FROM THE ASSESSOR, Stephanie Bachmann Mattei

[EN] With great joy and gratitude, I am pleased to introduce Karla as a newly Certified Trainer in Mexico. Karla and I met in 2023, and since then, we have walked this path together. Coming from the corporate world and fluent in several languages, Karla brings a wealth of experience and perspective to her work.

Karla identifies as being on the autism spectrum and has beautifully embraced her neurodivergence as a source of strength and insight. I deeply respect the perseverance and courage it has taken her to learn and integrate Nonviolent Communication (NVC), especially within a trainer community that is still growing in its awareness of how the four components and the three core practices can be experienced from different neurodivergent perspectives.

Karla now supports other neurodivergent people in learning and integrating Nonviolent Communication in ways that foster genuine understanding and meaning for them. Her work with NVC has been a revelation for me and for the candidates and trainers with whom she has shared her experience and approach. Karla also loves working with families that include neurodivergent members, offering empathy-based support and practical NVC tools to strengthen connection and understanding with oneself and with others. Karla has written a document on NVC and Neurodivergence, which she is happy to share with you.

I see her work as a powerful and tangible expression of how NVC can contribute to the social change we all aspire to, by honoring the diversity of human experience and creating access and connection for people whose brains function differently from what is often referred to as “neurotypical.” I celebrate Karla’s dedication and the depth of her contribution—a specific contribution that I myself could not offer to the world.

[IT] Con gran alegría y agradecimiento, me complace presentar a Karla como nueva formadora certificada en México. Karla y yo nos conocimos en 2023 y desde entonces hemos recorrido este camino juntas. Procedente del mundo empresarial y con varios idiomas en su haber, Karla aporta una gran experiencia y perspectiva a su trabajo.

Karla se identifica como parte del espectro autista y ha aceptado maravillosamente su neurodivergencia como una fuente de fortaleza y perspicaz. Respeto profundamente la perseverancia y el coraje que le ha llevado aprender e integrar la CNV, especialmente dentro de una comunidad de formadores que aún está creciendo en su conciencia de cómo los cuatro componentes y las tres prácticas básicas pueden experimentarse desde diferentes perspectivas neurodivergentes.

Karla ahora apoya a otras personas neurodivergentes en el aprendizaje y la integración de la Comunicación NoViolenta de manera que fomente una comprensión y un significado genuinos para ellas. Su trabajo con la CNV ha sido una revelación para mí y para los candidatos y formadores con los que ha compartido su experiencia y su enfoque. A Karla también le encanta trabajar con familias que tienen miembros neurodivergentes, ofreciendo apoyo basado en la empatía y herramientas prácticas de CNV para fortalecer la conexión y la comprensión con uno mismo y con los demás. Karla ha escrito un documento sobre la CNV y la Neurodivergencia, que está encantada de compartir con ustedes.

Considero que su trabajo es una expresión poderosa y tangible de cómo la CNV puede contribuir al cambio social al que todos aspiramos, honrando la diversidad de la experiencia humana y creando acceso y conexión para las personas cuyos cerebros funcionan de manera diferente a lo que a menudo se denomina «neurotípico». Celebro la dedicación de Karla y la profundidad de su contribución, una contribución específica que yo no podría ofrecer al mundo.

From Karla:

[EN] I learned about Nonviolent Communication (NVC) in 2014, thanks to Antonio Kuri, when I was searching for meaning in life within an environment that promoted competition and the mindset of separation at a very high cost; the lives of some people. For me, learning NVC meant having a communication tool that helped me give clear structure and meaning to interpersonal interactions as a woman on the autistic spectrum.

After a decade of bringing NVC to work environments, I decided to begin the Certification Process, and I was fortunate to have Stephanie Bachmann Mattei as my Assessor. In her, I found the support I needed to go deeper into NVC, beyond the process of connecting with others; I began a process of self-connection and transformation that has been as intense as it has been liberating.

The work of Susan Skye and Sarah Peyton has been a guide and inspiration for me to explore the nuances of NVC with compassion, make adaptations that align with my autistic needs, and find strategies that see and care for neurodivergents, too. I made a document about this for my certification portfolio that I would love to share. You can contact me here or through my website.

I am fortunate to belong to the NVC community in Mexico, and during the Certification Process, I also found great support in other people within NVC around the world who have encouraged me to give voice and visibility to a group of people who sometimes cannot even find a safe space within NVC to express themselves from their most authentic selves.

