--- title: "NEW CERTIFIED TRAINERS: August 2025 - Center for Nonviolent Communication" description: "" url: "https://www.cnvc.org/new-cts/2025-aug" date: "2026-09-19T13:05:20+00:00" language: "en-US" --- # # NEW CERTIFIED TRAINERS: August 2025 **August 2025**: We are pleased welcome 10 new Certified Trainers as ambassadors for Nonviolent Communication throughout the world. We invite you to get to know them by reading their stories below. If you would like to contact them, please visit their trainer page and use the Contact Form at the bottom of the page. You can also see a [historical record of new Certified Trainers](https://www.cnvc.org/new-cts) since November 2023. [ ![](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Ahmad-Salahi.jpeg) Ahmad Salahi (Germany) ](https://www.cnvc.org/javascript:showCandidate(%22ahmad-salahi%22)) [ ![Maki Nakamura](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Maki-Nakamura.jpeg) Maki Nakamura (Japan) ](https://www.cnvc.org/javascript:showCandidate(%22maki-nakamura%22)) [ ![Ștefana Forgaciu](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Stefana-Forgaciu.jpeg) Ștefana Forgaciu (Romania) ](https://www.cnvc.org/javascript:showCandidate(%22stefana-forgaciu%22)) [ ![](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Kathleen-Deblaere.jpeg) Kathleen Deblaere (France) ](https://www.cnvc.org/javascript:showCandidate(%22kathleen-deblaere%22)) [ ![](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Sufiya-Minako-Sudou.jpeg) Sufiya Minako Sudou (Japan) ](https://www.cnvc.org/javascript:showCandidate(%22sufiya-minako-sudou%22)) [ ![](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Nicolas-Garnier.jpeg) Nicolas Garnier (France) ](https://www.cnvc.org/javascript:showCandidate(%22nicolas-garnier%22)) [ ![](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Xuan-Simon.jpeg) Xuan Simon (United States) ](https://www.cnvc.org/javascript:showCandidate(%22xuan-simon%22)) [ ![](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Morgann-Girard-Legoualch.jpeg) Morgann Girard-Legoualch (France) ](https://www.cnvc.org/javascript:showCandidate(%22morgann-girard-legoualch%22)) [ ![Cinzia Sandri](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Cinzia-Sandri.jpeg) Cinzia Sandri (Italy) ](https://www.cnvc.org/javascript:showCandidate(%22cinzia-sandri%22)) [ ![Sascha Borrée](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Sascha-Borree.jpeg) Sascha Borrée (Germany) ](https://www.cnvc.org/javascript:showCandidate(%22sascha-borree%22)) --- [ ![Ahmad Salahi](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Ahmad-Salahi.jpeg) ](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/ahmad-salahi) ### [Ahmad Salahi (Germany)](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/ahmad-salahi) ##### from the Assessor, [Johannes Henn](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/johannes-henn) **\[EN\]** With great joy, I would like to welcome Ahmad into our community of Certified Trainers – at the end of a journey that recently appeared to me as liberated and self-responsible on Ahmad's side, and at the beginning as he described it himself in his presentation: he often tried to please his Assessor – me – and quickly searched for fault and personal mistakes. At the same time, from the very beginning, he showed himself to be vulnerable and approached all opportunities for growth – all the challenges connected to his personal history and the themes of belonging and self-worth – with persistent determination. He came to recognize Nonviolent Communication (NVC) as an attitude and a tool that, the deeper he immersed himself in it and the more he trusted it, supported him more and more along this path. Witnessing this development gave me a sense of meaning and joy on our shared journey. Another aspect of our time together that repeatedly brought me joy was the poetry and beauty of the Persian language that Ahmad brought into our meetings. I clearly remember one moment when we spoke about the theme of "self-confidence," and Ahmad shared with me that in Persian, self-confidence means "trust in your own breath." Ahmad, I am grateful and inspired by the path we have walked together, and I warmly welcome you into the community of Certified Trainers! **\[DE\]** Mit großer Freude möchte ich Ahmad in unserer Gemeinschaft der zertifizierten Trainer\*innen begrüßen - am Ende eines Weges, der zuletzt mir befreit und verantwortlich auf Ahmads Seite erschien und am Anfang so, wie er es selbst in seiner Präsentation beschreibt: er versuchte es oft, seinem Assessor - mir - rechtzumachen und suchte schnell nach Schuld und eigenen Fehlern. Gleichzeitig zeigte er sich von Anfang an verletzlich und nahm mit einer beharrlichen Entschlossenheit alle Gelegenheiten zu wachsen - alle Herausforderungen, die mit seiner Geschichte und der Thematik rund um die Zugehörigkeit und Selbstwert zusammen hingen, entschlossen an. Dabei erkannte er in der GFK eine Haltung und ein Werkzeug, das ihn, je tiefer er in sie eintauchte und je größer das Vertrauen in sie wurde, ihn immer mehr auf diesem Weg unterstützt hat. Diese Entwicklung zu erkennen, gab mir auf unserem gemeinsamen Weg immer wieder Sinn und Freude. Ein weiterer Aspekt unseres Weges, die in mir immer wieder Freude ausgelöst hat, war die Poesie und die Schönheit durch die persische Sprache, die Ahmad in unsere Treffen eingebracht hat. So erinnere ich mich gut an eine Situation, in der wir auf das Thema "Selbstvertrauen" zu sprechen kamen und Ahmad mir erzählte, das Selbstvertrauen auf Persisch "Vertrauen in den eigenen Atem" heißt. Ahmad, ich bin dankbar und inspiriert durch den Weg, den wir zusammen gegangen sind und begrüße Dich ganz herzlich in der Gemeinschaft der zertifizierten Trainer\*innen! from Ahmad: NVC hit my soul in 2012 during a training offered in the company where I was employed back then. Finally, I had detected a language for verbalising my inner process and a language with which I could understand my inner