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Marshall Rosenberg

Our Founder

"What I want in my life is compassion, a flow between myself and others based on a mutual giving from the heart"

Creator of Nonviolent Communication 

Dr. Marshall B. Rosenberg, Ph.D. (1934-2015) was the founder and Director of Educational Services for the Center for Nonviolent Communication.

Growing up in an inner–city neighborhood in Detroit, Michigan (U.S.), Dr. Rosenberg was confronted daily with various forms of violence. Wanting to explore the causes of violence and what could be done to reduce violence, he chose to study clinical psychology and received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Wisconsin in 1961. In 1966 he was awarded diplomat status in clinical psychology from the American Board of Examiners in Professional Psychology.

Nonviolent Communication training evolved from Dr. Rosenberg’s quest to find a way of rapidly disseminating much-needed peacemaking skills. The Center for Nonviolent Communication emerged out of work he was doing with civil rights activists in the early 1960's. During this period he also mediated between rioting students and college administrators and worked to peacefully desegregate public schools in long-segregated regions.

Since the inception of the Center in 1984, Nonviolent Communication has come to be regarded as a powerful tool for peacefully resolving differences at personal, professional, and political levels. Until his retirement in 2009, Dr. Rosenberg provided Nonviolent Communication training in 60 countries.* He works with such groups as educators, managers, mental health and health care providers, lawyers, military officers, prisoners, police and prison officials, clergy, government officials, and individual families. He has been active in war-torn areas and economically disadvantaged countries, offering Nonviolent Communication training to promote reconciliation and peaceful resolution of differences.

Worldwide reactions have been inspiring. Evaluations indicate that this training vastly strengthens the ability to connect compassionately with oneself and others, as well as to resolve differences peacefully. Reports also indicate that the benefit of the training is not only stable over time, but actually increases.

Dr. Rosenberg has been able to teach individuals to give the training in their own community, work, educational, and political environments, and in their own languages, with the same positive effects.

*Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia, Brazil, Burundi, Canada, Colombia, Congo, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Guyana, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Korea, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Moldavia, New Zealand, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Puerto Rico, Russia, Rwanda, Scotland, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United States, Yugoslavia.

Marshall received the 2006 Bridge of Peace Nonviolence Award

Bibliography

  • Organizational Structure, Rigidity of Training Atmosphere and Intensity of Guilt Feelings

    (1958) Unpublished master's thesis, University of Wisconsin, Madison WI.

  • Situational Structure and Self Evaluation

    (1961) Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Wisconsin, Madison WI.

  • A Coordinated Approach to the Correction of Learning Disabilities in Public School Children

    (1966) In J. Hellmuth (Ed.),Educational Therapy (Vol. 1, pp. 459-468). Seattle WA: Special Child Publications.

  • Diagnostic Teaching

    (1968) Seattle WA: Special Child Publications

  • Application of Behavioral Science Principles at a Community Level.

    (1970) Paper presented at the 78th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association.

  • Community Psychology as Applied by a Clinician

    (1971) Social Change: Ideas and Applications, 1(2), 3-4

  • A Manual for "Responsible" Thinking and Communicating

    (1972a) St. Louis MO: Community Psychological Consultants, Inc.

  • Mutual Education: Toward Autonomy and Interdependence

    (1972b) Seattle WA: Bernie Straub Publishing Co., Inc. and Special Child Publications

  • New Directions in In-Service Education for Teachers

    (1973) n M. B. Rosenberg (Ed.), Educational Therapy (Vol. 3, pp. 367-383). Seattle WA: Bernie Straub Publishing Co., Inc. and Special Child Publications

  • Educational Therapy (Vol. 3)

    (1973) Seattle WA: Bernie Straub Publishing Co., Inc. and Special Child Publications

  • From Now On

    (1976) (A revised edition of A Manual for "Responsible" Thinking and Communicating). St. Louis MO: Community Psychological Consultants, Inc.

  • From Now On: Without Blame or Punishment

    (1977) (A revised edition of A Manual for "Responsible" Thinking and Communicating and From Now On, 1st ed.). St. Louis MO: Community Psychological Consultants, Inc.

  • From Now On: A Model for Nonviolent Persuasion

    (1979) (A revised edition of A Manual for "Responsible" Thinking and Communicating and From Now On, 2nd ed.). St. Louis MO: Community Psychological Consultants, Inc.

  • A Model for Nonviolent Communication

    (1983) Philadelphia PA: New Society Publishers

  • Nonviolent (empathic) communication for health care providers.

    (1998) (with P. Molho) Haemophilia, 4, 335-340

  • Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Compassion

    (1999) (first edition, first printing). Puddledancer Press

  • Speak Peace in a World of Conflict

    (2005) Puddledancer Press

  • Getting Past the Pain Between Us: Healing and Reconciliation Without Compromise

    (2000a) Puddledancer Press.

  • Life-Enriching Education: Nonviolent Communication Helps Schools Improve Performance, Reduce Conflict, and Enhance Relationships

    (2003) Puddledancer Press.

  • Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life (3rd edition)

    (2015) Puddledancer Press

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