--- title: "NEW CERTIFIED TRAINERS: December 2025 - Center for Nonviolent Communication" description: "" url: "https://www.cnvc.org/new-cts/2025-dec" date: "2026-09-19T11:40:54+00:00" language: "en-US" --- # # NEW CERTIFIED TRAINERS: December 2025 **December 2025**: We are pleased to introduce you to ten new Certified Trainers, and you can 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. [ ![](http://cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Carimar-Barrientos.jpeg) Carimar Barrientos (Venezuela) ](https://www.cnvc.org/javascript:showCandidate(%22carimar-barrientos%22)) [ ![](http://cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Lady-Ramy-Allebe.jpeg) Lady-Ramy Allebe (Martinique) ](https://www.cnvc.org/javascript:showCandidate(%22lady-ramy-allebe%22)) [ ![Mel White](http://cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Mel-White.jpeg) Mel White (Ireland) ](https://www.cnvc.org/javascript:showCandidate(%22mel-white%22)) [ ![Felix Vallieres ](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Felix-Vallieres.jpeg) Felix Vallieres (Canada) ](https://www.cnvc.org/javascript:showCandidate(%22felix-vallieres%22)) [ ![Chavi Nieto](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Chavi-Nieto.jpeg) Chavi Nieto (Spain) ](https://www.cnvc.org/javascript:showCandidate(%22chavi-nieto%22)) [ ![Francina Balagué](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Francina-Balague.jpeg) Francina Balagué (Spain) ](https://www.cnvc.org/javascript:showCandidate(%22francina-balague%22)) [ ![](http://cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Lise-Gallois.jpeg) Lise Gallois (France) ](https://www.cnvc.org/javascript:showCandidate(%22lise-gallois%22)) [ ![](http://cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Peter-Claes.jpeg) Peter-Xavier Claes (Belgium) ](https://www.cnvc.org/javascript:showCandidate(%22peter-claes%22)) [ ![](http://cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Nienke-Vierstra.jpeg) Nienke Vierstra (Netherlands) ](https://www.cnvc.org/javascript:showCandidate(%22nienke-vierstra%22)) [ ![](http://cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Gordana-Stankovic.jpeg) Gordana Stankovic (Spain) ](https://www.cnvc.org/javascript:showCandidate(%22gordana-stankovic%22)) --- [ ![Carimar Barrientos](http://cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Carimar-Barrientos.jpeg) ](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/carimar-barrientos) ### [Carimar Barrientos (Venezuela)](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/carimar-barrientos) ##### FROM THE ASSESSOR, [Gerardo Sánchez](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/gerardo-sanchez-lozano) \[EN\] I joyfully celebrate this moment of Carimar’s certification. Carimar began her Certification Process in March 2022. I celebrate that Carimar is the second Certified Trainer from Venezuela. During three mentoring and assessment events (4 days each), she was also supported in her process with 360-degree feedback from my team members, [Constanza](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/constanza-echevarria-arevalo) and [Marianne](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/marianne-sikor), as well as from several Certified Trainers in Spain and from our community of candidates. What I most admire and celebrate in Carimar is her commitment to her own growth and to social change. I admire her ability and willingness to look deeply within herself, to heal at the root those patterns that distance her from her connection with herself and from her power to manifest in the world with wholeness and strength. Carimar has shared with me some of the challenges she has faced in her life, and I’ve seen how she has sought support from the community with specific requests to face situations that have strongly impacted her. Even in difficult moments, I have witnessed and appreciated her self-leadership in addressing those challenges by actively engaging the support she asked for. I also admire her commitment to social change. I believe that what she has lived in her life has not only been a driving force for her personal growth, but also a source of integration in service of social transformation, thanks to her systemic perspective. It seems to me that she clearly sees how social systems have a great impact on our personal and collective development. For all these reasons, I deeply celebrate that Carimar continues to devote herself, body and soul, to this personal and collective transformation, as a certified trainer, just as I have seen her do until now. **\[ES\]** Celebro con mucha alegría este momento de certificación de Carimar. Carimar comenzó su proceso de certificación en marzo de 2022. Celebro también que Carimar es la segunda formadora certificada de Venezuela. Durante tres jornadas de mentoría y asesoramiento (de cuatro días cada una), también fue apoyada en su proceso con retroalimentación de 360 grados por parte de los miembros de mi equipo, [Constanza](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/constanza-echevarria-arevalo) y [Marianne](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/marianne-sikor), así como por varios formadores certificados en España y por nuestra comunidad de candidatos. Lo que más admiro y celebro de Carimar es su compromiso con su propio crecimiento y con el cambio social. Admiro su capacidad y su disposición para indagar profundamente en su interior, para sanar a fondo aquellos patrones que la alejan de su conexión consigo misma y de su poder para manifestarse en el mundo con plenitud y fuerza. Carimar ha compartido conmigo algunos de sus retos en su vida y he visto cómo ha pedido apoyo a la comunidad con peticiones específicas para afrontar situaciones que la han impactado de manera fuerte. Aun en momentos difíciles, he visto y apreciado su auto liderazgo para solventar esos retos gestionando el apoyo que pedía. También admiro su compromiso con el cambio social. Pienso que lo que ha vivido en su vida no sólo ha sido un motor para su propio crecimiento, sino