processes. For the next 2 years, I was running as a missionary with too much excitement and not enough compassion for the state of mind of the people I was reaching out to. In 2018, I decided to bring in NVC in my profession (occupation with which I also earn my living). In 2019, I started an 18-month program where I received NVC "train the trainer" lessons with a Certified Trainer. In 2020, I started my certification path with the Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC). I learned my core belief "I'm worth nothing alone," and although it's still coming up in my daily life, I learned and experienced the wholeness during several retreats (1 week of meditation retreats or being on my own in the forest for 1 week each year). I learned my interactions in a closed detail during MADs (Mentoring and Assessment days: 6 times, each time 4 days). I learned the power of gratitude. I learned the power of integrity and verbalising my truth, although being scared of the possible consequences, and having experienced more connection each time I dared to speak out my truth while being scared. [ ![Jing Zhu](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Maki-Nakamura.jpeg) ](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/maki-nakamura) ### [Maki Nakamura (Japan)](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/maki-nakamura) ##### FROM THE ASSESSOR, [Katherine Singer](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/katherine-singer) Maki worked with [Jim Manske](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/deceased/jim-manske) for many years, and she was preparing for the final assessment when Jim passed away. I was asked to step in as Assessor and we spent some time getting to know each other. She also shared her portfolio with me. We agreed to have a final assessment. Her long period of time learning, sharing, and living Nonviolent Communication (NVC) comes through her presence, and I was very happy to get to know her. And it's my honor to have this opportunity to invite her into the NVC world community. From Maki: I first encountered NVC in 2012 when Marshall Rosenberg’s book was translated into Japanese. I began studying it seriously in 2019, just before the pandemic, during a time of deep questioning in midlife. As the world shifted with COVID, I left my corporate executive role and moved to Itoshima. NVC was always by my side through this major transition, profoundly changing how I see myself, others, and life itself. What has especially supported me is the community of trainers, candidates, and fellow practitioners—people who live NVC and walk this path together. Becoming a Certified Trainer is not a goal or an end point, but a beginning. I feel deep gratitude for the people and the community that have made this journey possible. [ ![Ștefana Forgaciu](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Stefana-Forgaciu.jpeg) ](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/stefana-forgaciu) ### [Ștefana Forgaciu (Romania)](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/stefana-forgaciu) ##### FROM THE ASSESSOR, [Ian Peatey](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/ian-peatey) Ştefana exudes warmth and care for others and has increasingly found her own voice and standing for her needs. She is an active contributor to her local community in Romania and fully committed to sharing NVC through play and games. She is also well-connected in the International Network. Having been through several important losses over the last years, I have been impressed by her capacity to grieve and to move forward. I have personally worked with Ştefana as co-trainer on my 6-month programme and fully enjoyed her presence, clarity, and empathy skills. I have the great pleasure to welcome her to the community of Certified Trainers. From Ștefana: For as long as I can remember, I’ve felt the pain of witnessing so much suffering around me - people hurting each other, fighting over nothing, disconnected from themselves and from one another. It weighed heavily on me until I discovered something that changed everything -- Nonviolent Communication (NVC). The first workshop felt like a breath of fresh air, a homecoming - like finally returning to myself. Since then, it’s been a journey of self-discovery, self-acceptance, empowerment, and even, slowly, bits of self-love. Before NVC, I struggled in relationships, torn between speaking up and fearing conflict or criticism. I would either withdraw and disappear or people-please to earn acceptance, but no recognition ever felt enough. I didn’t feel truly seen, understood, or welcomed. I was disconnected from my needs and boundaries, often saying yes when my whole being was saying no. I didn’t know how to claim my space or express my needs honestly, let alone make clear requests. This left me deeply sad, longing to be understood and seen for who I really am. I yearned for harmony, puzzled by why people fight when we all crave love and connection. Over the years, I searched for tools and answers, but nothing really helped me speak and live with integrity, aligned with my core values. Not until I found NVC, in 2019. That was the missing piece in the big, entangled puzzle of human relationships. NVC offered me something new: a way to truly connect - with myself and with others. And the more I’ve healed, the less I’ve found myself relying on others’ validation to feel whole and worthy. Through this process and the beautiful NVC communities I’ve become part of, I’ve started to feel that I DO have a place in this world. That life has meaning. And that I have a purpose: to bring more harmony around me, and not by sacrificing my own well-being, but by honoring it. NVC has deeply reshaped how I relate to myself and others and continues to shape who I am and how I move through life. Since 2021, I’ve been sharing NVC both locally and internationally, co-facilitating with Certified Trainers and growing through these collaborations. As an