Your good intentions are not always enough. The gap between who you think you are in relationship and who you actually are gets exposed in groups. It shows up in who you interrupt, who you defer to, whose pain you minimize, and whose you center. Drawing on NVC, Process Work, IFS, and a fierce commitment to DEI, these sessions are built for people who want the challenging feedback, the mirror, and the kind of growth that actually sticks.

What is an Authentic Communication Group? 

The purpose of our sessions is to open our hearts. The group is a powerful way to work directly on interpersonal issues as they arise in the moment. In a learning laboratory, group members interact freely with one another in the here and now. Instead of talking about what happened last week, or worrying about the future, you talk about what is happening right now. Rather than talking about your partner, your boss or your child, you talk about what’s alive in the group. Keeping it real, you describe how you feel toward each other and what happens when you receive feedback from each other.

In this experiential learning lab, you work in a small group of 8 participants with a seasoned facilitator. Some groups meet twice a month and others meet four times a month.

“This is my online family where I totally come alive. It’s surprisingly deep. Unlike other zoom meetings, I am fully engaged, leaning into my relationships with people I truly value.”

Modalities 

We rely on four pillars to support connection:

1. Nonviolent Communication
2. Internal Family Systems
3. Diversity Equity and Inclusion
4. Be Here Now

One of the most powerful ways to connect, grow and heal is to learn to speak for your parts as they arise in the moment. Expressing what comes up supports self-awareness, connection and healing. You also may find it useful to name clear observations, share your feelings, express your needs and make requests.

Format

The bi-monthly group meets on Zoom twice a month for 2 hours. And weekly group meet four times a month on Zoom every week for 2 hours. Each meeting is recorded, so you can watch the recording later. 
You can meet privately with your facilitator for 30 minutes once a quarter to discuss your learning or any challenges you’re facing. These long-term ongoing groups has no more than 8 participants.

“I joined the group because I never knew what to say… until later. In getting to know my fears, I’ve learned to take risks. I am much more connected to myself, and to others.”

Options

In the group you might practice:

• Naming what you noticed about power dynamics
• Experimenting with new behaviors to get the results you want
• Raising difficult issues with care
• Exploring how gender, race, class, and ability impact the group
• Empathizing with yourself or others
• Giving and receiving honest, consensual feedback
• Communicating mindfully, even when you are emotionally triggered

Experimenting with new behaviors requires taking risks. When you say something about the impact of someone else’s behavior on you, you give the group a gift. You learn not only how to communicate more authentically, but also discover that doing so allows you to raise issues live and resolve them for the benefit of the whole group.

When you reveal your unique qualities, including the shadow sides of yourself, you can release shame and heal your wounded parts. As everyone in your group becomes more and more authentic, you may find that you care deeply about each member of the group.

“This sacred gathering space is with people around the world. I appreciate the healing process of true Self responsibility.”

One of the more powerful outcomes is that members build a high-trust, open-hearted, supportive group.

As the group develops ease with being present in the moment, you enter a state of flow and aliveness. In this space, you can build better relationships by:

• Getting in touch with your parts
• Expressing your vulnerability
• Finding the courage to bring up and work through difficult issues
• Communicating your anger or hurt with care
• Receiving support and care from others

Group Composition 

Our intention is to create diverse groups. Because NVC and IFS have primarily attracted white folks, and because people of color sometimes experience tokenism in these settings, we are intentionally creating groups that include people of many ethnicities, genders, sexual orientation, and social class.

Bring a colleague: 

To support diversity, we request that you bring a person from a social identity different from yours. If you have the means, consider offering to pay for someone with less access to resources.

“In the safety and openness of our group I come alive with energy, clarity, creativity and courage to explore, experiment, and express. The process of self-discovery and integration is accelerated.”

Facilitator 

Anisha Pandya is a psychotherapist, leadership coach and transformation facilitator from Mumbai, India. She specializes in many conceptual approaches such as Transactional Analysis, Appreciative Inquiry, Nonviolent Communication, Emotional Intelligence, NLP, and Process Work. Since 2006 her work has been about helping people lead more fulfilling, authentic lives. Anisha Pandya offers individual as well as group psychotherapy and she has more than 4,000 hours of experience in coaching and psychotherapy with people across sectors. She particularly enjoys facilitating experiential labs and long-term groups for tangible transformation. Anisha Pandya has designed and facilitated multiple workshops on diversity and inclusion, parenting, intimacy, leadership development, conflicts, difficult conversations, gender, power and group dynamics. She is passionate about creating a culture of NVC in families.

Get Started

For more information about the group, read Get Started and Group Agreements. No matter how much detail we provide, it can be difficult to understand this form of learning until you actually experience it. That’s why we offer a free pre-group interview with the facilitator to see if the group is a good fit for you. 

More ACG Offerings  

Develop Your NVC SuperPowers: You can take this free 6-module online course to learn about NVC Consciousness and the 4-step model for better relationships. 

Embodying NVC: If you're a certification candidate (or the equivalent) you can join this 9-month intensive program to expand your NVC consciousness and deepen your skills. Weekly zoom calls, case studies, feedback and practice pods define this heart-connected community. 

NVC Whisperer: The Authentic Communication Group developed the NVCWhisperer.com, an AI companion rigorously trained in NVC. This is a place to get support about conflict, empathy, mediation, and coaching. Here you can upload a transcript and get feedback on your training or facilitation skills. The Whisperer is also trained to integrate NVC with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion without judgment. You can even build your capacity to integrate NVC with Internal Family Systems and the whisperer will recap the fears and needs of each part of your psyche. The NVC Whisperer occasionally makes mistakes, but it also responds to feedback, so tell it what you want!

Groups Info 

Find the dates, times and more about our groups. 

To join the waitlist for any of these groups or suggest a time that would work for you, contact us.