Center for Nonviolent Communication

Certification Preparation Packet

Version 3.0 (released 26-Jul-2024)

PREPARING FOR CERTIFICATION

If you would like to become a Certified Trainer with the Center for Nonviolent Communication, please read the following information (historically referred to as the “Certification Preparation Packet” or the “CPP”).

I. GENERAL INFORMATION:

Welcome to the Certification Process
Purpose of Trainer Certification
Audience we are addressing with the Certification Process
Steps on the path of Certification
Intention of this packet

II. PROCEDURES AND STEPS (THE STRUCTURE THAT WE PROVIDE):

Pre-registration
Registration
Preparation for Assessment: 3-5 years
Pre-assessment
Assessment
Certification: Celebration and Mourning

III. FEES:

Information on Fees

IV. PREPARATION, SELF-DEVELOPMENT, AND SELF-RESPONSIBILITY (WHAT THE CANDIDATE TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR):

Knowing Nonviolent Communication: Theory, concepts, and processes
Living Nonviolent Communication: Intention to live in NVC consciousness
Teaching Nonviolent Communication in harmony with NVC Principles
Some things that I might do
Self-questionnaire for Certification Candidates

APPENDICES

APPENDIX 1: SUMMARY OF THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS
APPENDIX 2: TRAINER AGREEMENT
APPENDIX 3: FORMS
APPENDIX 4: GUIDELINES FOR SHARING NVC
APPENDIX 5: SEX AND INTIMACY

Note: This process was created by the Educational Services Team and edited by the former Certification Coordination Council (the predecessor to the Assessors Coordinating Circle). It was approved by the CNVC Assessors group at a meeting in Mallorca, Spain, on 18-Nov-2016.

GENERAL INFORMATION

WELCOME TO THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS

We appreciate your interest in the procedures for becoming a Certified Trainer, and we hope that what follows will provide clarity and about the Certification Process.

In the Certification Process, CNVC is represented by the Educational Services Team (referred to below as “we”). This team is an international working group composed of Assessors, the Assessors Coordinating Circle (ACC) and staff members who work remotely from around the world.

PURPOSE OF TRAINER CERTIFICATION

From the beginning, the goal of Marshall Rosenberg (founder of NVC) in developing Nonviolent Communication was to transform the world to a more peaceful and satisfying place. He had this vision from the beginning when he began to develop Nonviolent Communication in the 1960s.

Marshall wanted to foster social change in the world: if we just use Nonviolent Communication as a tool to support healing or to support more fulfilling relationships without considering the larger goal, we are enabling existing domination systems to continue and thrive. Therefore, Marshall founded CNVC in 1984, to create an organization that was committed to a vision of a critical mass of people using Nonviolent Communication to create a peaceful, just, and sustainable world. A strong community of qualified trainers plays an important role in the realization of this goal.

As you consider your decision to start on the path toward certification, we would like you to appreciate that the Assessors have the clear intention to carry out their roles in a spirit of mutual respect and shared power. We share the challenge with you to engage in an assessment process within a new paradigm of partnership and “power with” rather than domination and “power over.”

We all have choice to interpret the certification process as coming from a domination perspective or to see it as an opportunity for partnership. Candidates who become aware of this choice and are able to integrate its meaning have found transformative learning for themselves in the process. Assessors are constantly learning how to better contribute to a mutual process that values everyone’s needs.

We want to emphasize that the Center for Nonviolent Communication has a unique perspective in offering certification that may be different from the assumptions some Certification Candidates may have. For CNVC, certification is a validation and celebration of a new colleague joining our community. In essence, it is an annual renewal of your commitment to the organization. It is not a permanent credential like a diploma, but a renewal of your commitment to the organization. We ask you to renew that commitment annually. This is a lifelong journey for all of us - Assessors, Certified Trainers, and Certification Candidates alike. Becoming a Certified Trainer is not an ending - it is a continuation of our learning and growing.

CNVC has two long-term goals for the Certification Process:

Create a community of trainers who want to work with CNVC to fulfill our vision
Ensure that the next generation and succeeding generations are taught Nonviolent Communication in a way that preserves and protects the integrity of the Nonviolent Communication process.

Certification Candidates have expressed the goals including connection to CNVC; contribution to our vision; credibility; mutual support; and personal growth. We recognize that applying for certification is a serious commitment. If you would like further information regarding the certification process after thoroughly reading all of the material, please contact the Certification Coordinator or an Assessor of your choosing who will respond to your questions and you will mutually decide if you would like to walk this path together.

