Description

The Practice is a welcoming, hands-on NVC learning series that blends short, accessible teachings with generous practice time—especially around real-life, personal relationships. Guided by Certified NVC Trainer Elke Haggerty, each session offers a supportive space to slow down, explore your communication habits, and experiment with new choices that bring more clarity, compassion, and connection.

Sessions are interactive and experiential, using reflection, journaling, small-group exercises, group discussion, role-plays, and playful practice. You’re invited to request topics that matter most to you. We share honestly—facilitator included—so you can feel the relief of not needing to be perfect.

In this Compassionate Communication series, you’ll learn to:

• Understand what truly matters to you so you enter conversations clearer and less charged.
• Listen without taking things personally, allowing dialogue to stay open and peaceful.
• Express yourself in ways that help others hear you, so everyone’s needs have a chance to be met.

Topics vary depending on participants' interests and areas of application. You can request certain topics or for practice that might support you with different life situations. We have focused on application of key concepts in various ways, including, for example, looking at signage we see around us and translating these through an NVC lens or considering our living spaces through an NVC lens and seeing if there are things we would like to request of ourselves. The topics and approaches vary. 

The topics include application of key NVC concepts:

• The intention to connect rather than correct or advise.
• Core NVC tools (observations, feelings, needs, requests; the “four ears”; types of requests).
• Real-life communication challenges: hearing anger, expressing or receiving “no,” self-empathy, regret and mourning, inner conflict, giving/receiving gratitude, conscious choice-making, NVC apologies, and more.
• Key NVC differentiations like power-with vs. power-over, protective vs. punitive force, appreciation vs. approval, shift vs. compromise, persistence vs. demanding, and self-discipline vs. obedience. If there is interest, we could do a series on KDs. Please let me know if that is of interest. 

You sign up for a month at a time. No prerequisites are needed—only a willingness to reflect on your own communication, which is where real change becomes possible. With that openness, we create a safe, courageous learning space together.

NOTE: there will be no session on August 5 and September 2, 2026 so please reduce your contribution, accordingly (3 vs. 4 sessions in each of those months).

Facilitator: Elke Haggerty, LL.M., MBA
CNVC Certified Trainer & CALF Certified NVC Trainer