My greatest hope as a Certified Trainer is that my efforts will help create safe spaces of understanding and connection so that in the future, all people, neurodivergent or neurotypical, their families, and their communities will find safe spaces where everyone's needs matter. I dream of a solarpunk world, in community, full of diversity and sustainability!

[ES] Conocí la CNV en el 2014 gracias a Antonio Kuri cuando yo buscaba sentido a la vida dentro de un entorno que promovía la competencia y la mentalidad de separación a un muy alto costo: el de la vida de algunas personas. Para mi, aprender CNV fue tener una herramienta de comunicación que me ayudó a poder darle una estructura clara y sentido a las interacciones interpersonales siendo una mujer autista diagnosticada de adulta.

Después de una década llevando la CNV a ambientes laborales, decidí iniciar el proceso de certificación y tuve la fortuna de tener a Stephanie Bachmann Mattei como asesora. Encontré en ella el acompañamiento para profundizar en la CNV más allá de un proceso de conexión con el otro y empecé un proceso de autoconexión y transformación que ha sido tan intenso como liberador.

El trabajo de Susan Skye y de Sarah Payton me ha servido de guía e inspiración para explorar con compasión matices de la CNV y poder hacer adaptaciones que se alineen con mis necesidades autistas y encontrar estrategias que vean y cuiden también a los neurodivergentes. Hice un documento sobre esto para mi portafolio que me encantaría compartir. Pueden contactarme por aqui o en mi pagina web.

Tengo la fortuna de pertenecer a la comunidad de CNV de Mexico y en el proceso de certificación también encontré un gran apoyo en otras personas dentro de la CNV en todo el mundo que me han impulsado a dar voz y visibilidad a un grupo de personas que a veces ni en la CNV encuentran un espacio seguro para expresarse desde lo mas auténtico de su ser.

Mi gran esperanza como entrenadora certificada es que mis esfuerzos ayuden a crear espacios seguros, de comprensión y conexión para que en un futuro todas las personas, neurodivergentes o neurotipicos, sus familias y sus entornos encuentren espacios donde las necesidades de todos importan. Sueño con un un mundo solarpunk, en comunidad, llena de diversidad en sostenibilidad!

FROM THE ASSESSOR, Ian Peatey

Octavia is active in sharing Nonviolent Communication (NVC) in Bucharest, Romania. On the certification path, she has been persistent and dedicated, overcoming several setbacks. I'm delighted she is joining the NVC community of trainers. She has a talent for drawing and has brought her original designs to her work, including a set of need cards.

From Octavia Adriana:

I understood the power of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) only when I participated in a workshop led by Ian Peatey, named ER (extraordinary relationship) . I had already read the book, but the empathy exercises had a deep impact on me as I decided to start sharing NVC. I realized that this is my way I can contribute to the world, starting with my own friend circles and trusting the effect will ripple outward.

My Certification Process brought me significant growth and learning. As I worked through all of the key differentiators and saw how they are integrated and changed my life. The journal entries also deepened my understanding and confidence as I discovered my evolution through the years and how my inner dialogue improved as a result of repeated self-empathy processes. I am grateful that I started this journey and had the resilience, tenacity, and patience to complete it.

FROM THE ASSESSOR, Gina Lawrie

I have really enjoyed accompanying Anca on her certification journey. There was no way of predicting how life would challenge her along the way, with grieving some huge losses very close to each other. Anca has shown resilience, leaned into her journaling practice, and grown a lot during this time. I celebrate her self-connection and willingness to go to places where there is pain for herself and others, as well as her groundedness alongside vulnerability.

She is passionate about applying Nonviolent Communication (NVC) in her family and sharing it through her work in parenting coaching and training. I see this as a powerful strategy for social change that interrupts old patterns being passed on to the next generation. Anca is part of the NVC community in Romania and hopes to have more time to contribute as a certified trainer in addition to continuing international connections. She is committed to her ongoing learning. 

From Anca:

My journey with Nonviolent Communication (NVC) began as a personal search for more clarity and connection in my couple’s relationship and ended up being so much more, including a key pillar and lighthouse in my work with both parents and teachers. Over time, NVC became far more than a communication framework - it became a way of living, a daily practice of self-awareness, empathy, and responsibility for my inner world. Most importantly, it offered me a map to understand myself better and then other people through the lens of needs.