AUDIENCE WE ARE ADDRESSING WITH THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS

To create a lasting and effective CNVC community, we are searching for people who are:

KNOWING Nonviolent Communication: A deep understanding of the Nonviolent Communication concepts and process.
LIVING Nonviolent Communication: A strong grounding in Nonviolent Communication consciousness, which guides their everyday life.
SHARING Nonviolent Communication: Skills to teach Nonviolent Communication considering different learning styles.
and those who are willing to continue their personal growth in all these areas.

We would like Certification Candidates to have a willingness to explore their personal relationship to the following areas: the spiritual nature of Nonviolent Communication, a specific vision of social change and membership in an Nonviolent Communication community.

To that end, we request that Certification Candidates have at least two to three years of teaching Nonviolent Communication as a non-Certified Trainer, leading practice groups, significant training with a diverse group of Certified Trainers for guidance over the course of your training, along with training logs and personal journals to chart progress and learnings. This will demonstrate your deepening in all three areas over a period of time - usually three to five years.

Since Marshall Rosenberg personally certified the first trainers in the 1980’s, the number of Certified Trainers has constantly grown worldwide. As of 2024, there are more than 900 Certified Trainers working around the globe in over 65 countries, in many different languages and cultures.

The certification process has evolved slightly differently in various Nonviolent Communication communities around the world. There is flexibility in Assessor-groups, in registration and assessment fees, in the Certification Candidate’s choice of Assessors, in the choice of language and in how the certification process unfolds. Whatever the flexibility of the process may be, at the time of final assessment there is absolute consistency of outcome, of demonstrated competency, of actually living Nonviolent Communication every day, and the sharing of Nonviolent Communication with integrity to the next generation and beyond.

Whether or not you decide to pursue CNVC certification, we hope that your enthusiasm for spreading and sharing Nonviolent Communication will continue. “Guidelines for Sharing Nonviolent Communication for Individuals who are not Certified Trainers” is offered for your information. We request that you follow these guidelines, or contact the Certification Coordinator for further discussion.

STEPS ON THE PATH OF CERTIFICATION

The path to certification consists of six steps. Anyone wishing to pursue the path to certification is requested to start with the “Pre-registration step” and complete each of the six steps in the order listed below.

Pre-registration
Registration
Preparation for Assessment (average of 3-5 years)
Pre-assessment
Assessment
Certification

The certification preparation information that follows is to be used as a guide. Each Certification Candidate and Assessor will have their own unique relationships and the information that follows may not take into account flexible arrangements of Certification Candidates and Assessors working in groups. The information can still be used as a guide for a range of assessment procedures, leading to a consistent outcome of highly skilled Certified Trainers who can demonstrate that they know Nonviolent Communication, teach Nonviolent Communication with competence, and are “living” Nonviolent Communication.

INTENTION OF THIS PACKET

This packet contains materials designed to support Certification Candidates in deepening their Nonviolent Communication consciousness, skills, and understanding. These materials are also designed to help Certification Candidates determine their own progress and readiness for a pre-assessment session. The document also includes information about assessment fees to be paid directly to the Assessor and about the final certification fee to CNVC.

The entire path of certification and the CPP was designed with the intention that Certification Candidates and Assessors cooperate in a way that is experienced and lived as “power with” for both the Certification Candidate and Assessor/s. We are aware that people have different perceptions and experiences in relation to “power over,” “power with” and “power under”. When reading the CPP, if you sense or perceive a “power over” dynamic hidden in the words, please share your specific observation with your Assessor and get in touch with the ACC. In the next revision of the CPP, the ACC will consider your concerns and make changes when there is agreement.

We expect these materials to be revised periodically, as we hear from Certification Candidates and Assessors as to what is working well and what is not. The current document is not a promise we are locked into. Program designs change over time - it is a sign of growth and ongoing development that adapts to the needs of the organization and all of its members. Please stay in contact with your Assessor, as you will be accountable for the procedures in effect at the time of your Assessments.

PROCEDURES AND STEPS

THE STRUCTURE THAT WE PROVIDE

Please see below for details about the stages of the Certification Process.

PRE-REGISTRATION

If you are reading this, you have already taken an important first step to gain clarity about your intention and to determine your interest in sharing Nonviolent Communication as a Certified Trainer. We would like interested individuals to be clear about their purpose before embarking on the journey towards certification. This is why the Educational Services team strongly recommends reading the “Preparing for Certification” process carefully and with a critical eye. From experience, we know that irritations and misunderstandings about the Certification Process can be avoided if you read this packet in-depth prior to contacting an Assessor.