active member of the Romanian Association for NVC, I joyfully organize and lead workshops, long-term courses, practice groups, camps, webinars, festivals, Erasmus+ projects, and more. I support individuals and groups in reconnecting with what truly matters to them, helping them develop their own capacity for self-connection, honest expression, and empathic listening. I believe empathy can drive meaningful social change in education, business, family life, and beyond. I live by the principle “Connection before correction” and do my best to embody it every day. I dream of a world grounded in kindness and understanding, where we all matter, where laughter, play, and tears are welcome, and where our choices are made with care for each other and the planet. This vision fuels my passion for connection and collaboration that truly serves life. I’m deeply nourished by this work and grateful every day for the gift of NVC and the ongoing journey it invites me to walk. [ ![Kathleen Deblaere](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Kathleen-Deblaere.jpeg) ](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/kathleen-deblaere) ### [Kathleen Deblaere (France)](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/kathleen-deblaere) ##### FROM THE ASSESSOR, [LAURENCE BRUSCHWEILER ](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/laurence-bruschweiler) Kathleen particularly enjoys working in the field of adoption, without naming Nonviolent Communication (NVC), but by experiencing it with professionals in this field. She celebrates the journey she has taken to embrace her own emotions and those of others, and, in group settings, her ability to stay connected to the living by being present to herself, to others, and to the group. We are touched to see how she uses her own journey to serve the people she supports. A mother of four children, Kathleen is also interested in parenting and education. ##### From Kathleen: **\[EN\]** My journey with Nonviolent Communication (NVC) began as a response to a deep inner quest: to better understand myself, to connect with others authentically, and to heal past wounds. As an adoptee, a mother of four, and someone who has been engaged for over ten years in the fields of adoption and social integration, I quickly saw in NVC a powerful tool for personal, relational, and social transformation. I was deeply moved by how NVC brings universal human needs to the center and opens a space of safety, listening, and reconnection to oneself and others. Very quickly, I felt the urge to go further — to deepen this approach, to embody it in my daily life, and to share it. It became clear to me that going through my own traumas and receiving so much support awakened a natural drive in me: to give back, to offer this path in service of others. This movement toward others was first made possible by a true inner encounter: NVC allowed me to reconnect with what lives deeply within me, to rebuild a strong bond with my being, and to discover that I carried within me resources I thought were lost. In learning to love myself with compassion, I came to understand how preserving my dignity and integrity could serve the relationship. This awareness naturally led me to a deeper commitment: the certification process. This journey was demanding but precious, both in terms of learning and inner growth. It allowed me to connect philosophical insights to my lived experience, to root the practice in emotions, in the body, and in a stance of authentic presence. Over time, NVC has become the heart of my approach as a support practitioner. It has been enriched through contact with other approaches that are dear to me: attachment theory, polyvagal theory, and IFS (through the model of relational intelligence). This integrative approach now nourishes my work with parents, professionals, and adoptees, in spaces where speech, the body, and relationship are fully engaged. In parallel, I work in the field of education with the association *Déclic CNV & Éducation*, as well as in organizations, where I lead dynamic and sensitive trainings to support cooperation, tension regulation, and more conscious communication — all in service of connection and meaning. Certification was not merely a validation for me — it marked the culmination of a journey of alignment between who I am, what I live, and what I wish to offer the world. It now anchors me in an inner sense of legitimacy and a deep joy in contributing to a more connected, sensitive, and conscious world. **\[FR\]** Mon chemin avec la Communication NonViolente a commencé comme une réponse à une quête intérieure profonde : mieux me comprendre, me relier aux autres avec authenticité, et apaiser les blessures du passé. En tant que personne adoptée, mère de quatre enfants, et engagée depuis plus de dix ans dans le champ de l’adoption et de l'insertion sociale, j’ai rapidement perçu dans la CNV un levier puissant de transformation personnelle, relationnelle et sociale. J’ai été profondément touchée par la manière dont la CNV remet au centre les besoins humains universels et ouvre un espace de sécurité, d’écoute et de reconnexion à soi et à l’autre. Très vite, j’ai ressenti l’élan d’aller plus loin : d’approfondir cette approche, de l’incarner au quotidien, et de la transmettre. Il était évident pour moi que le fait de traverser mes propres traumas, et de recevoir autant de soutien, éveillait un élan naturel : celui d’offrir à mon tour, de mettre ce chemin au service des autres. Ce mouvement vers les autres a d’abord été rendu possible par une véritable rencontre intérieure : la CNV m’a permis de renouer avec ce qui m’habite en profondeur, de retrouver un lien solide avec mon être, et de découvrir que je portais en moi des ressources que je croyais perdues. En apprenant à m’aimer avec bienveillance, j’ai compris combien préserver ma dignité et mon intégrité pouvait être au service de la relation. Cette prise de conscience m’a naturellement conduite vers un