As I deepened my learning, I began to notice subtle yet profound shifts: greater curiosity and safety around anger, more grounding in moments where I once reacted, and a growing willingness to take responsibility for my own needs rather than expecting others to meet them. NVC slowly rewired how I relate—to myself, to my loved ones, people around me and to my work. The Certification Process brought all these learnings into sharper focus. It was both demanding and deeply transformative. Unlike any exam or evaluation I had ever experienced, it invited vulnerability rather than performance. I was not asked to prove myself, but to reveal myself, to show how I embody NVC, not just how well I understand it.

Throughout this journey, I felt immense support. Both my assessor and my NVC coach offered not only guidance but genuine presence. Their reflections and questions helped me see blind spots, integrate new perspectives, and trust my own process. The people who joined me during the assessment event added another layer of strength; for the first time in an examination setting, I felt the palpable power of community. Their support touched me deeply and reminded me why NVC matters so much: we grow in connection, not in isolation.

Even though the exam felt profound and challenging, especially in terms of vulnerability, I sensed that I approached it from a different energy than any previous evaluations in my life. Instead of striving to excel or prove myself, I experienced it as a celebration of learning. Overall, my NVC journey has been one of expansion, courage, and getting to know myself better. The certification process became not an ending, but a meaningful milestone in what I hope and believe to be a lifelong practice of compassion and conscious communication.

FROM THE ASSESSOR, Cate Crombie

It has been my pleasure to work alongside the team of 5 Certified Trainers, with two of them being Assessor-in-Training (AIT) in Aotearoa (New Zealand). We came together for the community-based final assessment process for Anna Banaś and Jorinde Rapsey on Friday, 22-Aug-2025. We agreed with Anna and Jorinde’s self-evaluation that they were ready for a recommendation for certification. Here are the voices of each of their New Zealand colleagues who were present.

• Anna Groves - Assessor-in-Training (AIT): Anna’s deep commitment to social change and her work with families has inspired me. I value the way she weaves cultures as a Polish woman in Aotearoa New Zealand, bridging academic and home worlds with openness and clarity. I am delighted she has chosen this path.

• Deb Hipperson - Assessor-in-Training (AIT): I am still sitting with my experience of Anna at her final assessment. Her words, “I am sitting at the edge of my seat”, meaning "I am turning up to this event, challenging myself, ensuring this is meaningful for me, and I welcome community feedback as I value learning and growing together.” I am so grateful that Anna will be joining our Certified Trainer Community in Aotearoa.

• Cécile Auffray-Baude – Certified Trainer: “Since Anna took on the role of Secretary of the Aotearoa New Zealand NVC Trust, I have deeply appreciated the quality of our collaboration as a fellow board member. I experience great clarity, harmony, integrity, and trust in working together. Welcoming Ania into the Certified Trainer community fills me with both joy and hope, especially with regard to her actions towards social change.”

• Valerie Wycoff - Certified Trainer: Anna's skilled facilitation of her "Parenting and Anger" course inspired and impressed me. And visiting her home and meeting her family of 3 children did equally. I see her living authentically from a space of compassion and welcome. I have valued Ania's empathy in coaching me and celebrate her new status as a Certified Trainer.

• Jim Lovell-Smith - Certified Trainer: I'm inspired by Anna's commitment to community - in her day-to-day life, and within the NZ NVC community. She brings many skills with her from her research, her teaching, and her family life, and more recently, through her embrace of Needs-Based Coaching.

From Anna:

My journey with Nonviolent Communication (NVC) started 13 years ago and has first and foremost been a path of self-discovery and a way of understanding myself in the world. It then also became a way of being that has supported me in my family, in being the mother and partner I was longing to be, and supported my family as well. Eight years ago, I started on the certification path, which allowed me to get clearer about the place NVC holds in my life, and how it shapes my showing up in the world.

I have enjoyed being able to offer trainings and workshops, as it allows me to learn alongside others while facilitating their learning - I find it hugely valuable. I have valued in particular support from the other trainers in my certification pod, who walked alongside me, and my local trainers who supported different parts of the process in a number of ways - this contributed to my sense of belonging, community and care, that is relevant to me and to our local community. The Certification Process also allowed me to discover my learning edges, and the final certification was an expression of learning in community, where other trainers from New Zealand participated, and we walked through it together.

FROM THE ASSESSOR, Cate Crombie

On Friday, 22-Aug-2025, it was my pleasure to work alongside the team of 5 Certified Trainers, two of whom were Assessors-in-Training (AITs) in Aotearoa (New Zealand). We came together for the community-based assessment process for Anna Banaś and Jorinde Rapsey. Here are the voices of each of their New Zealand colleagues who were present for the final assessment.