Once you have reviewed this packet, you may decide to contact an Assessor(s) of your choosing to explore a mutual agreement to work together. Here are some questions that you might ask yourself when you consider an Assessor:

Are you willing to travel to a mutually agreed upon place if the Assessor lives in a different geographical area? (final assessments are often done in person).
Does the Assessor speak your language?
Do you prefer a group or individual assessment?
Would you like to walk the path of certification with others in community or would you prefer doing most of your journey from your home or through video conferencing?

We recommend that each person on this path reads this process thoroughly (even if you have spoken to an Assessor and you have heard the guidelines from their perspective) which we find supports clearer understanding between Certification Candidates and Assessors. We encourage you to have a meaningful and in-depth exchange with your potential Assessor to clarify your shared commitment on this path of certification. We predict that having a shared reality about the Certification Process will support more ease and connection between Assessor and Certification Candidate and likely prevent misunderstanding in the future.

Finally, these exchanges will demonstrate whether there is a mutual desire to walk this path of certification together. There may also be reasons that either the Certification Candidate or Assessor choose to work with someone else, which may trigger feelings for either the Assessor or the Certification Candidate. If you are both unable to find a satisfying solution with the selection process, the ACC is open to support a dialogue. If as a Certification Candidate, you decide to contact another Assessor to explore working with them, please reveal this intention to both Assessors.

REGISTRATION

Application to Register as a Certification Candidate

Once you have contacted an Assessor and you’ve come to a mutual decision to work together, please send the following items to your Assessor in order to register as a Certification Candidate:

Please include the following contact information as a heading on the first page:
- Your Name
- Mailing address
- Phone number(s), email address(es), other contact information
- Birth date, place of birth
- What gender do you identify as?
- Primary language and any other languages spoken
A list of Nonviolent Communication trainings you have attended including dates, locations, titles of trainings, number of days (6-8 hours = one day) and names of the Certified Trainers who taught the courses. Please document and total a minimum of 20 days of Nonviolent Communication training with Certified Trainers before requesting to be registered as a trainer Certification Candidate. Interactive Online training may be included up up to 30% of the 20 days.
A statement of intent (approximately one to two pages) explaining why you wish to become a Certified Trainer including the following four points:
- Your beginning thoughts about a social change focus;
- Spirituality as it applies to Nonviolent Communication;
- The Nonviolent Communication community to which you belong or are planning to create.
- What is the difference for you between teaching Nonviolent Communication as a Certified Trainer, and teaching it as a non-Certified Trainer?
A recommendation with specific observations (in written form or by telephone call to the Assessor), from at least one Certified Trainer who is familiar with your Nonviolent Communication participation. This might include examples of your willingness and ability to:
- Be open to exploring new ideas and concepts
- Be involved and active in discussions and exercises
- Demonstrate an ability to receive empathy
- Demonstrate a beginning ability to offer empathy
- Be able to stay in the present moment
- Celebrate new awarenesses and learning new skills
A statement that you have:
- Read and agree to follow the Guidelines for non-Certified Trainers.
- Downloaded, printed out, and read carefully the entire Certification Preparation Packet, to guide you in your efforts toward certification.
- Made a list of questions to discuss with your Assessor.
- Read the Trainer Agreement and understand you will be asked to agree to its current version at the time of your pre-assessment. If you have any questions, now is the time to discuss them.
Fees that you can expect to pay:
- Registration: USD $100 - 250 (paid to Assessor)
- Pre-assessment: USD $250 - 600 (paid to Assessor). Assessor(s) spend approximately one day reviewing pre-assessment files, and more time discussing it with you and deciding whether or not to schedule a final assessment session. Please include this fee payable to the Assessor by including it with your pre-assessment file. (if applicable, a Video critique is typically an additional $100 - 250)
- Assessment: USD $250 - 600 (paid to Assessor). Assessor(s) spend an average of 1 to 3 days meeting with you for the final assessment session. Please offer this fee directly to the Assessor at the time of your assessment.
- Certification: USD $250 (paid to CNVC)

Note: These amounts are based on USD. We consider economic conditions, standard of living, and exchange rates in all cultures to ensure that (1) Assessors receive fees that contribute to their sustainability; and (2) certification is accessible to people in all locations. Please discuss with your Assessor to mutually agree on the currency in which they wish to be paid and the equivalent amount.

If you and your Assessor mutually decide that the final assessment has been successful, please submit the certification fee, payable to CNVC, along with the required information as directed by the CNVC office in order to complete the certification process. If the pre-assessment is not followed by the assessment itself, the pre-assessment fee will still apply in consideration of the Assessors’ time. The Certification Candidate can re-apply after six months, and might be requested to pay a fee again for the additional Assessors’ time.