engagement plus profond: le processus de certification. Ce parcours a été exigeant mais précieux, à la fois en termes d’apprentissage et de croissance intérieure. Il m’a permis de relier les apports philosophiques à mon vécu, d’ancrer la pratique dans les émotions, le corps, et dans une posture de présence authentique. Au fil du temps, la CNV est devenue le cœur de ma posture d’accompagnante. Elle s’est enrichie au contact d’approches complémentaires qui me sont chères : la théorie de l’attachement, la théorie polyvagale, et l’IFS (à travers le modèle de l'intelligence relationnelle). Cette approche intégrative nourrit aujourd’hui mes accompagnements auprès des parents, des professionnels et des personnes adoptées, dans des espaces où la parole, le corps et la relation sont pleinement engagés. Parallèlement, j’interviens dans le champ de l’éducation avec l’association Déclic CNV & Éducation, ainsi que dans les organisations, où j’anime des formations vivantes et sensibles pour soutenir la coopération, la régulation des tensions et une communication plus consciente, au service du lien et du sens. La certification n’a pas été pour moi une simple validation : elle a marqué l’aboutissement d’un chemin d’alignement entre ce que je suis, ce que je vis, et ce que je souhaite offrir au monde. Elle m’ancre aujourd’hui dans une légitimité intérieure et une joie profonde de contribuer à un monde plus relié, plus sensible et plus conscient. [ ![Sufiya Minako Sudou](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Sufiya-Minako-Sudou.jpeg) ](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/sufiya-minako-sudou) ### [Sufiya Minako Sudou (Japan)](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/sufiya-minako-sudou) ##### FROM THE ASSESSOR, [Katherine Singer](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/katherine-singer) Minako Sufia worked with [Jim Manske](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/deceased/jim-manske) for years and was preparing for the final assessment when he passed away. She asked me to come in as her Assessor for her final assessment. She shared her portfolio with me, and I was satisfied with its content. As I got to know her, I was impressed by her sensitivity and sincerity in serving her hometown by sharing NVC. From Sufiya Minako : **\[EN\]** When I began to engage with the certification process, I realized the importance of understanding where I stand within society. This meant acknowledging the land and history I was born into, the values I inherited, the social rank (power) my family has occupied, and how our nervous systems have been mobilized to sustain life. I came to understand that the systems sustaining life within us are shaped by where and how we are born—and that they sometimes come with a cost. It became essential for me to allow myself to rest, to stay with unmet needs, and to reconnect with the energy of longing and aspiration that resides within. At the IIT, I shared the challenges my home region has faced—particularly the Great East Japan Earthquake and the nuclear disaster. As I spoke through tears, I experienced deep resonance with others at the level of needs. Even across differences in history and culture, we were held in a powerful circle where shared needs connected us, allowing us to mourn together and offer care. We shared prayers that transcended words. This experience transformed my awareness. I came to see that my efforts could contribute to the world, and that I could learn so much from what others are doing elsewhere. I began to aspire to be one of those who co-create change. Immersing myself in systems, I became more conscious of how my way of being could act as a catalyst for transformation. Now, I work with the intention of bringing the quality of NVC into projects rooted in regional issues and supported by national and local government funding. I observe structures, dynamics of influence, and power relations, as I support movement toward collaborative co-creation. This is also an effort to honor the voices of all lives being mobilized. Those involved are shifting through repeated experiences of shared presence. I hold the hope that these lived experiences will become treasures passed on to future generations. And I trust that this path will continue to be one of learning and discovery. **\[JP\]** 認定プロセスを意識し始めたとき、私は自分が社会の中でどこに立っているのかを認識することが必要だと感じました。それは、自分が生まれ育った土地とその歴史、受け継いできた価値観、私の家族が置かれてきた社会的なランク（パワー）、そして命を保つために私たちの神経系がどのように動員されてきたのかを認めるプロセスでした。私たちに内在する生命維持の仕組みは、どこでどのように生まれたかによって形づくられ、ときに代償を伴うことを理解しました。休息を許し、満たされないニーズとともに過ごし、願いや憧れのエネルギーと再びつながることが重要でした。 IITでは、私の故郷が抱える課題――東日本大震災と原発事故――について共有しました。私は涙を流しながら話し、ニーズのレベルで深い共鳴を他者と体験しました。歴史や文化が異なっても、私たちは共有されたニーズを通じてつながり、共に嘆き、ケアし合うことができる強力な輪の中にいるのだと実感しました。私たちは、言葉を超えた祈りを共に捧げました。 私の取り組みが世界に貢献できる可能性があること、そして世界の他の取り組みから多くを学べることに気づいたとき、私の意識は大きく変わりました。私は変化を共に創る一人でありたいと思うようになりました。システムの中に身を投じ、自分の存在やあり方が変化の触媒となることを意識するようになったのです。現在は、地域課題や国・自治体の予算が関わる仕事の中にNVCの質を根づかせることを目指しています。構造や相互作用、力の働きを観察しながら、共創的な協働へと進む取り組みです。動員されるすべてのいのちの声を尊重する試みでもあります。関わる人々は、繰り返される体験を通して変化しています。 [ ![Nicolas Garnier](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Nicolas-Garnier.jpeg) ](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/nicolas-garnier) ### [Nicolas Garnier (France)](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/nicolas-garnier) ##### FROM THE ASSESSORS, [LAURENCE BRUSCHWEILER ](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/laurence-bruschweiler)& [LAURE GEZ](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/laure-galvez) We particularly appreciate Nicolas's sensitivity and sense of commitment. Nicolas's aspiration is to convey Marshall Rosenberg's vision: that a peaceful world is possible, and that disagreements are an opportunity for encounters. He enjoys living the values ​​of NVC within the groups he is involved with, such as [Déclic éducation](https://declic-cnveducation.org/), and also in the "NVC en famille" workshops. He feels called to support elected officials in