I offer and facilitate workshops and experiences in Nonviolent Communication, also 1-on-1 couples sessions. I have my own premises and I am self-employed. Words cannot do justice to the exquisite gift that Marshall Rosenberg brought to my life 23 years ago – mostly the capacity to respond to life in all its fullness. NVC has grown my confidence in the able human being in me with all it’s many hues – from fallibility to joy, love, capacity, contribution and integrity.

I first met Marshall Rosenberg in 2001. It was an experience I will never forget, and he brought into my life all that I knew was possible – a world that did NOT simply resort to judgment and blame but to curiosity and a deep capacity to understand myself and others. I was moved, changed and inspired to share his powerful work and became a Certified Trainer with the Centre for Nonviolent Communication (cnvc.org) in 2006. 

It became clear to me that I was not a ‘trainer’ in the conventional sense of the word – I wanted so much to ‘live’ the world Marshall invited. I was privileged to live in a small village in South Gloucestershire with land, and that included an old barn.  Somehow, with the backing of my husband, we began to convert the Barn to be a place of beauty, reverence and grace, which was open to all who wanted to come and experience NVC. Thus the ‘Barns’ emerged; 5 day residential ‘Living NVC’ experiences in which people deeply engaged with the fullness that NVC offers, listening, talking, sharing, and with me doing my best to model the life and invitation of NVC.

I grew as others did, from what they have told me, in this unique setting. By creating an opportunity to live the life-enhancing consciousness of NVC I found we were connecting with each other in the way I believe Marshall was intending;  Bringing us Back to ‘Life’ – the beautiful messiness of what it is to be human; different from one another, longing for acceptance and belonging, and trying as best we can to live alongside each other.

With NVC underpinning our days, so understanding of our humanity grew, and also our capacity to speak up clearly without blame, and a capacity to listen to another without feeling blame. Conflicts arose and in the living of the depth of the NVC language – those 4 simple steps of Observations, Feelings, Needs and Requests – we were so often reminded of our willingness for loving, caring and contributing to each other, and an increased wish for honest expression – these qualities honed in the days shared with so many wonderful people still continue to inform my every thought and deed. 

I spent 11 years offering the 5 day retreats, gathering every 6 weeks or so; so many days of loving and learning alongside each other.  It was and is a place that I am privileged to have been a part of and I remain utterly grateful for all of it.  

As well as Marshall I have been more recently deeply supported by the work of Robert Gonzales, whom I met in 2007. I have attended many of the 'Beauty of Needs', and 'Living Compassion workshops,  as well as  taken part in his 2 year LIFE programme in 2012/2013. Robert’s work is grounded in NVC and, along with his own always developing insights and practices, he has contributed to me being able to dive ever deeper into compassion and love.

I want also to acknowledge my time as an Assessor for NVC certification. From 2009 I spent 6 years supporting candidates through the certification process which I loved to do. Bearing witness to those growing their capacity for knowing, living and teaching NVC is a privilege.  

2016 found me, with my family, returning to my beloved Cornwall, where I grew up and now live. The move to Cornwall has included a much-needed break from sharing and assessing, but my passion for NVC will not lie down, and is once again inspiring me to create something here. And so, I will begin anew sharing NVC, offering living experiences and continuing to learn. 

I continue to have a passion for mentoring and coaching people who wish to share NVC, and offering one to one spaces for anyone needing help and support through a difficult time in their lives. I can divide my life into ‘before' and ‘after' NVC – for the last 23 years its precious message has given me the most powerful strategies I have found to remind me of our true nature, and to always see the beautiful best in myself and others.