The quality of our lives and of our relationships begins with the quality of our communication and connection to one another. In this experiential 6 week NVC Basics class we will learn tools to speak your truth in ways more likely to be heard, to understand others with more clarity, to build trust and respond with power and compassion when triggered, and to ask for what you want.

How often have you felt your shoulders tighten, your chest contract and your belly ache when someone offers you feedback? Have you chosen to disconnect from someone, or stay quiet when you know something is not working, but the fear and risk of giving feedback outweighs the positive that could come from offering your wisdom to someone in need of support? If this resonates with your experience, come spend the day with us. I am offering this workshop for Freedom Project, and the community.

This lively, hands-on learning event will explore how we can bring vitality to our personal and professional connections. Through a range of activities, we will discover the essential principles and practices that support health and well-being in relationships, teams, and communities of all kinds.

Boundaries are essential to our emotional wellbeing. Yet as important as boundaries are, setting them is neither simple nor easy! How do we set boundaries in an empowered yet caring way? How do we stand our ground around what we want (or don’t want) and still remain open-hearted? Join us for a day-long deep dive into sacred boundary-setting!

Embodying and living Compassionate Communication is not always easy, but it can be done—and it is absolutely worth it. It takes a village (or a handful of willing, dedicated people to start), some perseverance, and some practice. Well, lots of practice. And you, dear human, are ready. Together we will dust off our basic Compassionate Communication tools and get tons of hands-on practice applying these tools to real-life situations. We’ll deepen our self-connection, listening and self-expression skills. We’ll support one another to stretch, grow, and stand tall in our authenticity. I can’t wait to have you.

Once a month, Kathleen Macferran comes to Vashon to host a 2-hour NVC practice group. What happens varies depending on what is "alive" in the room.

A transformative methodology for community building and conflict resolution using a restorative approach. Restorative Practices support people to step into important and difficult conversations in ways that increase connection and understanding. It provides true community-based solutions, accountability, and transformative change while deepening trust. The training will focus on a methodology of talking circles and a conflict engagement based on Dominic Barter's Restorative Circle model.

Empathy as a Way of Being is a women’s retreat designed to facilitate deep growth and transformation. Using the principles of Nonviolent Communication, meditation, and the work of Eckhart Tolle and Pema Chodron, we will dive into the following topics: ~Healing and Forgiveness ~ Mourning ~ Empathy ~ Self-Empathy ~ Honest Expression~ Through Mary’s leadership and nurturing community, you could: ~Experience a deepening in your empathy process, taking it to the next level. ~Increase self-compassion through self-empathy. ~Find out what prevents you from giving empathy and learn ways to clarify your choices in such moments. ~Enhance your skills for empathic connection. ~Explore street empathy for natural flow in your connections. This retreat is about deepening your ability to embody empathy for others and yourself! It includes several hours each day of personal time for you to rest and rejuvenate through walks, journaling, napping, etc.

An introduction to Nonviolent Communication (NVC). Join us if you would like some immediately usable tools for resolving conflicts, reducing criticism, defensiveness, blame, shame, misunderstanding and violence, and for increasing respect and hope in your school, work, family, community and in the world.

Family Camp is where fun, connection, support, adventure, learning and transformation come together in a unique immersion training/family vacation experience. Join families and the amazing staff from around the world on our 26-acre family heritage farm with nearby beach access on beautiful Vashon Island, WA.

Are you longing for the essential NVC tools, practice, and capacities to create and sustain joyful, flowing relationships? We will combine fun and deep, heartfelt learning into abilities you can take home. During this workshop you will have the opportunity to work through unresolved upsets and practice the difficult conversations that could bring relief. Whether your stuck places are at work, at home, with children, friends or an intimate partner, you will return to your relationships ready to shift old stuck energy and experience sweet movement in connection, even with yourself.

Learn and practice the simple, practical, learnable, reliable tools of Nonviolent Communication. Profoundly change your ability to listen with curiosity (instead of blame and criticism) and speak with compassion for others while remaining true to yourself. Learn how to receive criticism without loss of self-esteem. Mair will be sharing her "Tips 'N Tricks" and her 5-Point Overview Introduction to NVC (Provided to Print Out) 1 Purpose 2 Choices 3 Modes 4 Components (the "grammar" of NVC) 5 Principles

Relationships are the fabric of our lives. We need each other, and we know it. Yet all too often, conflicts get in the way of us achieving what we truly want together. How would your life improve if you could stay openhearted through conflict? If you could process difficult feelings without isolating or shaming yourself? If you could meet yourself and others with dignity and compassion instead of judgment and blame?

More than ever, people of diverse gender identities are looking for ways to undo the harmful patterns of patriarchy that dominate US American culture. How can those socialized as men demonstrate emotional fluency when they’ve rarely been taught how? How do those socialized as women speak their fullest truth when the dominant paradigm has hardly allowed them to do so? Nonviolent or compassionate communication (NVC) is a simple yet powerful set of tools to equip people of all gender identities to start answering some of these questions. Join us for 12 hours of live, interactive small group instruction and guidance spread across six Wednesday evening sessions.

This live, online, deep learning and practice community has spots for a few new members. Check us out if you have already learned the foundations of Nonviolent Communication and are hungry for a community to support your transformation.