Dr. Marshall Rosenberg is known as the originator of Nonviolent Communication Theory and Techniques. Yesterday was the 1-year anniversary of his death. Starting life as a minority Jewish child in a rough Detroit neighborhood, he witnessed the effects of interpersonal violence on a regular basis. He founded the Center for Nonviolent Communication in 1984 after receiving his doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Wisconsin in 1961, where he studied with Dr. Carl Rogers.
He developed the NVC approach for federally-funded school integration projects in the 1960s, and went on to train thousands of people in over 60 countries, helping establish peace initiatives in war-ravaged areas which included Rwanda, Burundi, Malaysia, Sierra Leone, the Middle East, and Serbia.
I was privileged to attend a workshop this past weekend which introduced some of the basic tenets and techniques used by NVC to promote understanding of the self and others. One practice--Self-Empathy--seemed particularly effective in helping participants process disturbing experiences and emotions. Today, two clients agreed to try this simple, but powerful protocol in their counseling sessions. Despite my fledgling experience with the technique, these two willing and helpful volunteers reported finding the experience beneficial.
I hope to continue training in this approach, and in the meantime, am excited to continue offering the "Self-Empathy" process as an experiment to any clients who are interested. A link for more information about NVC and Dr. Rosenberg:
He developed the NVC approach for federally-funded school integration projects in the 1960s, and went on to train thousands of people in over 60 countries, helping establish peace initiatives in war-ravaged areas which included Rwanda, Burundi, Malaysia, Sierra Leone, the Middle East, and Serbia.
I was privileged to attend a workshop this past weekend which introduced some of the basic tenets and techniques used by NVC to promote understanding of the self and others. One practice--Self-Empathy--seemed particularly effective in helping participants process disturbing experiences and emotions. Today, two clients agreed to try this simple, but powerful protocol in their counseling sessions. Despite my fledgling experience with the technique, these two willing and helpful volunteers reported finding the experience beneficial.
I hope to continue training in this approach, and in the meantime, am excited to continue offering the "Self-Empathy" process as an experiment to any clients who are interested. A link for more information about NVC and Dr. Rosenberg: