---
title: "GENERAL INFORMATION - Center for Nonviolent Communication"
description: ""
url: "https://www.cnvc.org/certification/cpp/general-information"
date: "2026-09-19T12:17:40+00:00"
language: "en-US"
---

- [ Table of Contents ](https://www.cnvc.org/certification/cpp)
- [ GENERAL INFORMATION ](https://www.cnvc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3253&catid=62)
- [ PROCEDURES & STEPS ](https://www.cnvc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3254&catid=62)
- [ FEES ](https://www.cnvc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3269&catid=62)
- [ PREPARATION ](https://www.cnvc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3270&catid=62)
- [ APPENDIX 1 ](https://www.cnvc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3279&catid=62)
- [ APPENDIX 2 ](https://www.cnvc.org/?view=article&id=3373&catid=54)
- [ APPENDIX 3 ](https://www.cnvc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3281&catid=62)
- [ APPENDIX 4 ](https://www.cnvc.org/about/policies-and-guidelines/sharing-nvc-guidelines)
- [ APPENDIX 5 ](https://www.cnvc.org/certification/cpp/sex-and-intimacy-at-nvc-training)

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---

#  GENERAL INFORMATION

 <a class="el-title uk-accordion-title" href="/">WELCOME TO THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS </a>We appreciate your interest becoming a [Certified Trainer](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers)[,](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers) and we hope that what follows will provide clarity about the Certification Process.

In the Certification Process, CNVC is represented by the Educational Services Team (referred to below as “we”). This team is an international working group composed of Assessors, the [Assessors Coordinating Circle](https://www.cnvc.org/about/governance/acc) (ACC) and [staff members](https://www.cnvc.org/about/staff) who work remotely from around the world.

 <a class="el-title uk-accordion-title" href="/">purpose of TRAINER CERTIFICATION </a>From the beginning, the goal of [Dr. Marshall Rosenberg](https://www.cnvc.org/about/marshall) in developing Nonviolent Communication was to transform the world where everyone's needs matter, are at met through compassionate giving. He had this vision from the beginning when he began to develop Nonviolent Communication in the 1960s. Marshall wanted to foster social change in the world: if we just use Nonviolent Communication as a tool to support healing or to support more fulfilling relationships without considering the larger goal, we are enabling existing domination systems to continue and thrive.

Therefore, Marshall founded CNVC in 1984, to create an organization that was committed to a vision of a critical mass of people using Nonviolent Communication to create a peaceful, just, and sustainable world. A strong community of qualified trainers plays an important role in the realization of this goal.

As you consider your decision to start on the path toward certification, we would like you to appreciate that the Assessors have the clear intention to carry out their roles in a spirit of mutual respect and shared power. We share the challenge with you to engage in an assessment process within a new paradigm of partnership and "power with" rather than domination and "power over." We all have choice to interpret the certification process as coming from a domination perspective or to see it as an opportunity for partnership.

Candidates who become aware of this choice and are able to integrate its meaning have found transformative learning for themselves in the process. Assessors are constantly learning how to better contribute to a mutual process that values everyone’s needs.

We want to emphasize that the Center for Nonviolent Communication has a unique perspective in offering certification that may be different from the assumptions some Certification Candidates may have. For CNVC, certification is a validation and celebration of a new colleague joining our community. In essence, it is an annual renewal of your commitment to the organization. It is not a permanent credential like a diploma, but a renewal of your commitment to the organization. We ask you to renew that commitment annually. This is a lifelong journey for all of us -- Assessors, Certified Trainers, and Certification Candidates alike. Becoming a Certified Trainer is not an ending — it is a continuation of our learning and growing.

CNVC has two long-term goals for the Certification Process:

1. Create a community of trainers who want to work with CNVC to fulfill our vision
2. Ensure that the next generation and succeeding generations are taught Nonviolent Communication in a way that preserves and protects the integrity of the Nonviolent Communication process.

Certification Candidates have expressed the goals including connection to CNVC; contribution to our vision; credibility; mutual support; and personal growth.

We recognize that applying for certification is a serious commitment. If you would like further information regarding the certification process after thoroughly reading all of the material, please [contact the Certification Coordinator](https://www.cnvc.org/certification#contact) or an [Assessor of your choosing](https://www.cnvc.org/filter-results-pages/trainers-results/category/certified-trainer/roles/assessor) who will respond to your questions and you will mutually decide if you would like to walk this path together.

 <a class="el-title uk-accordion-title" href="/">Audience we are addressing with the Certification Process </a>To create a lasting worldwide community of people sharing Nonviolent Communication, we are searching for people who are:

- **KNOWING Nonviolent Communication:** A deep understanding of the Nonviolent Communication concepts and process.
- **LIVING Nonviolent Communication:** A strong grounding in Nonviolent Communication consciousness, which guides their everyday life.
- **SHARING Nonviolent Communication:** Skills to teach Nonviolent Communication considering different learning styles. and those who are willing to continue their personal growth in all these areas.

We would like Certification Candidates to have a willingness to develop a:

- spiritual connection to Nonviolent Communication
- specific vision of social change
- commitment to participating in the global Nonviolent Communication community

To that end, we request that Certification Candidates have shared Nonviolent Communication with others for at least two years, plus learned from a diverse group of Certified Trainers. In addition, we ask you to keep records of your training and personal journals, both of which help to chart your learning process. This will demonstrate your development in all three areas over a period of time - usually 3-5 years.

Since Marshall Rosenberg personally certified the first trainers in the 1980s, the number of Certified Trainers has continuously grown worldwide. As of 2025, there are approximately 1,000 Certified Trainers sharing NVC in more than 65 countries, in many different languages and cultures. The certification process has evolved slightly differently in various Nonviolent Communication communities around the world.

There is flexibility in Assessor Groups, in registration and assessment fees, in the Certification Candidate's choice of Assessors, in the choice of language and in how the certification process unfolds. Whatever the flexibility of the process may be, at the time of final assessment there is consistency of outcome, of demonstrated competency, of living and embodying the principles of Nonviolent Communication, and the sharing of Nonviolent Communication with integrity.

Whether or not you decide to pursue CNVC certification, we hope that your enthusiasm for sharing Nonviolent Communication will continue. “[Guidelines for Sharing Nonviolent Communication for Individuals who are not Certified Trainers"](https://www.cnvc.org/about/policies-and-guidelines/sharing-nvc-guidelines) is offered for your information. We request that you follow these guidelines, or [contact the Certification Coordinator ](https://www.cnvc.org/certification/#contact)for further discussion.

 <a class="el-title uk-accordion-title" href="/">Steps on the path of Certification </a>The path to certification consists of six steps. Anyone wishing to pursue the path to certification is requested to start with the “Pre-registration step” and complete each of the six steps in the order listed below.

1. Pre-registration
2. Registration
3. Preparation for Assessment (average of 3-5 years)
4. Pre-assessment
5. Assessment
6. Certification

The certification preparation information that follows is to be used as a guide. Each Certification Candidate and Assessor will have their own unique relationships and the information that follows may not take into account flexible arrangements of Certification Candidates and Assessors working in groups. The information can still be used as a guide for a range of assessment procedures, leading to a consistent outcome of highly skilled Certified Trainers who can demonstrate that they know Nonviolent Communication, teach Nonviolent Communication with competence, and are "living" Nonviolent Communication.

 <a class="el-title uk-accordion-title" href="/">Intention of this packet </a>These materials contains information to:

- support Certification Candidates in deepening their Nonviolent Communication consciousness, skills, and understanding.
- help Certification Candidates determine their own progress and readiness for a pre-assessment session.
- provide information about assessment fees to be paid directly to the Assessor and about the final certification fee to CNVC.

The path of certification is designed with the intention that Certification Candidates and Assessors cooperate in a way that is experienced as "power with" for everyone involved. We are aware that people have different perceptions and experiences in relation to the use of power, including power over (domination) and power under (submission). When reading this information, if you sense a "power over" dynamic hidden in the words, please share specific observations with your Assessor or contact the [Assessors Coordinating Circle](https://www.cnvc.org/about/governance/acc#contact) (ACC). As we update and improve this process over time, we will take your feedback into consideration.

Periodically, we will revise this process as we hear from Certification Candidates and Assessors as to what is working well, and what could be improved. The current process is not a promise we are permanently locked into. Processes like this evolve and change over time -- it is a sign of growth and ongoing development that adapts to the needs of the organization and its stakeholders. Please stay in contact with your Assessor, as you will be accountable for the procedures in effect at the time of your Pre-assessment and Final Assessment.

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