small and medium-sized municipalities in their power to act for societal change. ##### From Nicolas: **\[EN\]** I began this journey with the intention of developing my ability to welcome and experience the events of my life differently, after becoming aware that my power lay entirely in changing myself. As I continued integrating this, I began to see the impacts in my relationship with myself, with others, and within the structures in which I evolve. It was from there that a deep realization awakened in me: learning truly made sense when I could offer to others what I had received. Transmission is rooted in me. At first, I entered the path as if it were a quest to succeed, which brought with it deeply uncomfortable moments of doubt, fear, and discouragement. One day, I let go. I chose to follow this journey as an organic process of inner transformation — that the training and integration happened more through practice in all areas of my life, and that from this daily practice, from my failures and successes, I was creating the material for what I would transmit. The journey then became lighter; obstacles like finances and time lifted, making space for openness and acceptance — that the time would come when it would come, and that it was perfect just as it was. **\[FR\]** J'ai commencé ce parcours dans l'intention de développer ma capacité à accueillir et vivre autrement les évènements de ma vie après une prise de conscience que mon pouvoir résidait intégralement dans me changer moi. Au fil de cet intégration j'ai commencé à voir les impacts dans ma relation à moi, aux autres et dans les structures au sein desquelles j'évolue. C'est à partir de là que c'est réveiller cette évidence pour moi qu'apprendre prenait tout son sens à l'endroit où je pouvais offrir aux autres ce que j'avais reçu. La transmission est enraciné en moi. Au départ je me suis engagé dans le parcours comme dans une quête à réussir, ce qui m'a valu des moments forts inconfortables de doutes, de peurs et de découragement. Un jour j'ai lâché, j'ai choisi de suivre ce parcours comme un mouvement organique de transformation intérieure, que la formation et l'intégration se jouait plus dans la mise en pratique dans tous les espace de ma vie, et que c'est de cette pratique au quotidien, de mes plantades et mes réussites que je créais la matière de ma transmission. Ce parcours est alors devenu plus léger, les freins comme les finances, le temps se sont levés pour faire place à l'ouverture, et l'acceptation que le temps viendrait quand il viendrait et que c'était parfait comme cela. [ ![xuan-simon](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Xuan-Simon.jpeg) ](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/xuan-simon) ### [Xuan Simon (United States)](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/xuan-simon) ##### FROM THE ASSESSOR, [Rodger Sorrow](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/rodger-sorrow) Xuan was born and raised in China and has lived in the United States for the past 16 years. Her journey with Nonviolent Communication (NVC) began several years ago during a period of parenting challenges. As a mother, she didn’t seek obedience from her children, but rather a relationship rooted in trust, emotional honesty, and deep connection. Her deeper and ongoing intention is to raise a next generation that embodies awareness, honesty, responsibility, and mutual trust. What began as a response to parenting difficulties gradually evolved into a life path. In her everyday interactions with her children, she has witnessed her intention of connected and conscious parenting becoming a lived reality. Since then, Xuan has devoted herself wholeheartedly to this path—studying with a wide range of international trainers and exploring NVC across multiple dimensions, including spirituality, conflict mediation, and social change. With her bicultural background, Xuan is uniquely positioned to bring the essence of NVC back to Chinese-speaking communities in a way that honors both the original spirit of the work and the depth and wisdom of Chinese culture. Her work bridges language and culture, making NVC more accessible and relevant across diverse communities. She has consistently facilitated practice groups and workshops in both Chinese and English. Along the way, NVC has become more than a set of skills—it has become a way of life. From Xuan: My journey with Nonviolent Communication (NVC) began in 2020, during the early days of the pandemic, when I found myself overwhelmed by parenting while supporting my children with at-home learning. What started as a search for tools quickly became a path of deep transformation—anchored in presence, honesty, and shared humanity. I became a Certification Candidate in 2022 and was mentored and supported by [Jim Manske](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/deceased/jim-manske) and [Jori Manske](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/emeritus/jori-manske). Jim also served as my Assessor. Together, they showed me what it means to live NVC—not only in how they taught with clarity and structure, but also in how they embodied humility, mutuality, and congruence in their relationship and in their way of being. Through them, I experienced NVC as something far beyond communication—it was a consciousness that could be lived moment by moment. After Jim passed away, I continued my journey with [Rodger Sorrow](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/rodger-sorrow). Walking with him during the final phase of certification helped me experience power-with relationships in a profound way. and in how we navigate differences. His way of being helped me touch a deeper layer of trust in myself, in others, and in life. Throughout this journey, I facilitated bilingual workshops, practice groups, and 1-on-1 sessions in both Chinese and English. I received generous feedback, learned to sit with uncertainty, and returned again and again to self-empathy—not as a