• Anna Groves - Assessor-in-Training (AIT):  I have appreciated Jorinde’s creative and collaborative spirit throughout this past year as an AIT. I celebrate the authenticity and passion for learning she brings to our Nonviolent Communication () community, and I am filled with joy that she has taken this step.

• Deb Hipperson - Assessor-in-Training (AIT): Jorinde shows up with deep presence to herself and to others. Her authenticity and care are two qualities that I really love about Jorinde, and that is exactly how she showed up to her final assessment. I am excited that Jorinde will be joining our Certified Trainer Community in Aotearoa, and I look forward to journeying together.

• Jim Lovell-Smith - Certified Trainer: I'm inspired by Jorinde's passion for learning and growth relating to NVC. I have witnessed her calling to support parents in connecting with their children and, through this, to raise a new generation with access to all that NVC brings. I experience Jorinde to be caring, vulnerable, supportive, collaborative, and deeply empathic.

• Valerie Wycoff - Certified Trainer: Jorinde's warmth, clarity, and skill in facilitating online learning for parents shone through in our collaboration in offering "Connecting with Children" online courses. I am deeply grateful for her empathy, her spaciousness in listening, and her willingness to vulnerably share from her own experience parenting, to empower and inspire.

• Cécile Auffray-Baude – Certified Trainer: Both as a friend and as a former fellow Certification Candidate of Jorinde, I have cherished the peacefulness, the gentle strength, and the authenticity I consistently experience with her. I feel really inspired and hopeful seeing her dedication to supporting parents and families in overcoming challenges and nurturing more conscious new generations

From Jorinde:

My journey with Nonviolent Communication (NVC) began in 2015, during a time when I encountered a challenge in my work and when my husband and I were struggling to communicate while raising a young family. Discovering NVC felt like finding a rope to hold onto in the dark. It offered me tools and a consciousness that helped me understand myself and my loved ones with more clarity and compassion.

Since then, NVC has become a daily practice. My deepest learning has come from real-life moments with my children and partner: the messy, honest places where I choose again and again between old habits and a more connected way of being. NVC has supported me through conflict, grief, and parenting challenges and has continually invited me into growth.

My Certification Process is an extension of this personal journey. I’ve loved the opportunities to learn in community, which have really supported the deepening of my integration. Co-founding Peace Talks in 2022 was part of this natural progression; sharing NVC with parents in a way that feels alive and meaningful to me. I don’t see myself as someone who has “mastered” NVC or parenting, but as someone committed to learning, practicing, and offering NVC in a way that reflects the real, imperfect, beautiful journey I’m on.

I’m very grateful for the support I received throughout my certification journey: from my pod, from my one-on-one dialogues with Cate Crombie, and from the local trainers who supported me, especially in the last year. There are also mournings alive in me about parts of the certification process that I’m still digesting.

FROM THE ASSESSOR, Stephanie Bachmann Mattei

[EN] It is with an open heart that I announce the certification of Denise Nicola. Our first meeting dates back to a course I organized with the Centro Esserci, dedicated to exploring the different dimensions of power. Since then, our shared journey has evolved into a rich and deep path, made up of sincere exchanges, inner inquiry, and ongoing discovery.

From 2022 to today, I have had the joy of witnessing the way Denise approaches her most hidden parts with both gentleness and courage, supported as well by the valuable contribution of Ruud Baanders, who, through his courses in Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and IFS (Internal Family Systems), continues to nourish the growth of Italian communities.

I have seen Denise welcome every experience, even the most challenging ones, as opportunities for growth—an invitation to deeper self-understanding and to the concrete practice of nonviolence. And I have seen her offer her contribution to our community of candidates registered with me and with Ruud with joy and dedication, walking the path with presence, vitality, and authenticity. I am certain that Denise will also find ways to contribute to our international network!

[IT] È a cuore aperto che annuncio la certificazione di Denise Nicola. Il nostro primo incontro risale a un mio corso organizzato con il Centro Esserci, dedicato all’esplorazione delle diverse dimensioni del potere. Da allora, il nostro cammino condiviso si è trasformato in un percorso ricco e profondo, fatto di confronti sinceri, ricerche interiori e continue scoperte.

