
Sheena Vadher is a senior solicitor at TV Edwards, specializing in complex child protection proceedings, particularly involving neurodivergent individuals, learning disabilities, and deaf clients. Accredited under the Law Society’s Children Law Scheme and trained in Understanding Autism (Level 2), she co-founded the UK’s first specialist Autism/ADHD legal team and FLANC (Family Law Advice for the Neurodivergent Community), advocating for accessible family justice. Recognized in The Legal 500 and shortlisted for Civil Lawyer of the Year (Asian Legal Awards 2024), her work with FLANC earned Innovation Awards at the Family Law Awards 2024 and a commendation at the Modern Law Awards 2025.
Ben has worked in and around education for around 25 years having worked in various roles including learning mentor, primary teacher and youth worker. He now works for Quakers in Britain as Peer Mediation National Coordinator. Ben’s work involves supporting people to deliver Peer Mediation in schools across the UK with the aim of growing the number of children and young people who are trained as Peer Mediators and/or have access to Peer Mediation in their school setting.
Richard is a Senior Associate Solicitor, accredited mediator and collaborative lawyer at Lupton Fawcett, based in Yorkshire. He is recognised by Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 for his commitment to helping his clients resolve matters outside of court. He is passionate about working creatively, particularly within mediation, to find the support his clients need to resolve their disputes in the best way for them and their families, often by integrating other professionals as part of the mediation process.
Richard is also instructed to act as an Early Neutral Evaluator in financial matters, within mediation, where he supports the parties in mediation by providing his neutral evaluation of their case, helping them to understand the strengths and weaknesses of their case and what the outcome might be if they ended up in court. Richard will be speaking, at the FMA Conference, about his experience of ENE and how it can be a powerful tool for mediators to use.
Oliver is an accredited family mediator based in Newcastle. From his first exposure to family justice and frontline service, he developed a deep passion for the field—an interest he pursued during his undergraduate studies at Durham University and later through volunteering and employment at the Citizens Advice Bureau. After graduating, he had the opportunity to observe the work of his now-colleagues and supervisors, which solidified his commitment to mediation. Since then, Oliver has been a dedicated advocate for mediation as a vital tool in resolving family disputes.