technique, but as a homecoming. The Certification Process was not only about building skills; it was also about remembering who I am and what kind of world I want to co-create. I’m deeply grateful for everyone who has walked alongside me with honesty, compassion, and presence. As I step into the role of a Certified Trainer, I carry a commitment to support parents, educators, and community members in reclaiming connection and courage in themselves, in their relationships, and in the systems they shape. [ ![Morgann Girard-Legoualch ](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Morgann-Girard-Legoualch.jpeg) ](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/morgann-girard-legoualch) ### [Morgann Girard-Legoualch (France)](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/morgann-girard-legoualch) ##### from the assessor, [LAURENCE BRUSCHWEILER ](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/laurence-bruschweiler) Morgann is a teacher in the national education system. She enjoys using Nonviolent Communication (NVC) in her classroom and enjoys working with [Déclic-Education](https://declic-cnveducation.org/) to support teachers. We appreciate her sense of commitment, her discretion, her humility, and her calm presence, which reassure the people she supports. from Morgann: **\[EN\]** I believe I began my certification journey well before joining the official French program. In fact, I first followed the program offered by the Déclic NVC & Education association, with the aim of raising awareness about Nonviolent Communication among teachers and parents. These discovery sessions, which I led for several years, allowed me to develop skills and an attitude that I then used in my path toward certification. This journey, which I began with Déclic and continued through the Certification Process, has profoundly enriched me. It allowed me to continue learning, to experience cooperation, and to strengthen, through experimentation, the hope that authentic and supportive relationships are possible. **\[FR\]** Je pense avoir entamé mon parcours de certification bien avant d’intégrer le parcours officiel français. En effet, j’ai d’abord suivi le programme proposé par l’association Déclic CNV & Éducation, dans le but de sensibiliser enseignants et parents à la Communication NonViolente. Ces temps de découverte, que j’ai animés pendant plusieurs années, m’ont permis de développer des compétences et une posture que j’ai ensuite mises à profit dans mon cheminement vers la certification. Ce parcours, débuté avec Déclic et poursuivi dans le cadre de la certification, m’a profondément enrichi. Il m’a permis de continuer à apprendre, de vivre des expériences de coopération, et de renforcer, par l’expérimentation, l’espoir que des relations authentiques et solidaires sont possibles. [ ![Cinzia Sandri](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Cinzia-Sandri.jpeg) ](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/cinzia-sandri) ### [Cinzia Sandri (Italy)](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/cinzia-sandri) ##### from the assessor, [Ruud Baanders](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/ruud-baanders) **\[EN\]** I have enjoyed accompanying Cinzia over her 5 1/2 years as a Certification Candidate, first as Assessor-in-Training (AiT) and later as an Assessor. Over these years, she has contributed to our community of candidates in Italy, bringing her passion and experience of accompanying the dying, her wider concern for the suffering in the world, in combination with her deeply lived Buddhist practice. Her peaceful, serene, and engaged presence, which I have experienced in her interactions within the community, presentations, assessments, and so on, was often a support, not only for herself, but for the community as a whole. Over the years that I have accompanied Cinzia, I have not only witnessed her grow her Nonviolent Communication (NVC) consciousness, but I have also seen her make huge personal transformations. The transformation that stands out for me is the one that manifested her capacity of managing feedback for growth by staying open and curious to what is alive in her and, especially, in the other person, holding this person with sincere compassion. She has become a real advocate for feedback for growth in our community. I trust that Cinzia will greatly contribute to the NVC community in Italy and that she will bring her NVC consciousness to all the places she will be going. **\[IT\]** Ho avuto modo di accompagnare Cinzia nei suoi 5 anni e mezzo di candidatura, prima come AiT e poi come valutatore. In questi anni ha contribuito alla nostra comunità di candidati in Italia portando la sua passione e la sua esperienza di accompagnamento dei morenti, la sua più ampia preoccupazione per la sofferenza nel mondo, in combinazione con la sua pratica buddista profondamente vissuta. La sua presenza pacifica, serena e impegnata che ho sperimentato nelle sue interazioni all'interno della comunità, nelle presentazioni, nelle valutazioni, ecc. è stata spesso un sostegno, non solo per lei stessa, ma per l'intera comunità. Nel corso degli anni in cui ho accompagnato Cinzia, non solo ho assistito alla crescita della sua consapevolezza CNV, ma l'ho anche vista compiere grandi trasformazioni personali. La trasformazione che più mi ha colpito è quello che si è manifestato nella sua capacità di gestire feedback per crescita, rimanendo aperta e curiosa verso ciò che è vivo in lei e, soprattutto, nell'altra persona, tenendola con sincera compassione. È diventata una vera e propria sostenitrice del feedback di crescita nella nostra comunità. Confido che Cinzia darà un grande contributo alla comunità CNV in Italia e che porterà la sua consapevolezza CNV in tutti i luoghi in cui andrà. ##### from Cinzia: I first came into contact with Nonviolent Communication when I participated in the intensive course Mediate Your Life in Italy in 2014. After this experience, a “Peace