This month’s Spotlight shines on Kat Bellamano of Ambitus Consulting.
This fall, we’re proud to have Kat coaching/guest instructing our Family Violence Screening Training for Litigators and DR Professionals (Oct. 22 & 23, 2026), Family Law Arbitration (Oct. 28, 29, 30 & Nov. 12, 13, 2026), and Family Law Mediation Fundamentals (Nov. 4, 5 & 6, 2026)
How did you first get involved with CLEBC?
I first connected with CLEBC back in 2012 when CLEBC and Mediate BC were putting together the first family violence screening courses when the shiny new BC FLA first came into effect.
What are you currently working on (or have most recently worked on) with CLEBC?
This spring I coached in the Family Law Mediation series, the Family Violence Screening course, and the Med-Arb Training for the DR Professional course.
What inspired you to become a dispute resolution professional?
A combination of wanting to work in the ‘helping’ professions and my own separation and co-parenting experience. I initially thought I would focus on teaching or counselling but got really excited about the idea of being able to help people build their capacity to solve their own problems better and to help families have a cooperative separation and coparenting experience. Back when I separated from my spouse and my young daughter’s dad in 1994 there were so few cooperative resources, and we had to work really hard against a really adversarial system to be able to build a cooperative agreement on our own, with no help. I wanted to make that path easier for families.
What advice would you pass on to someone who wants to work in this area?
Get really good quality training that involves lots of roleplay practice, connect with experienced, enthusiastic, and generous mentors to co-mediate with when you are getting started, and build or find a community of practice. Don’t try to do this work in isolation, and make sure to have interdisciplinary colleagues and supports. Remain committed to continuing education and professional development. It is a developing field and best practices are really critical to doing good work. I work with three fantastic colleagues in my practice and love having a team to engage with regularly.
What has been the most rewarding part of your career?
My answer on this one is in two parts. The first part is helping to build capacity for the people I work with—both clients and developing, new professionals. Helping folks to build the skills to problem solve, manage emotions, and engage in an effective process can really change lives and change relationships.
The second part is working with and for children. Getting to talk with kids and hear from them about what they care about and are concerned about and then helping their families meet the needs of those kids has been amazing. Kids are so smart and insightful. Being part of supporting their voices to be heard has been really, really amazing.
So, you’re a motorcycle enthusiast?
I am! I’ve heard it called wind therapy, and I have to agree. I ride with some fantastic friends and my brilliant husband. While a nice day riding the Pacific Marine Circle Route on Vancouver Island or the Duffy Lake Loop on the mainland is spectacular, my favorite kind of riding is multi-day or even multi-month adventure travel. Last year we did a two-month moto trip to Tuktoyaktuk, the northern most place in Canada. Everyone should spend some time in Canada’s north, if possible. It is amazing; the people, the culture, the landscape and environment, the smell! It is like nowhere else I have ever been.
Anything else you would like our readers to know?
My next big adventure is selling our house this fall and then probably no-sizing to a nomad lifestyle for a bit while we travel on our motorcycles. I think we will start with Australia and New Zealand this winter and then maybe a big ride all the way to Ushuaia in Argentina next year. And then back, of course. Home will continue to be here on Vancouver Island, where our kids are.