20 March 2023. This page is in the process of being updated. Check back soon for 2023-4 dates, theme etc.

This page gives an introduction; elsewhere you can read up on the five module Syllabus, explore the venue, self-catering and fees, or fill in the online application form.

Experience the magic of a year-long NVC learning community. Our theme is drawn from the Centre for Nonviolent Communication’s Certification Preparation Packet, which provides a complete journey from initial encounters with Nonviolent Communication to advanced NVC mediation and facilitation skills:

Knowing: learn and clarify the concepts of Nonviolent Communication.
Living: Embody the compassionate consciousness of NVC in your daily life, including spirituality and social change.
Sharing: Get support to share Nonviolent Communication skills with others at home, at work and in workshops settings.

There are five, three-day residential modules offered in the spirit of Gift Culture, between October 2022 and July 2023, held at Maitreya House, near Hereford. The fifteen days of the training count towards CNVC certification.

Dates for your diary

• Module One: 6–9 October, 2022.
• Module Two: 8–11 December, 2022.
• Module Three: 23–26 February, 2023.
• Module Four: 28 April – 1 May, 2023 (NB Friday to Monday).
• Module Five: 29 June – 2 July, 2023.

All modules start with a meal at 6.30pm on the Thursday and finish at 4.0pm on the Sunday, except Module Four, which runs from Friday to Monday. More about the Year Training syllabus.

The benefits of a year-long training

• The five modules give a sense of structure and progression.
• The format offers greater depth than one-off workshops.
• We become a community of people living NVC.
• The community offers mutual support.

Trainers

All modules are led by NVC certified trainers Shantigarbha and Gesine Schrader. Between us we have decades of experience of supporting different communities, including the NVC networks in the UK and South Asia, the Triratna Buddhist Community, intentional communities and educational institutions.

Learning and living together

As well as learning the principles of NVC, we will also be exploring how to live as a temporary community during our time together. This will include working together on community tasks, such as cooking, washing up and cleaning. We will also be exploring how we make decisions and address conflict as a community.  We invite you to bring your courage and self-responsibility, bearing in mind that coming together as a community can be challenging, and conflicts may arise. It is in these situations that we are most likely to grow in our capacity to build community.

Online taster sessions and interview

We will be going on an intense yearlong journey, and we want to get a sense beforehand of how it will be to travel together. We invite you to attend one of two online taster sessions: Saturday 21 May, 10am – 1pm or Sunday 11 September, 2 – 5pm. The fee for attending a taster session will be £25.00, deductible from your organisational fee when you register* for the Year Training. Book one of these Taster Sessions.

When you register, we will invite you to a short online interview, so that you can ask us questions, and we can get a sense if you’ll thrive on the way.  

About the Training: What is Nonviolent Communication (NVC)?

NVC was developed by Marshall Rosenberg over a period of forty years as a response to one simple yet powerful question: why do some people continue to act compassionately, even in deeply challenging situations? NVC is now being used by a worldwide network of trainers and practitioners in fields such as education, parenting, mediation, conflict resolution, psychotherapy, and social change. Further introduction to NVC.

General Information

• Participants will be invited to form Empathy Home Groups that will meet daily during the modules and be encouraged to meet face-to-face or by online between modules.
• Introductory reconnecting session at the start of each module.
• Concluding session at the end of each module including next steps.
• A morning session ‘Remembering’ our collective purpose and planning the day.
• An evening session ‘Harvesting’ the day’s learning.
• Space in the evening for fun and games, including singing and dancing!
• Community calls in between modules to foster community and for ongoing support.

Who will benefit from attending this training?

This Year Training is open to people who have done an NVC Level One training or equivalent Foundation Training with a CNVC-certified trainer. You will gain:

• Opportunities for healing and learning a process you can use to support others.
• Developing your communication skills to improve relationships at home and work.
• Learning and support from fellow-participants in an on-going NVC community.
• Ideas and support to create the kind of world you want to live in.