Dal 2022 ad oggi ho avuto la gioia di assaporare il modo in cui Denise si avvicina con delicatezza e coraggio alle sue parti più nascoste, sostenuta anche dal prezioso contributo di Ruud Baanders, che con i suoi corsi di CNV e IFS (Internal Family Systems) continua ad alimentare la crescita delle comunità italiane. Ho visto Denise accogliere ogni esperienza, anche le più sfidanti, come occasione di crescita, un invito ad una maggiore auto-comprensione e alla pratica concreta della nonviolenza.

E l’ho vista offrire il proprio contributo alla nostra comunità di candidati iscritti con me e con Ruud con gioia e dedizione, camminando con presenza, vitalità e autenticità. Sono certa che Denise trovera' modi di contribuire anche al nostro network internazionale!

From Denise:

[EN] I encountered Nonviolent Communication (NVC) in 2017, at a time in my life marked by a loss that had deeply shaken me and was inviting me to question the meaning of my existence and my relationships. Although I was already a certified coach with long experience in corporate management, the way I accompanied others—and myself—was still strongly oriented toward strategies, performance, and “doing.” I struggled to recognize and honor my deeper needs, and often found it difficult to fully connect with what was moving within me.

NVC entered my life both as a language and as a healing process. Therefore, in 2022, after meeting Stephanie, I chose to enter the certification pathway. Through the group, the empathy I received and offered, the possibility of showing myself as vulnerable, and of asking for help, I began to truly process my grief with acceptance. I discovered that connection does not arise from the effort to be strong or competent, but from the willingness to allow oneself to be met just as one is. This transformed the way I listen, communicate, and relate.

The certification journey became for me a path of deep inner inquiry. Even today, although I am a trainer, I continue to explore whether my ways of communicating are truly natural or whether they respond to old habits learned over time. Every practice, every supervision, and every meeting with my assessor invites me to return to presence, to the truth of the moment, and to the humility of recognizing my limits and transforming them into spaces for learning.

NVC has become the thread that connects my personal and professional life: a living process, in constant evolution, that teaches me every day to choose connection, to honor needs (my own and those of others), and to contribute, step by step, to more authentic and more human relationships.

[IT] Ho incontrato la Comunicazione Nonviolenta nel 2017, in un momento della mia vita attraversato da un lutto che mi aveva profondamente scossa e che mi stava invitando a interrogarmi sul senso della mia esistenza e delle mie relazioni. Pur essendo già una coach certificata e avendo una lunga esperienza nella gestione aziendale, il mio modo di accompagnare e accompagnarmi era ancora fortemente orientato alle strategie, alla performance e al “fare”. Faticavo a riconoscere e onorare i miei bisogni profondi, e spesso non riuscivo a connettermi pienamente con ciò che mi muoveva dentro.

La CNV è entrata nella mia vita come un linguaggio e al tempo stesso come un processo di guarigione. Pertanto nel 2022 dopo aver conosciuto Stephanie sono voluta entrare nel percorso di certificazione. Attraverso il gruppo, l’empatia ricevuta e offerta, la possibilità di mostrarmi vulnerabile e di chiedere aiuto, ho cominciato ad elaborare realmente il lutto con accoglienza. Ho scoperto che la connessione non nasce dallo sforzo di essere forti o competenti, ma dalla disponibilità a lasciarsi incontrare così come si è. Questo ha trasformato il mio modo di ascoltare, di comunicare, di essere in relazione.

Il percorso di certificazione è diventato per me un cammino di ricerca interiore profonda. Anche oggi, pur essendo formatrice, continuo a esplorare se le mie modalità comunicative siano davvero naturali o se rispondano a vecchie abitudini apprese nel tempo. Ogni pratica, ogni supervisione, ogni incontro con la mia assessor mi invita a ritornare alla presenza, alla verità del momento, all’umiltà di riconoscere i miei limiti e trasformarli in spazi di apprendimento.

La CNV è diventata il filo che collega la mia vita personale e professionale: un processo vivo, in continua evoluzione, che mi insegna ogni giorno a scegliere la connessione, a onorare i bisogni (miei e degli altri ) e a contribuire, passo dopo passo, a relazioni più autentiche e più umane.

FROM THE ASSESSOR, Valerie Lanctôt-Bédard

[EN] It is with great celebration that I loudly applaud Anne Farrands' life journey. Indeed, her decision to pull herself together and flourish informs her confident yet delicate approach to leadership when teaching Nonviolent Communication (NVC). Her thirst for learning, her sustained interest, her rigour, her sensitivity, and her openness to feedback (in addition to her previous experience as a trainer) make her a committed, sensitive, and dynamic trainer. I am confident that, thanks to her high level of self-awareness and reflective practice, she will continue to develop personally and professionally, as well as to serve all the individuals and organisations that come to her. In appreciation of the complicity with my co-Assessor, Marcelle Bélanger.

