Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is a communication technique built on principles of nonviolence used to help us connect authentically with others and ourselves at all times and in any situation, whether pleasant or challenging. NVC extends globally as a communication tool that has been applied in a variety of settings and with diverse people and populations and yet data supporting its efficacy are very limited. Furthermore, NVC may hold important implications for violence prevention, a serious public health problem in the United States.

For Sacred Space, Inc. the long-term outcome of NVC is a world of empathic, nonviolent communicators who share and experience mutually beneficial communication and relationships, positively impacting their own and others’ well-being. This evaluation served as an opportunity to assess the reality of that transformation among NVC practitioners. Thus, the evaluation team and Sacred Space, Inc. developed the evaluation question: “How has NVC impacted participants’ lives?” in order to
contribute to the evidence-base supporting the effectiveness of NVC.

The four evaluation standards of utility, feasibility, propriety, and accuracy guided the planning and process of this evaluation. Revisions were made to the original data collection plan in order to collect sufficient, accurate and meaningful data. In all, there were 11 responses to a web-based survey of participants from a 2007 NVC training weekend, 69 responses from a general survey of people on NVC affiliated listservs, and a focus group with 9 Compassionate Leadership participants. This multifaceted approach allowed data to be triangulated and analyzed for consistent themes and valid results. The results support the efficacy of NVC primarily through themes of self-awareness and subsequent improved communication and relationships with others. Unanticipated findings reveal
opportunities for NVC training to reach and affect more people. By expanding the accessibility and
feasibility of NVC and assessing the impact of NVC trainings more frequently, the associated positive
impacts experienced by current participants can reach particularly vulnerable populations, thereby
contributing to a world transformed by nonviolent communicators.