The LBA story

Lorraine established Lorraine Bramwell Associates, (LBA) in 2001 having already worked with people in conflict for many years. As an accredited mediator and nationally recognised trainer of mediators she had already had a number of years’ experience helping people find a solution to conflicts in the community, between individuals and with businesses and institutions. Committed to protecting the public and promoting the highest standards in mediation she was asked to take on a national role and led the College of Mediators for a number of years. She is still involved in the setting of professional standards at a national level but her first love has always been helping people sort out disputes and teaching others to do this well.

Lorraine Bramwell Associates is now a growing team of talented, well trained and experienced mediators. They come from a wide range of professional backgrounds and several are also professional practice consultants, practice managers and teachers of mediation. As a nationally recognised mediation training body we also have our pick of some of the best new mediators, working alongside our experienced team, bringing enthusiasm and the latest approaches and ideas.

The LBA Team

Lorraine Bramwell

Director

Lorraine has nearly 30 years’ professional experience of helping people resolve disputes. She trained as a mediator in 1995 having already had a number of years working with people in dispute in a range of situations.

She is accredited both as a Family and Civil and Commercial mediator and became a Legal Services Commission recognised mediator in 1998. Lorraine has successfully mediated many hundreds of cases and has resolved disputes in family, workplace, civil and commercial, education, voluntary sector and disability issues. She is an Approved Member of the College of Mediators, a member if the Civil Mediation Council and holds Family Mediation Council Accreditation. Lorraine also has a Master’s degree in Mediation and Conflict Resolution, degree in Psychology and a post graduate Diploma in Applied Social Studies.

Lorraine is also a well-established national trainer of mediators. She has developed and teaches a number of specialisms including consulting children in mediation and managing high conflict cases. Lorraine acts as Professional Practice Consultant to a number of other practitioners and services. Nationally, she has held the positions of both the Director and Chair of the College of Mediators and continues to play an active role in the development of mediation standards as a member of the Family Mediation Standards Board. but her first love has always been helping people find the best way forward to sort out disputes through her practice – LBA Mediation Services and teaching others to do this well by providing high quality professional Mediation training with the LBA Excellence Programme

Lee Ryan Williams

Mediation and Training Manager

Lee has extensive experience in Customer Service in a variety of different industries, and formerly was the Membership Administrator for the College of Mediators. Although not a practicing mediator, Lee is a fully trained Community and Family Mediator and uses his extensive knowledge of mediation to guide both clients and potential mediators through the mediation process. Outside of the office, Lee has a wide variety of skills and interests, especially in performing arts and has appeared numerous times on the London stage.

Mayesse Carvalho Strain

Mediator and Mediation Coordinator

Mayesse trained with LBA to work as a family mediator in 2017. She feels passionately that mediation is a better way of resolving matters. Back in Brazil Mayesse graduated as a PE teacher working with children. She has always had various roles involving contact with people of different backgrounds. Mayesse trained and worked as a customer service advisor and volunteered as a coordinator for a local Parent & toddler group. After training as a mediator she went on to volunteer with the Personal Support Unit (PSU), accompanying and supporting people who were going to court on their own. Mayesse works as a Mediator and our Mediation Coordinator and is working towards her mediation accreditation.

Katherine Stylianou

Accredited Mediator

Katherine has been a practicing mediator since 1995, accredited in family mediation, qualified to talk to children in child inclusive mediation, and in SEN mediation. Until recently Katherine spent over 30 years as a Senior Lecturer writing, developing and leading modules in Mediation Skills, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Evidence on undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Katherine has additionally, since 2010, been training mediators in generic and family mediation skills.  She is currently an advisor to the College of Mediators and has previously served on their Professional Standards Committee.  Katherine has also, since 2015, been a Professional Practice Consultant, supporting and monitoring the practice of trainee and experienced mediators.

Carolyn Difford

Mediator

Carolyn was a Family Law Solicitor in South Africa for 30 years. This background in litigation motivated her transition to mediation and her desire to assist parties make decisions regarding the restructuring of their family unit outside of the adversarial environment of the courts. Carolyn has a B.Proc Law degree and LLM specialising in Child law

Carolyn trained as a Family Mediator with LBA in 2022 before joining Lorraine Bramwell Associates as a mediator. She is a member of the College of Mediators, The Family Mediation Council and the Family Mediation Association..

Rochelle Graham

Accredited Mediator

Rochelle is an Accredited Family Mediator with the Family Mediation Council and a member of the Family Mediation Association.

She is a qualified teacher who taught in both primary and secondary schools and understands the effect of divorce and separating parents on children. She has also worked in a financial consultancy and uses her financial experience in mediation.

Rochelle has experience in children, property and finance and all issues cases.  She has a special interest in working with parties who have applied to the Beth Din for a Gett, a Jewish divorce. She is familiar with Jewish divorce law and the Gett process and uses mediation to assist Jewish couples wishing to divorce reach an agreement in a non-confrontational manner.  This assists them in obtaining both a civil and religious divorce.

Rochelle also volunteers as a mediator for a local charity who provide workplace community and neighbourhood mediation.