[FR] C’est avec une grande célébration que je salue haut et fort le parcours de vie d’Anne Farrands. En effet, sa décision de se ressaisir et de s’épanouir informe sa façon à la fois d’aplomb et délicate d’assumer son leadership lorsqu’elle transmets la CNV. Sa soif d’apprendre, son intérêt soutenu, sa rigueur, sa sensibilité et sa grande ouverture au feedback (en plus de son expérience antécédente comme formatrice) font d’elle une formatrice engagée, sensible et dynamique. J’ai confiance que grâce à sa grande conscience d’elle et sa pratique réflexive, elle continuera de se développer personnellement et professionnellement, ainsi qu’à servir toutes les personnes et organisations qui s’adresseront à elle. Dans l’appréciation de la complicité avec ma co-certificatrice, Marcelle Bélanger.

From Anne:

[EN] My journey with Nonviolent Communication (NVC) began in 2017, at the heart of a personal storm: my divorce and the breakup of a family with four children. During this period of great vulnerability, I encountered NVC much like finding a life buoy while struggling to keep my head above water. Very quickly, I sensed how profoundly this approach could transform my view of life and connect me deeply to our shared humanity. Three realizations marked my beginnings:

• I have needs.
• My thoughts are not my feelings.
• I am responsible for what I feel.

These foundations triggered a real inner upheaval and opened a path of transformation that made me feel more alive, freer, and more aligned with myself. Little by little, this new way of being began to find its way into my relationships and my environment. I discovered another way of relating—more authentic, more respectful, more nourishing.

Over the years, I found—and helped build—a community of learning, practice, and support. It carried me, inspired me, nourished me… and offered me the opportunity, in turn, to pass this on. Already a communication trainer, my role naturally found continuity in the impulse to share NVC with authenticity. It was through this sharing that NVC took root in my life, beyond my own personal experience.

Certification appeared to me as a natural step: a way to honor what I had received and to pass it on in turn. Today, as an independent trainer, I feel legitimate and well-equipped to continue this transmission. I hold a particular sensitivity for couples and family relationships, through practice workshops, and I also have the opportunity to work within healthcare, educational, psychosocial, and penitentiary settings. It is within these spaces that I wish to continue opening pathways of transformation, both individual and collective.

[FR] Mon chemin avec la Communication NonViolente a commencé en 2017, au cœur d’une tempête personnelle : mon divorce et l’éclatement d’une famille avec quatre enfants. Dans cette période de grande vulnérabilité, j’ai rencontré la CNV un peu comme on trouve une bouée quand on lutte pour garder la tête hors de l’eau. Très vite, j’ai senti combien cette approche pouvait transformer ma vision de la vie et me relier profondément à l’humanité. Trois prises de conscience ont marqué mes débuts :

• J’ai des besoins.
• Mes pensées ne sont pas mes sentiments.
• Je suis responsable de ce que je ressens.

Ces fondations ont provoqué un véritable tremblement intérieur et ouvert un chemin de transformation qui m’a rendue plus vivante, plus libre et plus alignée avec moi-même. Peu à peu, cette nouvelle manière d’être s’est invitée dans mes relations et mon environnement. J’ai découvert une autre façon d’être en lien : plus authentique, plus respectueuse, plus nourrissante.

Au fil des années, j’ai trouvé — et construit — une communauté d’apprentissage, de pratique et de soutien. Elle m’a portée, inspirée, nourrie… et offert l’opportunité, à mon tour, de transmettre. Déjà formatrice en communication, mon rôle a naturellement trouvé sa continuité dans l’élan de partager la CNV avec authenticité. C’est dans ce partage qu’elle s’est enracinée dans ma vie, au-delà de ma propre expérience.

La certification m’est apparue comme une étape naturelle : une manière d’honorer ce que j’ai reçu et de le transmettre à mon tour. Aujourd’hui, comme formatrice indépendante, je me sens légitime et équipée pour poursuivre cette transmission.