If you have difficulty in meeting these fees, please discuss alternative options with your Assessor such as: deferred payments, a payment plan, in-kind services, and/or resources for how to do one’s own fundraising. If offered and received with willingness and joy, Assessors would like Certification Candidates to consider contributing even beyond this range, with awareness of the Assessors’ efforts on their behalf, and also to support other Certification Candidates with less resource.

COMPLETION OF REGISTRATION

After receiving each of the items, the Assessor will review them and see if your information is complete and if they perceive that you stated intent seems is in alignment with CNVC’s vision and mission. If there are any questions about your application, the Assessor or Certification Coordinator will contact you for further discussion before proceeding further.

When mutual agreement is reached for you to be registered as a Certification Candidate, the Assessor will notify the CNVC office to send you the final procedures for your registration, and to welcome you into the CNVC community of Certification Candidates. If for any reason mutual agreement is not reached regarding your registration as a Certification Candidate, the Assessor will notify the Assessors Coordinating Circle (ACC) that you have not come to an agreement. If necessary, you may initiate a dialogue with the ACC as well.

PREPARATION FOR ASSESSMENT (3-5 YEARS)

NVC Training and Preparation

Before requesting a pre-assessment, we ask that Certification Candidates to have worked through the steps in the Certification Preparation document, to have been teaching Nonviolent Communication as a non-Certified Trainer for at least two years, to have received a significant amount of Nonviolent Communication training and mentoring from at least three different Certified Trainers in order to experience a variety of learning styles, along with recording training logs and personal journals to chart progress and learnings. This will demonstrate living Nonviolent Communication (personal growth), deepening of Nonviolent Communication skills, and teaching skills, all over a period of time.

If living in an area with Nonviolent Communication teams and/or Certified Trainers, Certification Candidates are strongly encouraged, but not mandated, to work with them for mentoring, team teaching, volunteering, working on projects, etc.; thus gathering feedback on your own training skills, and then writing about reactions, learning edges, etc. If you do not have a community in your geographic area that you wish to join, then you are asked to create your own Nonviolent Communication community to meet these same needs. You might also benefit from working with other Certified Trainers and organizing Nonviolent Communication work for them, to meet mutual needs.

Personal Journal entries

We would like you to keep a regular record of your Nonviolent Communication learning, growth, and insights. Use journaling as a means to explore (question, reflect, and learn) rather than to simply record the internal and external events in your life. The purpose of this journal is twofold: first and most importantly, for your own self-discovery, to chart and assess your own progress. Secondly, to communicate to the Assessor your awareness and skills in living, knowing and teaching the Nonviolent Communication process in a way that is consistent with the integrity and spirit of Nonviolent Communication.

We are more interested in knowing that the journal format and timing supports your learning, which for us is the primary purpose. We also want to mutually agree to a format that gives us the information we are looking for and you the best way to express your personal experiences. Please type your journals if possible, and have the intent to be concise rather than tell long stories. As you write a regular journal of your learning please send them at least twice a year to your Assessor. You may try out the journal outline in part IV.D.3 to see if it supports you in charting your own learning progress over time. It’s up to you whether you report once a week, every two weeks, or an even longer gap “when life intervenes.”

Your journal content might be: How I am using Nonviolent Communication in my everyday life: in relationships, at work, stuck places, inner jackal dialogues, celebrations, and cleaning up “messes” (all demonstrating Nonviolent Communication skills by conveying observations, feelings, needs, and requests)? For example, replay in writing using Nonviolent Communication:

Interactions in which you did not communicate or respond the way you wanted.
What you did to process the interaction internally, and
What you did differently as a result.

In Section IV.D.2 (Some Things I Might Do…) you will find more suggestions on journaling. If you want to protect the identity of certain people, either use initials or another name. Your journal is considered to be confidential - it will not be shared outside of the people involved in your assessment. It will be returned to you at the end of the pre-assessment session.

Video recordings

If it is not possible for your Assessor to see your training in person, you may mutually decide that you will video record one of your trainings and send the video to your Assessor. Hereafter, you find some suggestions about the contents of such a video recording. We would also like you to send your own feedback of your training, so the Assessor can recognize what you have learned from the recording and where you are in agreement.

A video is usually 60-90 minutes in length where you present a Nonviolent Communication workshop includes both:

Interactions with participants, showing how you apply Nonviolent Communication in real time, and
Teaching where you present and illustrate Nonviolent Communication concepts.

The video can be a compilation of various segments. The camera can be placed at a certain distance from the Certification Candidate in order to catch some of the participants (as long as there is no sacrifice of sound). You can provide your Assessor with the following information about the video:

The type of event and length of event (examples: daylong introductory workshop; 2-hour practice group).
Number of participants who were present and who they were (examples: general public; group of teachers from one school).
Amount of experience the participants had with Nonviolent Communication and how well you knew them personally.
Date each segment was taken.
Length of each segment.