también una fuente de integración al servicio del cambio social, gracias a su perspectiva sistémica. Me parece que ve con claridad cómo los sistemas sociales tienen un gran impacto en nuestro desarrollo personal y comunitario. Por todo esto, celebro profundamente que Carimar siga dedicándose a este cambio personal y colectivo, en cuerpo y alma, como formadora certificada, tal como la he visto hacerlo hasta ahora. From Carimar: My journey with Nonviolent Communication (NVC) started after many years of trying to figure out how I could contribute to the world and where I could put my energy that would have a meaningful imprint on the change I want to see happening in the world. After having read "[Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life](https://www.cnvc.org/store/nonviolent-communication-a-language-of-life)" I was not so much into exploring more NVC, this changed after having read [Miki Kashtan'](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/miki-kashtan)s book "Reweaving Our Human Fabric," as I discovered there the potential NVC could have towards social change. And that discovery was what motivated me to embark on the journey of learning, living, sharing, and applying NVC. The journey of the certification was for me an opportunity to deepen my understanding of NVC and engage with others in conversations that would support that goal. My assessor was a witness of my process through the many posts I would share about things that were happening in my life in which I would apply what I was learning. And now, after having been certified, I see this moment of certification as a reminder of my commitment with the NVC principles. [ ![Lady-Ramy Allebe](http://cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Lady-Ramy-Allebe.jpeg) ](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/lady-ramy-allebe) ### [Lady-Ramy Allebe (Martinique)](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/lady-ramy-allebe) ##### FROM THE ASSESSORS, [ Laurence Bruschweiler](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/laurence-bruschweiler) and [Vinciane Marlière](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/vinciane-marliere) Lady Ramy lives in Martinique. Because of her personal history and where she lives, she is confronted with the wounds of Afro-descendants. She has given herself the means to embrace the discomforts of identity, to recognize in herself and others the traumatic memories linked to history and their present-day consequences. She combines the consciousness-raising techniques of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) with body language (ancestral dances such as bélé). Lady Rami runs an early childhood educational structure and imparts NVC in the training of professionals. She also offers welcoming spaces for parents. We are particularly touched by her radiant energy of life and love. ##### From Lady-Ramy: **\[EN\]** I participated in my first basic Nonviolent Communication module in August 2017, and that is when the idea of pursuing the Certification Process was born. My intention was—and still is—to go as deeply as possible into integrating the process, and then to share it on my island, Martinique. Since then, I have traveled to France at least three times each year for training, until November 2024, when I completed the RAP that led me to certification. These seven years of training, teaching, personal work, and learning how to transmit the process have allowed me to meet myself, to get to know who I am, and to transform each of my relationships. I have gained more awareness of all the places where violence hides—first within myself, and then in different areas of life. Together with my colleagues, we have transformed our ways of communicating, supporting families and children, and living more consciously overall. My journey with NVC and the Certification Process has helped me connect with myself, with my environment, and to discover my authenticity. It has opened a path toward deeper inner alignment and clarity in how I choose to live and relate to others. The most difficult part was finding the material resources to finance all the trips and trainings. I received a great deal of support from my community so that I could complete the Certification Process, as I am the first Certified Trainer on my island. **\[FR\]** J'ai participé à mon 1er module de base de Cnv en Août 2017, mon projet de vivre le parcours de certification est né ce jour là. Mon intention était et est toujours d'aller le plus profondément possible dans l'intégration du processus, puis de le partager sur mon île la Martinique. Depuis je suis partie minimum 3 fois par an en France pour me former, jusqu'à novembre 2024 où j'ai réalisé le RAP qui m'a conduit à la certification. Ces 7 années de formation, de transmission, de travail personnel et d'apprentissage à transmettre le processus m'ont permis de me rencontrer, d'apprendre à me connaître, de transformer chacune de mes relations vers plus de conscience de tous les endroits où se loge la violence d'abord chez moi puis à différents endroits de la vie. Avec mes collaborateurs et collaboratrices nous avons transformé nos façons de communiquer, d'accompagner les familles, les enfants et de vivre de manière générale. Mon parcours avec la CNV et le certification m'a permis d'être en lien avec moi, avec mon environnement et de découvrir mon authenticité. Le plus difficile a été de trouver les ressources matérielles pour financer tous ces voyages et les formations. J'ai reçu beaucoup de soutien de ma communauté pour que je puisse aller au bout du parcours car je suis la 1ère formatrice certifiée de mon île. [ ![Mel White](http://cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Mel-White.jpeg) ](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/mel-white) ### [Mel White (Ireland)](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/mel-white) ##### from the assessor, [Shona Cameron](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/shona-cameron) Mel embodies a quiet and yet