Je garde une sensibilité particulière pour les liens de couple et de famille, à travers des ateliers de pratique, et j’ai aussi la chance d’intervenir dans des milieux de la santé, de l’éducation, psychosociaux et pénitentiaires. C’est dans ces espaces que je souhaite continuer à ouvrir des voies de transformation, à la fois individuelles et collectives.

from the assessor, Dionne Verbeet

It's with great joy that I’m announcing the recommendation of Inge as a Certified Trainer. This joy is generated by a whole range of (inter)actions that started with her registration: Inge being my first candidate, and us stepping on this certification path in such a partnership. I’ve seen her bring her very authentic caring self, who has a huge curiosity to explore, learn, and drive to grow, contributing to both herself and others/the bigger picture. She seems to have such a natural focus on community building, and her organisational talents contribute to bringing this into action, which, for me, is of such importance in times where polarisation is lurking.

This is combined with her reflective skills: I’ve experienced great clarity and overview, linked to observations, feelings, and needs, and acknowledging both what works well and coming up with concrete suggestions in order to meet even more needs. In my view, Inge has an enormous energy for collaboration in the broadest sense.

I’ve seen her supporting building the ESEAT candidates community, working very closely with colleagues both internationally and locally, recently stepping in to organise a symposium as part of the Dutch-speaking Nonviolent Communication (NVC) circle. And I’m curious what is yet to come, at least as important within her main workfield: the educational system. I’m very much looking forward to her continuing to bring all this to schools where she is reaching such a wide range of people, also age-wise, from both young ones to teachers and parents.

from inge:

My journey with Nonviolent Communication (NVC) has been, above all, a journey of discovering myself. As I titled my portfolio, it has been a path of travelling awareness, compassion, and self-trust, and even more, a path of self-love. It has been a continuous unfolding of what lives underneath all the strategies I have developed to find my way in life. Learning to listen to myself and to be truly listened to opened the awareness of the life energy that moves through me. From this connection with my own aliveness, I began to experience an even more enriching kind of meeting with others, one that nourishes my needs for connection, equality, mutuality, togetherness, and reciprocity. And what a joy this is for me!

The certification journey itself has been deeply enriching. It has met my longing for learning and growth, and even more, my longing for softness, connection, community, shared humanity, and spirituality. On many moments during the journey, I encountered the inner question of whether I act from my own authenticity or because I think I should. This has been an ongoing reflection, one that keeps bringing me back to groundedness, connection, and trust.

Reflecting on what life brought me during the journey (journaling) deepened my self-awareness and capacity to feel and discover what can be underneath, both with myself and with others. Giving me possibilities to choose strategies instead of making me dependent on strategies that are given.

I feel grateful and warm by the way my Assessor fulfilled my needs for support, being held, and above all, partnership, offering both warmth and depth. Within our collaboration, we used every challenge as a doorway to deepen connection, deeper learning, and growth. Besides this, I met many new people, shared meaningful conversations, collaborated, and co-created experiences that touched me deeply and made me learn and grow.

The final assessment felt like the culmination of this whole journey. I experienced it as intense; everything from the past years seemed to pass before me once more. In the midst of this intensity, I finally found myself able to get connected again, to be present, and to show myself. I really enjoy the gift of having walked this path and to know that it continues.

from the assessor, Stephanie Bachmann Mattei

Paige came to me to pursue certification after already spending a few years deeply engaged in the practice and integration of Nonviolent Communication (NVC). As an advanced practice social worker, public speaker, and consultant, Paige brings a lifelong passion for the healthcare field, where she both applies and teaches NVC. She has delivered hundreds of lectures and webinars to more than 118 organizations on diverse topics, including Trauma-Informed Care, illuminating how NVC can foster awareness, healing, and compassion for people whose experiences have impacted their ability to thrive.

Paige is the co-author of several clinical articles and projects, as well as multiple chapters in the book Managing the Long-Term Care Facility: Practical Approaches to Providing Quality Care. She exemplifies the integration of NVC within complex systems, and her ability to bring this work to others is truly inspiring to me. On a personal level, I have witnessed Paige taking the time to cultivate a deeply embodied integration of NVC. It is a joy to celebrate this milestone in her journey—knowing that the unfolding path of learning and growth continues for both of us. Please join me in warmly welcoming Paige into our network.

from Paige:

I was introduced to Nonviolent Communication (NVC) in the summer of 2020. As a professional social worker, I was part of a grant project based in nursing homes. A colleague and I were discussing a care plan for a woman who lived in a nursing home community. My colleague commented that the care plan was “violent,” and I distinctly recall feeling shocked by her words and asking what she meant. She told me about NVC and sparked something in me that day. I immediately bought Marshall Rosenberg’s book and started learning.

