NVC Santa Cruz Classes - NVC for the Helping Professions

Nonviolent Communication, developed by Marshall Rosenberg, has much to offer therapists and others in the helping professions, including:

• A premise that the needs of people are in not in conflict. So, what calls to be harmonized are the beliefs about how those needs can be met.
• A premise that people are naturally generous---that they enjoy giving. Guilt as a motivation or means of social control is not needed. In fact, it prevents us from being aware of our enjoyment of giving.
• A practice of empathetic presence in which the therapist doesn't simply reflect the thinking of the client, but uses his/her compassionate curiosity to help the client inquire into the nature of his/her needs.
• Tools such as role-playing that allow clients to experience the empathy that they desire, and understanding the motivation of others.

We envision these Thursday morning sessions as a time for both learning about the NVC approach, and practicing NVC approaches which can be applied in sessions with clients.

Nonviolent Communication and Cognitive Therapy
Thursday, Mar 18, 10am-Noon, with Rick Longinotti, MFT
NVC is a cognitive approach in the sense that it assumes that our beliefs are what drive our anger, shame, fear, etc. Marshall Rosenberg's analysis of how beliefs harm or help us has made an important contribution to the cognitive approach. We'll discuss how Rosenberg's work affects the way we respond to clients.
-Rick

Thursday, April 15, 10am-Noon, with Kristin Masters
Description forthcoming

Past Sessions:

NVC for the Helping Professions
Thursday, Jan 21, 10am-Noon, with Kelly Bryson, MFT
"I have been counseling people since 1970, and when I learned Nonviolent Communication in 1983. My work very quickly became dramatically easier and I began to get a lot of feedback about how my clients lives and communication had significantly improved. It has helped me engage in true “I and Thou” dialogues, which Martin Buber referred to as catalysts for radical alchemical personal growth. I bet you will be amazed at how something so simple could be so transformative. Although you do need to have “Presence” to get really maked results." - Kelly

Can you GROK it?!
Thursday, Feb 18, 10am-Noon, with Jean Morrison, MA
In this interactive class we will use GROK cards (feelings and needs cards) to discover their many applications for individual and group work to understand and connect with self and others. We will also demonstrate facilitated dialogues in working with couples.

Costs: $20-40 per person, per session -
$40-80 for the two remaining sessions.

Location: Center for Compassion, 225 Rooney Street - Map

Continuing Education Units available

Course Content: NVC for the Helping Professions is for anyone wishing to improve their communication skills by practicing the skills of Nonviolent Communication. We will learn simple, effective tools that facilitate cooperation and satisfaction in our communication, and transform patterns of thinking that lead to reactivity and anger. This course provides participants with the opportunity to explore their own communication styles, and develop skills based on compassion as the motivation. These tools can open new doors to empathic connection and action.

Course Objectives:
Students in this class will learn how to:
• Communicate in a clear, effective and compassionate manner
• Hear the feelings and needs behind the words spoken by others and connect empathically
• Learn how to speak their mind without offending others
• Receive others comments without hearing criticism
• Communicate in a way that fosters connection and compassion

CEU Provider: The Center for Nonviolent Communication
Provider numbers: PCE 1993 (MFT/LCSW)

Each night of NVC for the Helping Professions meets the qualifications for 2 hours of continuing education credit for MFTs and/or LCSWs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.

Payments of CEUs are non-refundable at this time

Questions for people interested in NVC for the Helping Professions:

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