powerful way of being with Nonviolent Communication (NVC). As she lives in a community, she has plenty of chances to practise and grow her skills, AND I see her deeply committed to looking after herself amongst all the other people! Mel is also engaged with projects and trainings where her presence and clarity are valued, as well as her warmth and empathy skills. I am impressed by her willingness and capacity to walk towards conflict. I have the sense of being seen by Mel, and this has deeply contributed to our time together. I enjoy how she has understood Nonviolent Communication and how much respect she has for Marshall's legacy. ##### from Mel: I first read [Marshall’s book](https://www.cnvc.org/store/nonviolent-communication-a-language-of-life) around 20 years ago – it was one of those rare books that had a profound effect on me, and one I still remembered clearly years later – but 10 years went by before I discovered there were such things as NVC trainings and an NVC community. I went to my first training...and I haven’t really stopped since! NVC is now a big part of my work, my community, and my home life. I live in an Ecovillage in Ireland where we make decisions by consensus and try to hold many different needs with awareness and care. I run regular NVC trainings with my partner, Aaron, who is also a Certification Candidate, and our relationship is based on a mutual commitment to NVC. My main intention in choosing to become a trainer was, and still is, to live more authentically. When I realised that I was drawn to NVC practice whenever I had a bit of spare time, I figured it was the most meaningful thing I could choose to make a career of. I registered as a Certification Candidate in 2022 after attending an IIT here in Ireland, and I can honestly say I’ve loved every part of the certification process – I’ve given myself permission to really immerse myself in NVC, go to trainings, work on my learning edges, and explore all the different concepts in depth. That has met so many needs for me, and part of me is quite sad that I’ve come to the end of this particular journey, although I’m also excited to move towards the next chapter. [ ![Jing Zhu](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Felix-Vallieres.jpeg) ](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/felix-vallieres) ### [Felix Vallieres (Canada)](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/felix-vallieres) ##### FROM THE ASSESSOR, [Marcelle Bélanger](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/marcelle-belanger) \[EN\] Throughout his journey, Félix has invested himself with passion, thoroughness, and a deep commitment to integrating the process. He traveled thousands of kilometers between Québec and British Columbia to be present and fully engage in learning Nonviolent Communication (NVC). I recognize in him remarkable maturity despite his youth, inspiring leadership, and an exceptional capacity to build and sustain relationships, both in professional and personal contexts. He is driven by a genuine passion for what he does. His thirst for authenticity, expressed with assertiveness, is palpable. He conveys the concepts with great clarity while demonstrating profound humility. Throughout his journey, I had the pleasure of being accompanied by my co-assessor, [Valérie Lanctôt-Bédard](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/valerie-lanctot-bedard), who is also celebrating Félix’s certification. \[FR\] Tout au long de son parcours, Félix s’est investi avec ferveur, rigueur et un profond engagement dans l’intégration du processus. Il a parcouru des milliers de kilomètres entre le Québec et la Colombie-Britannique pour être présent et vivre pleinement l’apprentissage de la Communication NonViolente (CNV). Je reconnais en lui une grande maturité malgré sa jeunesse, un leadership inspirant, ainsi qu’une remarquable capacité à tisser et entretenir des liens, tant dans des contextes professionnels que personnels. Il est animé par une véritable passion pour ce qu’il fait. Sa soif d’authenticité, qu’il exprime avec assertivité, est palpable. Il transmet les concepts avec une grande clarté, tout en faisant preuve d’une profonde humilité. Tout au long de son parcours, j’ai eu le plaisir d’être accompagnée par ma coévaluatrice, [Valérie Lanctôt-Bédard](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/valerie-lanctot-bedard), qui célèbre également la certification de Félix. From Felix: I first came to Nonviolent Communication out of simple curiosity. I had heard a little about it and thought it might connect with my interest in psychology. At the beginning, it was mostly intellectual — I wanted to understand the framework. After my first workshop, which changed me, I realized NVC wasn’t just about concepts; it was about learning to relate differently — to myself and to others. I started to see how self-empathy could help me understand what was really going on inside me, and how naming my needs could give me a sense of integrity and choice I didn’t know I had. That shift surprised me. I didn’t expect that NVC would change the way I show up in relationships, or that it would help me navigate hard conversations with more honesty and care. The more I practiced, the more I realized: this wasn’t just a personal tool for me, it was something I wanted to share. I wanted other people to know that they already have what they need inside them to live with more alignment and responsibility. That’s what led me into the certification process. The process itself stretched me. It wasn’t just about learning to teach; it was about looking at my own patterns and blind spots, and being willing to keep growing. Facilitating groups along the way gave me the chance to see the impact — when someone tells me that something they learned helped them face a conflict differently, or connect more deeply in their relationship, that fuels me. For me, NVC has been a path of growth and integrity. Becoming certified feels less like a finish line and more like a commitment: to keep practicing, keep