We all make mistakes we do and say things during trainings that we wish we had done differently. We do not expect your video to be “perfect” nor do we wish to see you edit out the segments of the training that you are dissatisfied with. Instead, we ask that you offer your own critique (either written or also recorded) of the segments you have chosen: what you found satisfying, what worked, what didn’t work, what you would do differently, your learning edges, and the support you would find helpful.

Feedback Forms

We would like to receive a minimum of ten Feedback forms (called Feedback Form for CNVC Trainers and other community members see Appendix 3.2) from at least three Certified Trainers, Nonviolent Communication mentors, and other members of the Nonviolent Communication community with whom you have worked. In addition, we would like to receive a minimum of ten “Participant Feedback forms” (see Appendix 3.3) from trainings you have led, co-led, or assisted with.

Please attach a page to all forms to describe what you learned from that particular feedback and what you do differently as a result. In selecting feedback forms to send, please choose those from which you learned something about yourself or that demonstrate how participants’ needs were met. Please duplicate as many forms as you need from Appendix 3.

IIT or Equivalent

We strongly recommend that you attend a 9-day International Intensive Training (IIT) before becoming certified, but this is not a requirement. You can also fulfill this requirement with other programs if they fulfill the following criteria:

Multi-day, in-depth, residential training
International Nonviolent Communication experience
Areas fully experienced: Nonviolent Communication community (ongoing peer support), spirituality, and social change
Significant Nonviolent Communication experience with multiple Certified Trainers and mentors
Established a connection to CNVC, have a clear priority to support CNVC’s mission, willing and able to renew annual certification

Certification Candidates who did not participate in an IIT before certification would pay tuition for the first IIT as a Certified Trainer.

Prepare and Ready Yourself Before Pre-Assessment

The following items are listed in the Trainer Agreement, in the section, “What Certified Trainers are invited to offer to CNVC”. They also apply to Certification Candidates seeking certification. Please be ready to discuss the following items with your Assessor.

Mutually support the Certified Trainer community by:

Sharing handouts and other training support materials with one another and with CNVC - with credit given to the original creator.
Contacting Certified Trainers and Nonviolent Communication communities (as listed on the CNVC website and as you are aware) before you initiate NVC-related work in their regions for support, connection, and follow-up.
Consider working with other Certified Trainers in your region and coordinating trainings in new areas.

Support Ongoing Learning by:

Eliciting feedback from training participants in some way (written evaluation form or verbal feedback)
Giving feedback to other Certified Trainers, CNVC staff and representatives so we can all grow in our understanding of the consciousness of Nonviolent Communication and in our skill to promote Nonviolent Communication awareness in the world.
Considering working with and attending workshops of other Certified Trainers, and to consider offering attendance to other Certified Trainers and CNVC staff and representatives without fee.
Reflect on and share your personal responses to the following questions, and include them in your yearly Certified Trainer Report:
- How do I use Nonviolent Communication to create the social change I want to see in the world?
- How do I teach my view of Nonviolent Communication spirituality (or Nonviolent Communication consciousness)?
- Do I live the concept of compassionate giving and receiving, which includes my relationship to the exchange of money?

Participate in an Nonviolent Communication community:

Participate in regional or other Nonviolent Communication communities
Accept that conflicts may arise, and to be willing to work to resolve them; to find resources if needed (other CNVC trainers, mediation, etc.) for dialogue; to be able to demonstrate “living the process” - that is, to demonstrate the willingness to search for connection, the clear intention to resolve.

Candidate transfers to a new Assessor

On the path of certification, for a variety of reasons, a Certification Candidate might wish to work with a different Assessor than was originally mutually decided. If this is the case, please follow this procedure:

Certification Candidate completes any unfinished dialogues with the original Assessor, to a mutually satisfying conclusion.
Original Assessor and the new Assessor dialogue to find mutual agreement for the transfer, with reasons understood and agreed on.
Original Assessor and Certification Candidate transfer all of their notes to the new Assessor.
Certification Candidate and new Assessor dialogue to create mutual understanding about their relationship, and how they will work together.

PRE-ASSESSMENT

SCHEDULING YOUR PRE-ASSESSMENT

When you are satisfied with your level of preparation, and are confident that your pre-assessment file is complete, reach out to your Assessor to schedule your pre-assessment. Contact your Assessor 2-3 months before you would like to schedule the pre-assessment session, in consideration of your time and the Assessor’s time.

Please read thoroughly the Trainer Agreement. If you have any concerns that would prevent you from signing it, contact your Assessor for further dialogue on the subject before sending any pre-assessment materials.