Learning NVC as a communication model and as a way of living has been the most absorbing, challenging, liberating, and humbling experience I’ve ever had. One day, things would make more sense, and then the following day, my world turned upside down, again. Determined, I stayed on the path and continued to study, apply, and eventually integrate NVC principles, skills, and practices. I began noticing my thoughts were changing, my words were coming more easily, and I was shifting from an embodied way of being to an embodied awareness.

A couple of years before I was introduced to NVC, I had started working with national professional organizations on integrating Person-Centered Trauma-Informed (PCTI) care in nursing home settings. PCTI care recognizes the pervasive nature of trauma and integrates principles and practices to promote healing and recovery. PCTI care and NVC align beautifully on values including trust, transparency, safety, choice, collaboration, and culturally responsive care that accounts for historical and gender issues.

In collaboration with Certified Trainer and mentor, Aya Caspi, we discovered that NVC provides strategies to bring PCTI care to life at the bedside and throughout the organization. Making this connection was a turning point for me, and it’s what motivates me to be a catalyst that ignites a change movement in healthcare settings.

Throughout the certification process, I belonged to a special NVC community, a group of people all working toward the same goal. I came to trust that I could ask for help and there were many people willing to support my growth. Although the certification process has ended, I will always be a lifelong learner, working toward a greater level of finesse, sensitivity, integration, and creativity as I deepen my NVC practice and my ability to teach it to others. I am deeply grateful for the teachings of Marshall Rosenberg, Stephanie Bachmann-Mattei, Miki Kashtan, Yvette Erasmus, Mary Mackenzie, Sarah Peyton, Roni Wiener, Lorraine Aguilar, Francois Beausoleil, and especially my mentor, Aya Caspi.

from the Assessor, Marcelle Bélanger

[EN] For eleven years, Maryse has walked with conviction on the path of integrating Nonviolent Communication (NVC). Throughout this journey, she has demonstrated rigor, dedication, and deep commitment. I recognize in her a thorough understanding of the process, as well as a genuine ability to transmit it with clarity, conciseness, and accuracy. Maryse embodies inspiring leadership and radiates authentic benevolence, driven by a true love for humanity. She carries a sincere passion for the work she does. Throughout this entire journey, I had the joy of being accompanied by my co-evaluator, Valérie Lanctôt-Bédard, who is also celebrating Maryse’s certification.

[FR] Je suis heureuse de recommander chaleureusement Maryse Damecour pour rejoindre la communauté des formateurs et formatrices certifié·e·s. Depuis onze ans, elle chemine avec conviction sur la voie de l’intégration de la Communication NonViolente. Tout au long de ce parcours, elle s’est investie avec rigueur, ferveur et un profond engagement.

Je reconnais en elle une connaissance approfondie du processus, ainsi qu’une réelle capacité à le transmettre avec clarté, concision et justesse. Maryse porte un leadership inspirant et rayonne une bienveillance authentique, animée par un véritable amour de l’humain. Elle vibre d’une passion sincère pour ce qu’elle accomplit. Durant tout ce cheminement, j’ai eu la joie d’être accompagnée par ma coévaluatrice, Valérie Lanctôt-Bédard, qui célèbre également la certification de Maryse.

from Maryse:

[EN] The Certification Process felt smooth and natural for me. I am grateful to have co-facilitated with people who were more experienced than I was, which inspired me. In addition, I had the opportunity to facilitate regularly throughout my certification years. I learned through action and by consistently asking for anonymous feedback from participants (using an anonymous online survey). The connections formed with other Nonviolent Communication (NVC) practitioners also contributed to my development—empathy buddying, discussions around key distinctions, and honest conversations. This network enabled me to integrate Nonviolent Communication.

[FR] Le processus de certification a été fluide et naturel pour moi. J'ai de la gratitude d'avoir co animé avec des personnes plus expérimentée que moi, ce qui m'a inspirée. De plus, j'ai eu la chance d'animer régulièrement au cours de mes années de certification. J'ai appris dans l'action et en demandant systématiquement une rétroaction anonyme aux participants (j'utilisais un sondage en ligne anonyme). Les liens créés avec d'autres practicien.nes de CNV a aussi contribué à mon développement. Copinage d'empathie, discussion sur les différenciations clés, discussions honnêtes, etc.. Ce réseau m'a permis d'intégrer la CNV.