--- title: "Leon Van Mook - Center for Nonviolent Communication" description: "Leon Van Mook" url: "https://www.cnvc.org/trainers/leon-van-mook" date: "2026-10-08T21:00:34+00:00" language: "en-US" --- ![Leon Van Mook Portrait](https://www.cnvc.org/images/portraits/certified-trainers/Leon-van-Mook.jpeg) # Leon Van Mook # Certified Trainer since 2026 Speaks English, Dutch Current Country: Netherlands Country of Origin: Netherlands The Sound of Connection As a music teacher, I include a musical and non-verbal element in my training sessions. Music is a direct gateway to the unconscious. Sometimes we sing a song to let our own voices be heard and to listen to the voices in the group. Sometimes we do a non-verbal exercise with musical instruments, a dance, or a listening exercise. In those moments, the noise of ‘wanting to be right’ immediately falls away. A space emerges in which we observe without judgment, sense what is needed, and respond immediately through our presence. For me, that is the synergy between Non-Violent Communication and music: we learn to listen to the undertones, we stay out of the realm of ‘right and wrong’, and we connect heart to heart. When we communicate, we often focus on the literal content. Psychologist Albert Mehrabian explained, with his 7-38-55 rule, that our communication is like an iceberg, the vast majority of which lies below the waterline, in the unconscious. He states that communication consists of 55 percent body language (specifically facial expressions), 38 percent intonation and voice use (volume, pitch, stress), and 7 percent spoken words. The fascinating thing is that we often fixate on that seven percent, whilst real life takes place in the unconscious. As Tjeu van den Berk aptly describes, the unconscious is where life is truly lived. Realizing this has also radically changed my life. For me, Nonviolent Communication has become a way of life and an art of living. It requires a growing awareness, an inner attitude of meeting the other person on an equal footing, with deep respect and genuine curiosity. That sounds simple, but reality often proves more challenging. I grew up in an era when conversations were used to prove one’s point. By truly living Nonviolent Communication, it became painfully yet beautifully clear to me: connection with another person is so much more valuable to me than being right. That connection requires truly listening, understanding, asking open questions, and seeking deeper insight: what is really going on inside the other person? At the same time, this journey taught me to look at myself in a mirror. What wishes, desires, and needs exist in my own inner world? That journey of discovery yielded answers that were very different from what I’d imagined beforehand. Beneath the surface, deep, universal needs turned out to be at play: safety, belonging, self-love, self-confidence, appreciation, love, and connection. I was deeply moved to discover this, and I also realize that I can and want to help others discover their own needs. Because meeting each other’s needs creates connection. Share this page: - [](mailto:?body=Hi%20check%20out%20this%20trainer%21&subject=Check%20out%20this%20Certified%20Trainer%20with%20the%20Center%20for%20Nonviolent%20Communication%21) - [](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnvc.org%2Ftrainers%2Fleon-van-mook "Share on Facebook") - [](https://api.whatsapp.com/send?text=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnvc.org%2Ftrainers%2Fleon-van-mook "Share on Whatsapp") - [](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnvc.org%2Ftrainers%2Fleon-van-mook&text= "Share on Twitter") - [](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnvc.org%2Ftrainers%2Fleon-van-mook "Share on Linkedin") - [](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnvc.org%2Ftrainers%2Fleon-van-mook "share on Pinterest") ### TRAINING FOCUS: - Counseling & Coaching - General - Social Change [ Trainer's Website ](https://www.communicerenopmaat.nl/) # Contact Leon Van Mook First name \* Last name \* Email Address \* Country \* China Your Message \* Turnstile \* ![](https://www.cnvc.org/templates/yootheme/assets/images/consent_placeholder_map.svg) ![](https://www.cnvc.org/templates/yootheme/assets/images/consent_icon_openstreetmap.svg)OpenStreetMap service required to load this map. ![](https://www.cnvc.org/templates/yootheme/assets/images/consent_icon_openstreetmap.svg)OpenStreetMap service required to load this map.