Workshop ideas (information for organisers)

Would you like to bring some needs-based connection into your workplace, community group, or circle of friends? Here’s a selection of  workshops and modules which have been popular. Timings vary and depend partly on the number of participants, because check-ins, check-outs and sharing rounds are an important part of any workshop I do; and partly on thee level of their prior experience.  ‘Levels’ are also somewhat flexible, but as a rough guide:

  • ‘Basic’ assumes no prior knowledge of NVC, NbC or any group work
  • ‘Intermediate’ assumes familiarity with the language of needs and feelings and some ability to self-connect
  • ‘Advanced’ assumes experience both with applied NVC / NbC and with process work in groups.

One could also say that the ‘levels’ offer an increasing level of ‘stretch’, whatever prior experience people have.

Connecting with needs  – An introduction to needs-based consciousness which avoids theoretical descriptions and instead goes directly from everyday experiences to inward awareness.
Level: Basic. Duration: 1 hour > 3 hrs

Behind the story – A module which untangles the confusion caused by our imprecise use of language to describe our internal states. Feelings and judgements are clearly separated, using real-life examples,  and the close link between feelings and needs is explored.
Level: Basic > Intermediate. Duration: 1 hour > 3 hrs

Three-way communication – This is my NbC Foundation training, which includes the two modules above as well as the arts of making clear observations and taking action to meet our needs (which in turn includes the art of making requests!). It focuses more on Self-connection than many NVC Foundations do, but also introduces the basic NVC skills of listening empathically and speaking from the heart in a way which can be heard.
Level: Basic. Duration: 2 or ideally 3 days.

Second steps – This workshop builds on the basics learnt in a Foundation training (“Three-way communication”) and supports the process of bringing feelings and needs into our daily lives, with a focus on connection through dialogue. We look at the key issues which make it hard to turn theory into practice and learn practical routines for handling them in this transitional phase.
Level: Basic/Intermediate. Duration: 2 days.

Embodied NVC – Simple exercises and practices from T’ai Chi, Aikido and Contact Improvisation mirror the processes of NVC and offer a word-free environment in which to tune into the essence of listening, expressing and connecting with ourselves and others. Includes physical movement and touch.
Level: Basic-Intermediate. Duration: 1.5 – 2.5 hrs

Life Check – A systematic worksheet-based self-assessment of our life situation – home, family, relationships, work, health – from a needs-based perspective. A good preparation for a longer training or for distance learning/ coaching, can also be completed prior to or outside the workshop setting.
Level: Intermediate.  Duration: 1.5 hrs ++ …

Beyond the right words – When people first encounter NVC, it’s often seen as a way of improving communication by choosing carefully what we do and don’t say to each other. The focus on standardised phrasings can result in a stilted style of speech which totally fails to create connection. This workshop provides what students are wanting when they ask to learn ‘street NVC’, but not by simply using more casual language: rather, by placing our primary attention on self-connection, instead of on what we think we ought to be saying. A retraining for students who have ‘learnt NVC’ from a book!
Level: Intermediate. Duration: 4hrs – 1 day

Bringing our relationships to life with NbC – It’s in close relationships that our gaps are often exposed. We can ‘do NVC’ with our colleagues and friends maybe, but don’t find it so easy to ‘live NVC’ with our partners and families! The first part of this workshop checks whether we are actually applying the NVC/NbC we already know in the 3 areas of listening, speaking and self-connecting. Then we look at triggers and core beliefs. Finally I suggest practical procedures to handle conflict and make our relationships more wonderful.
Level: Intermediate > Advanced. Duration: 2 days

Inner Child regression – A simple but surprisingly deep method for connecting with inner child issues and offering healing. Uses semi-trance and groups of 3 (child, supporter and witness) for maximum safety and learning. Also a good preparation for in-depth Core Beliefs work.
Level: Intermediate > Advanced. Duration:  4 hrs – 1 day

Consenting to intimacy – many of us want more intimacy in our lives, but don’t know how to choose intimate connections with sufficient care for our own and the other person’s vulnerability. This workshop explores the many beautiful needs associated with intimacy and practises how to balance openness with protection, safety with courage.
Level: Intermediate> Advanced. Duration: 4 hrs > 2 days

Guilt and shame – Can be a preparation for Core Beliefs work or a day workshop in itself. The combination of painful emotions and negative judgements which create the states of guilt, shame and depression can be tricky to unravel. A needs-based perspective brings clarity and relief.
Level: Advanced. Duration: 2hrs > 1 day  (combines well with module below).

From shame to joy  – Shame offers a rich vein of healing to tap, connecting with the wounded but ever resourceful inner child, paralysing core beliefs which block our growth and the very roots of violence itself. We explore with care and tenderness the sensitive wounds of shame, and use embodiment exercises to reconnect with our forgotten innocence and power.
Level: Advanced. Duration: 2hrs > 1 day  (combines well with module above).

Triggers – We all get triggered! Suddenly we find ourselves reacting with an emotional force which is out of all proportion to the apparent stimulus. We ‘lose the plot’, our ‘buttons get pushed’… This workshop offers a safe framework within which to explore the process of being triggered and to get a handle on what lies at the root of our reactiveness. Ideal preparation for TCB below.
Level: Advanced. Duration: 2-4hrs

Transforming Core Beliefs –  Old limiting beliefs are re-evaluated from a needs-based perspective and new stories are created and installed. Deep personal transformation in a safe, guided process. The most effective way I have yet found to make our lives more wonderful in the space of a couple of hours!
Level: Advanced. Duration: 2.5 hrs > 1 day (min. 1 hr preparation plus up to 1.5 hr per process).

Contact me to discuss what kind of workshop would work best for your needs!

*For open workshops on the calendar, go to the main Workshops page.