learning, and keep sharing this work with others. [ ![Chavi Nieto](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Chavi-Nieto.jpeg) ](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/chavi-nieto) ### [Chavi Nieto (Spain)](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/chavi-nieto) ##### FROM THE ASSESSOR, [Gerardo Sánchez](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/gerardo-sanchez-lozano) **\[EN\]** I’m delighted to step forward with Chavi for Certification. He has been registered with me as a Certification Candidate since July 2023, and he has been active as a committed Nonviolent Communication (NVC) practitioner and trainer long before that. During three mentoring and assessment days (4 days each), Chavi was also supported in his process with 360 degree feedback by my team members [Constanza](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/constanza-echevarria-arevalo) and [Marianne](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/marianne-sikor), by some Certified Trainers from Spain, and our candidate community. These are some of the things I admire and celebrate in Chavi: his passion for NVC, his creativity, his commitment, and his willingness to take risks and keep learning. I see Chavi as an important change agent for social change as he brings NVC to different audiences, especially to schools. What stands out most to me is the way he shares NVC with students. He brings it to children and adolescents with such fun, playfulness, and creativity that I truly admire. I’ve seen some of his workshops, and my jaw has dropped at the way he presents NVC concepts and exercises because of the creativity and fun imbued in them. He once shared with me how his honesty and transparency, vulnerably revealing his humanity in a difficult moment with a group of students, served to create a connection with them. I also deeply appreciate his openness to feedback and his capacity to adjust course when he discovers something that can enrich his practice as an NVC trainer and deepen his integration of NVC consciousness. One of the things he shared with me early in his Certification Process was that becoming certified was, for him, a way to honor Marshall Rosenberg’s legacy, something I find truly inspiring. Chavi has also written a book, a kind of memoir, in which he shares how NVC has contributed, or would have contributed before he knew it, to making his life more wonderful, both personally and professionally. I wholeheartedly celebrate that Chavi is now part of the family of certified trainers, and I’m confident that he will continue making a profound contribution to the growth of NVC in the world. **\[ES\]** Me alegra enormemente acompañar a Chavi Nieto en su certificación. Está inscrito conmigo como candidato desde julio de 2023, y ya desde mucho antes ha estado activo como un practicante y formador comprometido con la CNV. Durante tres jornadas de mentoría y asesoramiento (de cuatro días cada una), Chavi también fue apoyado en su proceso con retroalimentación de 360 grados por parte de los miembros de mi equipo, [Constanza](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/constanza-echevarria-arevalo) y [Marianne](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/marianne-sikor), así como por algunos formadores certificados de España y por nuestra comunidad de candidatos. Estas son algunas de las cosas que admiro y celebro en Chavi: su pasión por la CNV, su creatividad, su compromiso y su disposición a asumir riesgos y seguir aprendiendo. Veo a Chavi como un importante agente de cambio social, llevando la CNV a distintos públicos y, especialmente, a las escuelas. Lo que más me impresiona es la manera en que comparte la CNV con los estudiantes. La lleva a niños y niñas, y a adolescentes con una diversión, una frescura y una creatividad que realmente admiro. He presenciado algunos de sus talleres y me he quedado asombrado al ver la forma en que presenta los conceptos y ejercicios de la CNV, por la creatividad y el disfrute que transmite. Una vez compartió conmigo cómo su honestidad y transparencia revelando vulnerablemente su humanidad en un momento difícil con un grupo de estudiantes sirvió para crear conexión con los alumnos. También aprecio profundamente su apertura a la retroalimentación y su capacidad para ajustar el rumbo cuando descubre algo que puede enriquecer su práctica como formador de CNV y profundizar en su integración de la consciencia de la CNV. Una de las cosas que me compartió al inicio de su proceso de certificación fue que, para él, obtener la certificación era una manera de honrar el legado de Marshall Rosenberg, algo que me resulta verdaderamente inspirador. Chavi también ha escrito un libro, una especie de memorias, en el que comparte cómo la CNV ha contribuido, o habría contribuido antes de conocerla, a hacer su vida más plena y maravillosa, tanto en el ámbito personal como en el profesional. Celebro de todo corazón que Chavi forme ahora parte de la familia de formadores certificados y confío en que seguirá haciendo una contribución profunda al crecimiento de la CNV en el mundo. From Chavi: I'm a father of triplets. When they were born, I had a very clear idea: I didn't want to do to them what my parents did to me. With all the respect and gratefulness for what I received from them. I know that they did their best. Ok, so I knew what not to do, but... what do I do? Then, my wife, Martha, attended a course offered by [Pilar de la Torre](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/pilar-de-la-torre), which was the beginning of NVC in my life. I want to do this with my children! I said. Then, I want to do this with Martha! Then, I want to do this with my team! Then, I want to share it with the whole world! That brought me to the Certification Process. During my Certification Process, I have written a book. I'm very proud of scanning my whole life with NVC consciousness. That was a great part of my Certification Process, and, at the same time, it wasn´t the part I enjoyed the most. That part was