Builders” study group was formed, and for a few years we met regularly, led by trainers Eduardo Montoya and Cristina Buongiorno. I attended the training meetings of [Marianne Göthlin](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/marianne-goethlin), [Robert Gonzales](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/deceased/robert-gonzales), and [Arnina Kashtan](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/arnina-kashtan). I organized an intensive in-person meeting in Italy with Arnina Kashtan and the "Compass" method. I participated as an assistant in the "Mediate Your Life" training, led by [Johannes Henn](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/johannes-henn) and Cristina Buongiorno. During the 2020 pandemic, I actively participated in the “Empathic Bar” listening point through the “Art of Dialogue” platform. For a few months, we took turns to offer empathic listening to those who requested it. I continue to collaborate with “Art of Dialogue,” where I offer training meetings, which are offered in the gift economy. In 2020, I started the certification journey with [Stephanie Bachmann Mattei,](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/stephanie-bachmann-mattei) then with Ruud Baanders, also supported by [Ortensia Majer](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/ortensia-majer) as an AiT. The certification journey was very intense and challenging, allowing me to bring deep awareness of the change happening in me and how to share these teachings. We self-organized our annual intensive meetings, where it was possible to bring our workshops, attend the Pre-Assesment and Assesement presentation of the candidates. We always held a space to celebrate and feast. There were monthly online meetings where we exchanged experiences and presented topics that particularly touched us. I was able to receive a lot of feedback, I was able to give it in turn, this was a big contribution to my awareness of where I was and where I was going in my certification journey. I was very supported, Stephanie and Ruud sensed and encouraged what were the areas I needed to work on to express myself fully, I am grateful. [ ![Sascha Borrée](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Sascha-Borree.jpeg) ](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/sascha-borree) ### [Sascha Borrée (France)](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/sascha-borree) ##### FROM THE ASSESSOR, [Johannes Henn](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/johannes-henn) **\[EN\]** I met Sascha at the mentoring and assessment days in June 2020, over 4 1/2 years ago, and was immediately impressed by the depth and seriousness with which he engaged with Nonviolent Communication (NVC) in general, and the Certification Process in particular. It was immediately clear to me that NVC was a matter of the heart for him: not only a concept, but a personal path that he pursued with heart and consistency. He was prepared to question himself and others and to create space for real development. He always regarded community as essential for growth and repeatedly created his own challenges and areas of growth on the Mentoring Assessment Days (MADs), followed by taking on responsibility in facilitation and conflict resolution discussions, and in this way also contributed greatly to the community. In these moments, I experienced him as open and courageous, and above all as genuine: for me, he "lives what he teaches" and I am very happy to welcome him as a trainer in our community of Certified Trainers! **\[DE\]** Ich habe Sascha auf den Mentoring- und Assessmenttagen im Juni 2020, also vor über viereinhalb Jahren, kennengelernt und war sofort beeindruckt von der Tiefe und Ernsthaftigkeit, mit der er sich auf die GFK überhaupt und den Zertifizierungsprozess im besonderen einließ. Es war mir sofort klar, dass GFK eine Herzensangelegenheit für ihn war: kein Konzept, sondern ein persönlicher Weg, den er mit Herz und Konsequenz ging. Dabei war er bereit, sich selbst und andere zu hinterfragen und Raum für echte Entwicklung zu schaffen. So betrachtete er Gemeinschaft stets als essenziell für Wachstum, und schuf sich auf den MAT, die folgten, immer wieder seine Herausforderungen und Wachstumsfelder, indem er Verantwortung in Moderationen und Konfliktklärungsgesprächen übernahm – und trug auf diese Weise auch sehr zur Gemeinschaft bei. In diesen Momenten habe ich ihn als offen und mutig erlebt, und vor allem als echt: für mich „lebt er, was er lehrt“ und freue mich sehr, ihn als Trainer in unserer Gemeinschaft der zertifizierten Trainer zu begrüßen! From Sascha: **\[EN\]** There are very few other things in my life to which I said Yes as wholeheartedly as I did to Nonviolent Communication (NVC). After my first introductory course in 2019, I had a clear felt sense that I never doubted ever since then: This is such a deep source of nourishment! This is truly liberating; it brings me pure joy! I need more of this—if I actually want to tap into a deeper sense of aliveness. At the time, I had just completed some extended Zen retreats. I had experienced a deep sense of liberation from old, painful patterns. For the first time, my heart had seen how connecting deeply from a place of great wisdom and compassion is a possibility we actually have as human beings. But as soon as I returned from the retreats to my everyday life, my patterns and my emotional reactivity came back as well. I was longing and looking for a way to bring this quality of liberation into a life outside the formal structures of monastic life, into the beautiful—and sometimes scary—mess that are our everyday human relationships. When I encountered Nonviolent Communication, I began to have real hope that such a way could really exist. I was moved by the consequentiality with which Marshall Rosenberg had embodied his vision of deeply empathic connection. I was touched by what I experienced during seminars and workshops: How little