SEND ASSESSOR PRE-ASSESSMENT PORTFOLIO

When you are ready to abide by the Certified Trainers Agreement, the next step is to send the Assessor your pre-assessment portfolio. Please send the completed pre-assessment file to the Assessor, including the following items:

A statement of your purpose in becoming a Certified Trainer. Please describe your current view of your development as you have evolved in the process.
Personal journal entries: Summarize and reflect your learning from writing a journal over the period of 3-5 years & celebrate your accomplishment.
Feedback forms: A minimum of 10 participant feedback forms and 10 CT/NVC colleague’s feedback forms, with your reactions and new learnings, to demonstrate progress over time. Please write an overall report citing specific examples on what you have learned and now do differently as a result of the feedback. Summarize and reflect your learning from collecting feedback over the period of 3-5 years.
List of the total trainings:
- Training with Certified Trainers: List all of your trainings, both those you originally noted and any additional trainings since beginning the certification process. Please give date, place, title of training, number of days and Certified Trainers name for each one and the total number of training days. The minimum required for certification is 50 full days of training, including at least one International Intensive Training (strongly recommended). This is a minimum; most Certification Candidates find they accumulate much more training than the minimum before feeling confident about their Nonviolent Communication skills.
- Candidate credit for training with Non-Certified Trainers: Twenty percent of the required 50 days of training is accepted if your Assessor has a personal relationship or knows and respects the non-CT and trusts that you are receiving Nonviolent Communication training in harmony with Nonviolent Communication values. Whether or not a specific non-CT is acceptable to a specific Assessor is mutually decided upon by the Certification Candidate and his/her Assessor.
- NVC Telecourses and Online Training for Certification Credit: Many CNVC Certification Candidates have been requesting credit for training days for participating in one or more of the current training alternatives in addition to traditional in-person workshops and training programs. We would like to support Certification Candidates to receive credit for some Nonviolent Communication training that is effective, low-cost, and accessible. As a Certification Candidate, you can receive credit for previous training, if it fits within the following guidelines.
  Credit for alternative Nonviolent Communication training to be based on the following guidelines:
  1. The training is received from Certified Trainers
  2. The training is interactive and participatory
  3. The training offers opportunities for giving and receiving feedback
  4. Specific record-keeping: name of trainer, date, exact hour(s) of training, topic, site.
  5. For each training experience, a written summary of main points learned: 1-2 paragraphs
    Up to 30% of the total training may be accumulated prior to the assessment process.
    (NOTE: Decision: We relax the requirement for in-person training to become a Certification Candidate (but keep requirement for live, interactive trainings), but still keep the requirement for 70% in-person trainings to become certified. 16-Nov-2020)
Training log (see Appendix 3.A) of Nonviolent Communication trainings you have offered or at which you have assisted, including practice groups, introductory presentations, longer workshops and courses, with your reactions and new learnings over time to support self-awareness and growth.
NVC concepts and key distinctions: Add in written, audio, or video form your best understanding of some or all (Certification Candidate and Assessor mutually choose how many of them) of the Nonviolent Communication concepts and key distinctions listed under chapter IV.A (Knowing Nonviolent Communication - Theory, Concepts and Processes). Explain the distinctions between the domination paradigm and the partnership concept for each of the key distinctions. Please describe them as you would teach them in your trainings.
The pre-assessment fee - payable to the Assessor (more information about fees).

PRE-ASSESSMENT APPOINTMENT

Contact your Assessor to confirm that the fee and all materials you sent have been received. When your Assessor receives your file, they will let you know how much time they need to review the materials. In this period of time, the Assessor will also ask for feedback from those who know the Certification Candidate in both the trainer community and from the Assessor team.

After reviewing all material, the Assessor contacts the Certification Candidate. Both mutually decide the Certification Candidate’s readiness for the pre-assessment and agree on a date for the pre-assessment session. If the Assessor does not have sufficient knowledge or experience of your teaching skills to feel comfortable moving ahead to the pre-assessment, they may ask for more information in order to feel more confident about your readiness.

The purpose of the pre-assessment is to explore learning edges and to arrive at a mutual agreement - either to go ahead with the final assessment or to postpone it in favor of further practice and study. The pre-assessment process supports the completion of the final assessment. We want the final assessment to be a celebration of your accomplishment.

When the pre-assessment session has been completed and there is a mutual decision to go ahead, set up an appointment with the Assessor for the assessment session. If the decision is not to move ahead, request clarification from the Assessor regarding further preparation that would support your readiness for certification. The Assessor will provide this information in writing and file a copy in your Certification Candidate file.