the community one. I am so grateful for the opportunity to complete this journey in community, thanks to the work and orientation of Gerardo, Marianne, and Constanza, the Assessor team in Spain. [ ![Francina Balagué](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Francina-Balague.jpeg) ](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/francina-balague) ### [Francina Balagué (Spain)](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/francina-balague) ##### FROM THE ASSESSOR, [Gerardo Sánchez](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/gerardo-sanchez-lozano) \[EN\] I joyfully celebrate Francina’s Certification. She registered in the Certification Process in March 2022. During three mentoring and assessment events (four days each), she was also supported in her process with 360-degree feedback from my team members, [Constanza](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/constanza-echevarria-arevalo) and [Marianne](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/marianne-sikor), as well as from several Certified Trainers in Spain and from our community of candidates. In the years I’ve known her, and since she began her Certification Process, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing her growth not only as a Nonviolent Communication (NVC) trainer but also as a person. I admire the openness with which she has received feedback and the way she has integrated it, resulting in tangible growth. As a trainer, I see her as strong and deeply rooted in NVC principles, with the ability to infuse her trainings with a unique blend of clarity, gentleness, firmness, and deep coherence with the spirit of NVC. Francina created a role-playing game called Jeco. It’s a game that allows players to engage in role plays, challenging them to take on both “giraffe” and “jackal” roles. It fosters the ability to apply NVC in both real and fictional situations, promoting a flexible and dynamic integration of NVC consciousness and skills. I have accompanied her throughout her certification journey for several years, and I deeply celebrate her evolution, always marked by openness and warmth, as well as her quality as a trainer and ambassador of NVC in Spain. \[ES\] Celebro con mucho entusiasmo la certificación de Francina. Se registró en el proceso de certificación en marzo de 2022. Durante tres jornadas de mentoría y asesoramiento (de cuatro días cada una), también fue apoyada en su proceso con retroalimentación de 360 grados por parte de los miembros de mi equipo, [Constanza](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/constanza-echevarria-arevalo) y [Marianne](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/marianne-sikor), así como por varios formadores certificados en España y por nuestra comunidad de candidatos. En los años que la conozco, y desde que inició su proceso de certificación, he tenido el privilegio de verla crecer no solo como formadora de CNV, sino también como persona. Admiro la apertura con la que ha recibido la retroalimentación y la manera en que la ha integrado, dando lugar a un crecimiento palpable. Como formadora, la percibo fuerte y bien arraigada en los principios de la CNV, con la capacidad de impregnar sus formaciones de una mezcla de claridad, dulzura, firmeza y profunda coherencia con el espíritu de la CNV. Francina creó un juego para hacer juegos de rol, Jeco. Es un juego que permite a los “jugadores” hacer juegos de rol retándolos a interpretar roles tanto de jirafa como de chacal fomentando la habilidad de aplicar la CNV en situaciones tanto reales como ficticias para fomentar la integración de la CNV de manera ágil y flexible, tanto en la consciencia como a nivel destrezas. La he acompañado en su proceso de certificación durante varios años, y celebro enormemente su evolución, siempre acompañada de apertura y calidez, así como su calidad como formadora y embajadora de la CNV en España. From Francina: **\[EN\]** I discovered Nonviolent Communication (NVC) at the age of 30, when I was co-creating a community project in the Pyrenees. At that moment, I felt that I had finally found support—a guide to help me live in alignment with my values. I finally found meaning for this love of humanity that I had felt since I was a child! The first book I was given was *“Don’t Be Nice, Be Real”*. I couldn’t stop reading it, taking notes, and constantly questioning myself. I made several copies of the lists of Feelings and Needs and carried them with me everywhere… There are still people who remember me as “the girl with the lists.” Since then, I have lived with a commitment to change, to growth, and to sharing the spirit and tools of NVC with anyone who wants them. And today, with Certification, I see this commitment renewed and stronger than ever. It took me years to decide to begin the process because I didn’t have the time or financial energy to do it. And once I was enrolled, there were several moments when I was afraid I wouldn’t have the energy to complete the Packet. Self-demands and self-criticism arose, and I felt overwhelmed. In those moments, the support of my Assessor, my mentor, and my peer groups was essential to help me reconnect with the reason I wanted to become certified and to find a way to enjoy the Process while caring for the needs that were asking to be seen. Looking back, I see so much nourishment, learning, both individually and shared. I am not the same Francina—neither as a person nor as a trainer—and I feel proud and happy with this evolution. After years of learning in a self-taught way and sharing NVC on my own, the Certification Process has given me Community. It has nourished me with other trainers and allowed me to learn from and with them. It has pushed me toward interdependence, empowered me to show myself, and has also been a humbling experience—recognizing and showing myself as an “imperfect” trainer, daring to receive feedback, and experiencing vulnerability as something genuine and powerful… I feel so grateful and fortunate! It has taken me out of many of my comfort