Embracing Longing

These workshops offer an introduction to basics of NVC.

We will cover the theory and apply it to examples from our own lives to bring it to life.

Participants are requested to have read Marshall Rosenberg’s book ”Nonviolent Communication”.

I teach in an experiential way, and try and bring the essential elements of NVC alive in a felt way for participants. I seek also to model the NVC process in how I interact with participants. This means that rather than “leading from the front” I seek to foster a learning environment that is full of listening and awareness, where we can all learn from what is arising in the present moment.

I emphasise NVC as a way of living, a new and highly beneficial way of seeing the world. The work begins inside, with a personal grasp of the basic concepts and an ability to “self empathise”. As NVC begins to function inside us then we can begin to use it in our communication. But without that inner work, our new NVC language can sound a bit fake, forced. I do my best to steer people away from that, and to build up the consciousness first.

This work has untold benefits. It can truly transform how we experience life. But nothing of real worth matures in a weekend. However, NVC is such a felt experience, that to fully grasp it one needs to be amongst people who are living it together. That is the experience I hope that we can all generate together in this weekend – a new way of relating, that is just the first step towards a more open-hearted, honest and courageous way of being in the world.

See calendar right for details of my next Intro Weekend.

Quotes from recent participants on Intro Weekends:

Leo is an inspirational teacher, mixing precise and detailed instruction with an open, loving approach. NVC training with Leo is so much more than just learning communication techniques – his approach facilitates a profound self enquiry that creates deep and permanent transformation both in the way we relate to ourselves and also to others. I was deeply touched by the way Leo exemplified the work through his very being, throughout the whole introductory weekend, and was so impressed by how thoroughly he has integrated this work into his life.

Rebecca Brain

I wanted to email you on Monday, but I think I’d have used too many expletives! Your introduction to how we can relate what we and others feel to our basic human needs really hit home to me. It has completely changed the way I hear everything people say. This is both very disconcerting and utterly wonderful at the same time. Thank you so, so much!

This last weekend I helped a panicking girlfriend work through her reaction to an apparently minor thing her brand new fella did – going out with his mates on a Friday night without taking his mobile phone with him. We discarded her snap judgements to get to a clear observation of the facts, then we got to how she was feeling about this. Then after a while, we worked out her inner needs which were driving her feelings. Then she just stared at me wide eyed and said “Wow!”. This completely changed her view of the matter and how she spoke to him about it subsequently. Truly fantastic!

Dr. Helen Davis