YOUR ASSESSOR NEEDS FURTHER INFORMATION BEFORE PRE-ASSESSMENT

If the Assessor needs more knowledge of your teaching skills, he/she may request a video as an alternative before agreeing to a pre-assessment session. The Assessor may ask for a range of fees (or equivalent) for this review.

After a mutual review of the video, if the Assessor or Certification Candidate is not comfortable moving ahead to pre-assessment, the Assessor and Certification Candidate will give feedback to each other on the video (or alternative) and mutually agree on where more work could be done before the Certification Candidate moves ahead for another pre-assessment session. If there is no mutual agreement for pre-assessment another option may be to submit another video (or alternative) in six months. There will be a range of fees payable to the Assessor each time. Candidates may apply for pre-assessment as many times as they wish (with a minimum six months wait between submissions).

ASSESSMENT

ASSESSMENT SESSION

The following notes about the assessment session do not take into account groups of Assessors working together or providing group assessments, or providing group trainings for Certification Candidates. These notes are focused on a one-to-one relationship between Certification Candidate and Assessor. The information can still be used as a guide for a range of assessment procedures, leading to a consistent outcome of new Certified Trainers who know Nonviolent Communication, can teach Nonviolent Communication, and can demonstrate they are “living” Nonviolent Communication.

We expect the assessment session, which will consist of a series of activities interspersed with feedback and followed by evaluation, to take a minimum of 1-3 days. This block of time will include preliminary remarks, assessment activities, mutual ongoing feedback, learning edges for both Certification Candidate and Assessor, and discussion of next steps to take.

The intention of the assessment process is to demonstrate competency in knowing, living and sharing Nonviolent Communication. Living Nonviolent Communication in the assessment process includes self-awareness and self-assessment of both the Certification Candidate and the Assessor. We are looking for self-awareness rather than mastery. We want to know that if you lose connection with Nonviolent Communication consciousness, you are able to find your way back.

At any time during the assessment session, if either the Certification Candidate or the Assessor is not comfortable with the present situation, either may ask for a “stop” in order to dialogue around this issue. Through this process, hopefully, both Certification Candidate and Assessor will gain clarity in the level of preparedness of the Certification Candidate. There will be an opportunity for feedback for all throughout this experience.

If there is a mutual decision at the end of the session that the assessment was completed and both Certification Candidate and Assessor were satisfied, Certification Candidate and Assessor will explore learning edges for future growth, review final steps for certification, and the Assessor will announce the completion of the assessment to the Educational Services team.

If the mutual decision is to postpone certification, Assessor and Certification Candidate discuss strategies for further preparation. If a mutual decision to postpone certification is not reached in a reasonable time frame for either party, then the Assessor notifies the Certification Candidate of the appeals process as the next step.

ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES

A list of Nonviolent Communication concepts and processes, including key differentiations and often-asked questions are listed in Knowing Nonviolent Communication - Theory, Concepts and Processes. The Assessor will be looking for your understanding of these concepts and processes as manifested in three areas:

Your verbal explanation of concepts and processes. We would like to see easy recall, clarity and the use of examples to illustrate each concept or process.
Your demonstration through role-play of how these concepts and processes are applied. What we are looking for in the role-plays is your ability to stay in Nonviolent Communication consciousness, to make choices on when to empathize or express, and to remain connected to feelings and needs. These role-plays are divided into three categories:
- General interpersonal situations involving family members, partners, friends, colleagues, neighbors, etc.
- Nonviolent Communication “leader” situations where you are leading Nonviolent Communication trainings or organizing Nonviolent Communication events.
- Social change situations where you are wanting to contribute to or effect change in the outlook or behavior of specific groups, institutions and organizations.
Your integration of them in real-life interactions with yourself and the Assessor during the assessment session.

During the assessment session, you may be asked to:

set up a role-play of a situation of your own choosing
do a mock presentation on an important aspect of Nonviolent Communication
respond to questions regarding Nonviolent Communication concepts and processes
demonstrate or describe how you empathize with yourself in specific situations, or approach an internal conflict
respond to Assessor’s feedback (including possibly unwelcome feedback)
describe an unresolved conflict you have with someone. A “conflict” may be any situation where your heart shuts down to any degree to another person
offer self-evaluation, both generally and for this assessment process
evaluate the assessment process.

CERTIFICATION: CELEBRATION AND MOURNING

CELEBRATION: COMPLETION OF THE CERTIFICATION PATH

To celebrate the completion of your certification path, CNVC will send an announcement to Certified Trainers and Certification Candidates sharing that you have successfully completed your assessment with a recommendation to welcome you as a new Certified Trainer.