it took to get a sense of connecting with complete strangers! What moved me the most were the people with whom I practiced Nonviolent Communication, who were willing to see my feelings and needs, while also clearly expressing what they felt and needed. How beautiful! And sometimes: how demanding, how scary! These intimate, empathic connections allowed me to see my own reaction patterns even more clearly than I ever had before: I saw and continue to see how I may get tense when I feel fear, when my need for protection remains unmet; how my thinking then collapses into judgments and evaluations, into distinctions of right and wrong; how my body stiffens, my heart closes; how the strategies I use to relax in the face of difficult emotions sometimes come at the expense of aliveness and connection. The annual Mentoring and Assessment Days constituted both the most beautiful and the most challenging component of my Certification Process. My strengths as well as my growing edges were so clearly mirrored back to me, mostly in a compassionate, loving way. Still, sometimes I didn’t know how to get my needs for protection and safety met. At those times, I felt quite a bit of fear arising in me. That said, I seemed to have enough trust in the process and the people involved—including myself! This allowed me to stay engaged, to ask for support and to experience how difficulty could melt away, how I would come back to life again. As a Certified Trainer, it is my heartfelt wish to support people—which naturally includes myself!—on our shared path to liberation. This is no solo endeavor; we can really only do it together. I want to co-create a community. I want to create and hold spaces in which we joyfully practice how to show up fully. I want to contribute to the process of cultivating and sharing power. My certification comes at a time of transformation in my life. I don’t have great clarity about what specifically comes next, both as a person and as a trainer. But I have deep trust, and I have a clear felt sense of how I will walk that path: with courage, love, lots of support—and a deep commitment to living compassion. **\[DE\]** Es gibt in meinem Leben nur wenige Dinge, zu denen ich so zweifellos Ja gesagt habe wie zur Gewaltfreien Kommunikation. Nach meinem ersten Einführungskurs in 2019 habe ich klar gespürt und dann nie mehr bezweifelt: Das berührt mich, belebt mich, befreit mich. Ich brauche mehr davon – wenn ich wirklich lernen möchte, meiner inneren Wahrheit zu vertrauen. Ich hatte damals gerade mehrere lange Zen-Retreats absolviert und tiefe Erfahrungen der Befreiung von schmerzhaften und (vor allem mir selbst gegenüber) gewaltvollen Mustern gemacht. Ich hatte mit meinem eigenen Herzen erfahren, dass ein Leben in mehr Verbindung, Weisheit und Mitgefühl tatsächlich möglich ist. Doch sobald ich aus diesen Retreats in meinen Alltag zurückkehrte, schlichen sich auch meine Muster und meine emotionale Reaktivität wieder ein. Fast verzweifelt suchte ich nach einem Weg, der diese Qualität von Befreiung in ein Leben außerhalb des stark strukturierten Klosterlebens, in die wunderschön-beängstigende Quirligkeit menschlicher Beziehungen, bringen würde. Als ich dann die Gewaltfreie Kommunikation kennenlernte, hatte ich zum ersten Mal eine echte Hoffnung, dass so etwas tatsächlich funktionieren könnte. Ich war berührt von der Konsequenz, mit der Marshall Rosenberg seine Vision von tief empathischer Verbindung vorgelebt hatte. Ich war berührt von den Erfahrungen, die ich bei Seminaren und Workshops machen durfte: Wie wenig es oft brauchte, um Verbundenheit mit vollkommen fremden Menschen zu erleben! Am meisten berührten mich wohl die, die zusammen mit mir Gewaltfreie Kommunikation übten, dabei meine Gefühle und Bedürfnisse sahen, mir gleichzeitig klar zeigten, was sie selbst fühlten und brauchten. Wie wunderschön! Und manchmal: Wie herausfordernd, wie beängstigend! Denn jeder intim-empathische Kontakt zeigte mir meine eigenen Reaktionsmuster noch deutlicher auf, als ich sie vorher gesehen hatte: Ich sah und sehe jetzt klarer, wie ich mich, wenn ich Angst habe und mein Bedürfnis nach Schutz unerfüllt bleibt, manchmal verhärte; wie mein Denken dann in Beurteilungen und Beschuldigungen, in Unterscheidungen von Richtig und Falsch, verfällt; wie sich der Körper verspannt, das Herz verschließt; wie die Strategien, mit denen ich mich bei schwierigen Gefühlen entspannen möchte, manchmal auf Kosten von Lebendigkeit und Verbindung gehen. In meinem Zertifizierungsprozess habe ich vor allem die jährlichen Mentoring- und Assessment-Tage als sehr intensiv erlebt. Ganz klar wurden mir da sowohl meine Stärken als auch meine Entwicklungsfelder gespiegelt, meist auf wunderbar liebevolle Art. Manchmal fand ich keine stimmige Strategie, um meine Bedürfnisse nach Schutz und Sicherheit erfüllt zu bekommen. Dann bin ich in tiefe Verbindung mit meiner Angst gekommen. Gleichzeitig hatte ich genug Vertrauen in den Prozess und die beteiligten Menschen – mich inklusive! Das hat es mir ermöglicht, an schwierigen Stellen weiter dran zu bleiben, um Unterstützung zu bitten, immer wieder zu erleben, wie es in mir weicher und lebendiger werden kann. Als zertifizierter Trainer möchte ich jetzt dazu beitragen, anderen Menschen – und natürlich weiterhin mir selbst! – eben solche Erfahrungsschätze zu schenken. Ich möchte Gemeinschaft mit gestalten. Alleine geht es nicht, wir brauchen einander auf diesem Weg! Ich möchte Räume gestalten und halten, in denen das Wagnis, sich frei zu zeigen, freudig geübt und gefeiert wird. Ich möchte gemeinsam mit anderen üben, Macht zu entfalten und gleichzeitig zu teilen. Meine Zertifizierung fällt in eine Lebensphase, in der sich gerade vieles verändert, in der so manches offen ist. Manchmal sehe ich noch nicht ganz klar, was als nächstes kommt. Und gleichzeitig habe ich Vertrauen, spüre sehr deutlich, wie ich die nächsten Schritte gehen will: mit Mut, Liebe, viel Unterstützung – und in lebendiger Verbundenheit. [](#)