zones, which I love, and it has given me a deep sense of belonging grounded in authenticity. Every day, several times, I give thanks to Marshall and to the NVC community (including myself) for the awareness and the tools I have to navigate whatever arises. NVC is part of me, and I am part of it. It is present in how I accompany my children, in my relationship with my partner, in my work as a trainer in companies and schools, and in how I relate to every being. And when I notice that I lose connection, it is always there again to help restore and recover it. I look back and see a path full of learning, and I look forward and continue to see a path full of learning. For me, certification is not the end—it is a stage on a journey that I want to keep walking. **\[ES\]** Conocí la CNV a los 30 años, cuando estaba co-creando un proyecto de comunidad en el Pirineo y en alquel momento, pensé que, por fin, había encontrado un apoyo, una guía para vivir acorde con mis valores, por fin encontraba un sentido a este amor por la humanidad que desde pequeña he sentido!. El primer libro que me regalaron fue: "Deja de ser amable, sé auténtico", no podía dejar de leerlo, tomar apuntes y questionarme constantemente, hice varias copias de los listados de Sentimientos y Necesidades y los llevaba conmigo a todas partes. Aún hay persobnas que me recuerdan como "la chica de las listas". Desde entonces, vivo con el compromiso de cambio, de evolución y de compartir con quién quiera el espíritu y las herramientas de la CNV. Y hoy, con la Certificación, veo este compromiso renovado y más fuerte que nunca. He tardado años en decidirme a iniciar el proceso porque no tenía la energía temporal y económica para hacerlo y una vez inscrita, en varios momentos he tenido miedo a no poder tener la energía para asumir el Paquete, me han salido autoexigencias y autocríticas y me he sentido abrumada. En momentos así, el apoyo de mi asesor, de mi mentora y de los grupos de pares, ha sido fundamental para volver a conectar con el motivo que me llevó a querer certificarme y a encontrar la manera de disfrutar del Proceso cuidando de las necesidades que pedían ser vistas. Mirando atrás, veo mucha nutrición y aprendizaje individual y compartido. No soy la misma Francina ni como persona ni como formadora y me siento orgullosa y feliz con esta evolución. Después de años de ir aprendiendo de manera autodidacta y compartiendo la CNV en solitario, el proceso de certificación me ha regalado la Comunidad, el nutrirme de otrxs formadores y aprender de y con ellxs, me ha empujado a la interdependencia, a empoderarme y mostrarme y también ha sido una cura de humildad, reconocerme y mostrarme como formadora "imperfecta", atreverme a recibir feedbacks y vivir la vulnerabilidad como algo genuïno y poderoso...¡Me siento tan agradecida y afortunada! Me ha sacado de muchas de mis zonas de confort, lo cuál me encanta y me ha aportado muchísima pertenencia desde la autenticidad. Cada día doy gracias, varias veces a Marshall y a la comunidad CNV (yo incluída) por la conciencia y las herramientas que tengo para lidiar con lo que va surgiendo. La CNV forma parte de mí y yo de ella. está en el acompañamiento a mis hijxs, en mi relación de pareja, en mi trabajo como formadora en empresas y escuelas, en cómo me relaciono con cada ser. Y cuando me doy cuenta de que pierdo la conexión, vuelve a estar ahí para restaurar y recuperarla. Miro hacia atrás y veo un camino lleno de aprendizajes y miro hacia delante y sigo viendo un camino lleno de aprendizajes. La certificación para mí, no es el final, es una etapa de un camino que quiero seguir recorriendo. [ ![Lise Gallois](http://cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Lise-Gallois.jpeg) ](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/lise-gallois) ### [Lise Gallois (France)](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/lise-gallois) ##### FROM THE ASSESSOR, [Jacinthe Thériault-Fortier](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/jacinthe-theriault-fortier) **\[EN\]** With her friends and colleagues, we highlighted the strengths that Lise can rely on and that she will use in her role as a trainer: - Her natural leadership posture embodying non-violence and protective strength. - Her engagement in conflict with openness, awareness, resilience, and perseverance. - Her desire to develop collective systems in the awareness of needs. - Her openness to receiving uncomfortable feedback. We also explored areas of growth with her as she keeps going on her evolutionary path: - We invited her to respect the rhythm, both her own and that of the other person, especially in situations of discomfort, in order to have time to integrate the triggered activated. - We also invited her to develop her capacity to stay anchored in front of people in positions of authority so she can stay in touch with her power while listening with openness and curiosity. **\[FR\]** C’est avec une grande joie que nous vous annonçons l’arrivée de Lise Gallois dans la grande communauté des formateurs et formatrices certifiées. Nous, ses amis / amies, collègues et sa certificatrice, tenons à souligner les forces sur lesquelles Lise peut s’appuyer et qu’elle mettra à contribution dans son rôle de formatrice: - Sa posture naturelle de meneuse incarnant la non-violence et la force protectrice. - Son engagement dans le conflit avec ouverture, conscience, résilience et persévérance. - Sa volonté de faire évoluer les systèmes collectifs dans la conscience des besoins. - Son ouverture à recevoir des rétroactions inconfortables. Nous avons aussi, avec elle, exploré les zones de croissance dans la poursuite de son chemin d’évolution : - Respecter le rythme, autant le sien que celui de l’autre, surtout dans les situations d’inconforts, pour avoir le temps d’intégrer la charge déclenchée. - Solidifier son ancrage devant des personnes en posture d’autorité pour rester dans son pouvoir avec ouverture et curiosité. ##### From Lise: **\[EN\]** I discovered Nonviolent Communication (NVC) in 2010, and I have