Training
Focused on Building Brave Leaders and Courageous Cultures
Every training program we develop is custom tailored to the unique needs and goals our clients bring to us. We work with organizations, teams, systems, and individuals within them to develop the collaborative skills necessary to work through change and conflict constructively. Our priority is to nurture the development of resilient people and inclusive systems and practices. We help clients mobilize the skills and connections necessary to sustain changes over time.
Schedule a consultationOur Approach to Conflict Training
The essence of our training is to build capacity for conflict awareness and productive responses. Together, your team will generate the practices and connections that provide a foundation for transformative outcomes.
Topics/courses we cover include:
- Conflict Awareness & De-escalation
- Team & Leadership Resilience
- Community Dialogue & Public Engagement
- Organizational Trauma, Healing & Resilience
- Applied Mediation, Facilitation & Negotiation
- Tools for Tough Conversations
Our Courses
Dumas & Associates offers courses open to the general public exploring key conflict awareness and de-escalation strategies for work, home and community settings on a quarterly basis.
contact us to learn moreTraining Examples & Philosophy
Volunteers of America/ Skagit County Dispute Resolution Center
Educational Design and Instruction – 2023-current
Mary Dumas was selected to prepare a Facilitation Training and Engaging Public Issues training for the Volunteers of America/Dispute Resolution Center of Skagit County for internal staff development and external services. Mary is responsible for the course syllabus, pre/post assessment, practicum design, group and asynchronous instruction for a cohort of 8-10 participants. Professional coaching and observations will take place over a six-month period.
U.S. Army Peacekeeping & Stability Operations Institute (PKSOI) and Kennesaw State University (Trends Global)
Educational Design and Instruction - 2018
Mary Dumas served as a co-trainer for a two-day PhD Seminar hosted by Kennesaw’s International Conflict Management in the School of Conflict Management, Peacebuilding, and Development. Mary prepared and provided instruction on trauma-informed engagement and facilitation, development and facilitated localized water-resource case studies and assessment practicums for the Ph.D. candidates and PKSOI participants.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Civic Synergy Program
Guest Trainer and Practicum Facilitator – 2021-current
Mary Dumas responded to the MIT-Civic Synergy team’s inaugural call for small group facilitators for a student policy dialogue and transpartisan action training. Mary was selected to provide instruction annually on building rigor into negotiations and agreement development, while building good relations, and actionable outcomes. Mary is co-authoring a facilitator guide with the MIT team.
University of Virginia Institute of Environmental Negotiation
Educational Design and Instruction – 2017-2020
Mary Dumas was selected to serve on the national advisory committee for the Equitable Collaboration and Facilitation Design Toolkit for Transforming Community Spaces, convened by University of Virgina, Charlottesville. Mary contributed trauma-informed facilitation and equitable engagement strategies for the online manual; a full-day professional development training, and workshop instruction testing for national audiences.
What Our Clients Say
Learning About Reactions
“We all walked away with a better understanding of our own reactions to stressful conversations and how to frame questions in order to have a thoughtful discussion.”
A Pleasure to Listen To
“She’s a really sharp woman; such a pleasure to listen to her be so articulate and stay so focused. I especially liked the section on “coping skills”. We all know it is a long ways from now until we have a new jail built and staffed, but I do feel better equipped, mentally, to deal with the ever stressful in between. This was by far the best training I have had. Thanks again, to both of you!”
Volunteers of America/ Skagit County Dispute Resolution Center
“I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for arranging the training we had with Mary on Team Building. I really enjoyed it, learned a lot too. Some of the information I already knew but she managed to put it into a perspective I can apply here and now.”