never stopped experimenting in my daily life both the richness of each of its components, and at the same time the powerful simplicity of its bases, which I consider as guides every day. In the relationship with myself, with others, and with life. For each of my choices. I also celebrate the infinite discoveries on the path, more or less comfortable ;), notably on aspects of myself, and in my transmission, and I am committed to evolving towards - and radiating around me - more awareness of what is at play intrinsically and in the relationships between humans and living beings. My certification journey was a beautiful support for growth between 2019 and 2025. I celebrate its community dimension, with supportive feedback from fellow travelers with multiple perspectives. I celebrate the enrichment along the way in terms of systemic relationships and the strengthening of my confidence in my power and my freedom of choice. I changed certification paths along the way (French-speaking > international path, with Jacinthe Theriault-Fortîn as certifier). I am committed to further strengthening my openness to other visions while taking responsibility for my choices. \[FR\] J’ai découvert la CNV en 2010, et n’ai de cesse d’expérimenter dans mon quotidien à la fois la richesse de chacune de ses composantes, et en même temps la puissante simplicité de ses bases, que je contacte comme guides chaque jour. Dans la relation à moi-même, aux autres et à la vie. Pour chacun de mes choix. Je célèbre aussi les découvertes infinies sur le chemin, plus ou moins confortables ;), notamment sur des aspects de moi-même, et dans ma transmission, et je suis engagée à évoluer vers - et à rayonner autour de moi - davantage de conscience de ce qui se joue intrinsèquement et dans les relations entre humain-es et êtres vivants. Mon parcours de certification fut un beau support de croissance, entre 2019 et 2025. Je célèbre sa dimension communautaire, avec des retours soutenants de compagnon-nes de route aux multiples perspectives. Je célèbre l’enrichissement en chemin en matière de sensibilité aux relations systémiques, et le renforcement de ma confiance dans mon pouvoir et ma liberté de choix, J’ai changé de parcours de certification en cours de route (francophone > international, avec Jacinthe Theriault-Fortîn comme certificatrice). Je m’engage à renforcer encore mon ouverture à d’autres visions tout en assumant mes choix. [ ![Peter-Xavier Claes ](http://cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Peter-Claes.jpeg) ](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/peter-claes) ### [Peter-Xavier Claes (Belgium)](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/peter-claes) ##### FROM THE ASSESSOR, [Thera Balvers](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/thera-balvers) Peter has done his final assessment in October 2025 in the Netherlands. Peter has a background is in consultancy. He has a lot of experiences within organisations. I met Peter 5 years ago, participating in my year course. I remember him struggling with life and how to find peace inside himself and around him. Now 5 years later I’m so touched by his development and capacities to grow. His dedication, resilience and persistency to be capable to face his deep pain and to transform this into gentleness and tenderness towards himself as towards others. He has a lot of awarenes and owns his challenges fully. Peter wants to develop his empathy skills more and more. As to focus more on his met needs and to embrace these fully. I experience Peter having gentle power, humour and creativity. He’s amazing in how he easily can connect with the wisdom of his body and is open to share his processes in which he inspire others. I’m in full trust that he will contibute a lot to the world, just by being him! Peter brought me, with his development even more hope and trust that with Nonvioletn Communication (NVC) we can make the world a bit more beautifull! I look back on our certification journey with huge gratitude! From Peter: When I first encountered Nonviolent Communication in 2017, during a workshop at work, I thought it was mainly a communication method. Today I know it is much more than that — it is a way of being present, in connection with myself and with others. In my work as a consultant and trainer, I accompany organizational change processes. Along the way, I often meet resistance, tension, and unspoken emotions. NVC has taught me to look beyond behavior and see what is truly alive — the feelings and needs that drive every human being. That shift, from judgment to understanding and from defense to connection, has profoundly deepened my impact. Through NVC, I have learned to become softer and more effective at the same time. Softer, because I can now listen with gentleness — especially to what is difficult: anger, guilt, and shame. More effective, because I can bring clarity and ownership into dialogue while staying free — naming what I observe, what I feel, what I need, and what I request, without pressure or blame. This creates trust and opens doors that were once closed… especially when the other person joins the dance. As a trainer, I am continually moved by how powerful it is when people discover that conflict doesn’t have to be a fight, but can be an invitation to connection. For me, NVC has become a compass that helps me guide change with awareness, authenticity, and respect. My certification feels like a milestone — a moment to honor consistency, presence, and growth on this lifelong journey. I feel deep gratitude for what NVC continues to bring into my life, and I look forward to learning, sharing, and contributing to a world where empathy, integrity, and authentic connection can flourish. [ ![Annick Nölle](http://cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Nienke-Vierstra.jpeg) ](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/nienke-vierstra) ### [Nienke Vierstra (Netherlands)](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/nienke-vierstra) ##### from the assessor, [Shona Cameron](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/shona-cameron) Nienke brings with her a wealth of experience of working and training around the world, most recently in Uganda. She builds bridges wherever she goes and is committed to sharing where she can make a difference. Her presentation of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) was powerful and yet captured the simplicity of connection. I loved seeing her confidence grow and grow, also her joy at developing new friendships and community. She has deeply impressed me with her commitment to herself, to growth, and to learning. I've enjoyed a sense of deep trust in our relationship and how she has approached our collaboration towards the final assessment. She has taken on board feedback and taken it in as a gift and walked her talk as she has reflected and taken time to integrate. from Nienke: My journey with Nonviolent Communication began with a curiosity about its potential for social change. Working in the field of Peace and Reconciliation, I was drawn to NVC as a practical tool for transforming communities affected by violence. What I did not anticipate was how personal the journey would become. While I initially sought to support others, I soon discovered that NVC was also transforming me from within, offering a language and consciousness that responded to unmet needs from my own upbringing. Through learning to connect with my feelings and needs, I began to heal, and this inner transformation became the foundation for how I now share NVC with others. Over time, I came to understand that social change begins within ourselves and in our closest relationships. I am committed to embodying NVC in my family life, raising my children in a paradigm of “power with,” fostering empathy, and modelling (self) connection. This personal commitment runs parallel to my work in Uganda, where I have co-created a learning community with local leaders who are now sharing NVC within their own contexts, and to my work in the Netherlands, where I share NVC in school environments with teachers and students. The Certification Process has provided me with the structure, mentorship, and reflective space to deepen both my understanding and embodiment of NVC. Becoming a CNVC Certified Trainer represents, for me, a conscious commitment to preserving the integrity of Marshall Rosenberg’s work while joining a global community of practitioners dedicated to living and sharing NVC. [ ![gordana-stankovic](http://cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Gordana-Stankovic.jpeg) ](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/gordana-stankovic) ### [Gordana Stankovic (Spain)](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/gordana-stankovic) ##### from the Assessor, [Gina Lawrie](https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/gina-lawrie) Gordana is from Croatia and is still very much connected to her roots in the former Yugoslavia, whilst building community in her new home in Spain, she will continue her many international connections as a Certified Trainer. One area she especially wants to share is around grief, loss, and Nonviolent Communication (NVC), drawing on her own recent experiences. It has touched me deeply to see her ability to stay with grief and always come back to connecting to herself. I have really enjoyed discovering Gordana's passion for NVC, for Marshall, with whom she studied directly, and for the integrity of his teaching. Although she was already very experienced with NVC, once she decided to step on the Certification Process, she threw herself into all the learning and application with commitment and energy and attended a number of events with our Assessor Team. She also formed a strong bond with several others on the path who have supported each other along the path for several years now - this I really celebrate. I have no doubt she will be continuing her development in many ways as part of our CT community, and I trust her capacity to walk toward any differences as they arise. from Gordana: My Nonviolent Communication journey started some 20 years ago, and the turning point in it for me was my participation in the IIT in Albuquerque in 2009, where Marshall Rosenberg was the lead trainer. At this IIT, I met my partner, Jerry, and from that point on, our lives became what I jokingly refer to as a continuous, day-in, day-out, NVC practice group. For us, NVC became a path to conscious, intentional living. In 2022, I decided to start the Certification Process as a strategy to widen this conscious, intentional living from my relationship with Jerry to most of my relationships and to expand from applying NVC in my 1:1 coaching practice to doing more trainings, including trainings in the countries of the former Yugoslavia, where I originally come from. Six months into my certification journey, Jerry died suddenly, and my conscious, intentional living turned into conscious, intentional grieving. Grief has deeply affected and coloured my Certification Process. Grief required me to meet life in me exactly where it was in every moment (some days just breathing through deep pain of loss) and by doing so I found that in the process I was embodying the NVC consciousness by developing sharp clarity (my No's and Yes's are very clear now) and with that came deep inner compassion both for myself and other people, and this in turn empowered me to fully live life from authenticity and with conscious intention(s). As I was finishing my certification portfolio I became aware of how my journey of NVC (from the very moment I’ve been introduced to it while I was searching for the peaceful ways of living in the aftermath of the war in my home country and town, via loss of my Mom in 2009 a few month before attending the IIT, to Jerry's sudden death in 2023) has been with my journey of grief and how every time it led me to new level of love either in relationships or within. And of course, "life reaches for life" continuously; therefore, the journey of NVC and growth continues. [](#)