Before announcing you as a new Certified Trainer on the Global Home, the Certification Coordinator, the certification staff of CNVC will send the “Final Steps for Certification” letter to the Certification Candidate to complete a few administrative actions. These final steps ask the Certification Candidate to:

Fill out a form that includes information about you
Sign the Trainer Agreement
Write a short biography to be included in certification announcement
Provide a list of Nonviolent Communication trainings received and offered during certification process
Pay the Certification Fee to CNVC

After CNVC has received each of these items, we will update our records and add you to the website and the Certified Trainers community on the Global Home. Finally, we will announce your certification with your biography to celebrate you as a new member of the Certified Trainer community.

MOURNING: APPEALS PROCESS FOR CERTIFICATION

The following policy describes the procedures for an appeals process in the event that a mutual decision has not been reached for registration, pre-assessment, or assessment. To initiate an appeal, please email the ACC or contact the Certification Department to ask for help in contacting the ACC:

A Certification Candidate can initiate an appeal at any of three junctures in the assessment process:
- Registration process
- Pre-assessment process
- Final assessment process
An appeal can be requested when a mutual agreement has not been reached after a reasonable good faith effort by the parties involved.
The Certification Candidate may contact the ACC and arrange to send a written statement about the concern. The ACC will then contact the certification staff at CNVC or the Assessor involved to gather more information, and will work with both parties to come to a mutually agreeable conclusion.
The ACC will offer their mediation efforts for free within a time frame of one or two video meetings. If further mediation is necessary, the ACC will negotiate with the parties in dispute on how to compensate the mediation efforts.

INFORMATION ON FEES

There are fees involved in each step of the Certification Process:

Registration: USD $100 - 250 paid to the Assessor
Pre-assessment: $250 - $600
- Additional $100 - $250 for a video critique paid to Assessor (if necessary)
- We expect the Assessor(s) to spend approximately one day reviewing your pre-assessment file, and more time discussing it with you and deciding whether or not to schedule a final assessment session. Please include this fee payable to the Assessor by including it with your pre-assessment file.
Assessment: USD $250 - $600
- We expect the Assessor(s) to spend approximately one to three days meeting with you for the final assessment session. Please offer this fee directly to the Assessor at the time of your appointment.
Certification: USD $250 paid to CNVC

These amounts are based on USD currency. We want to consider economic conditions, standards of living and exchange rates in all cultures to ensure that:

Assessors receive fees that contribute to their sustainability; and
Certification is accessible to people in all cultures. So please discuss with your Assessor to mutually agree on the currency in which they wish to be paid and the equivalent amount of the range.

If you have difficulty in meeting these fees, please discuss alternative options with your Assessor such as: deferred payments, a payment plan, in-kind services, resources for how to do one’s own fundraising, etc. If offered and received with willingness and joy, Assessors would like Certification Candidates to consider contributing even beyond this range, with awareness of the Assessors’ efforts on their behalf, and also to support other Certification Candidates with less resources.

PREPARATION, SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND SELF-RESPONSIBILITY

WHAT WE ASK CANDIDATES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR

You may ask yourself the following questions in order to assess the depth of your understanding of Nonviolent Communication concepts:

KNOWING NONVIOLENT COMMUNICATION - THEORY, CONCEPTS AND PROCESSES

The purpose of this paragraph is to gain a deep understanding of the Nonviolent Communication concepts and process and familiarity with, understanding and recall of Nonviolent Communication concepts. Do I understand the purpose of Nonviolent Communication, its philosophical assumptions, concepts of life-alienated and life-connected communication, the quality of empathy and the elements of the “Giraffe dance”?

The following is a review of basic Nonviolent Communication concepts and processes and some questions which often arise at Nonviolent Communication trainings:

NVC MODEL: PARTS AND COMPONENTS

The Nonviolent Communication Model: expressing honestly and receiving empathically, the four components (purpose and characteristics of each), the Giraffe Dance
The four ears (four choices we have when hearing a difficult-to-receive message)
Three kinds of Giraffe requests

NVC PROCESSES

Hearing another’s anger (blame, criticism)
Expressing “no”
Hearing “no”
Self-empathy when (a) stimulus is external and (b) stimulus is internal
Mourning and learning from our regrets
Screaming in Giraffe
Interrupting
Expressing gratitude
Receiving gratitude
Making conscious choices with awareness of needs
Expressing an “apology”
Resolving an inner conflict through Nonviolent Communication dialogue.

KEY DIFFERENTIATIONS

“Being Giraffe” vs. “doing Giraffe”
Giraffe honesty vs. jackal honesty
Empathy vs. sympathy and other forms of response (fixing, reassuring, storytelling, etc.)
Protective vs. punitive use of force
Power with vs. power over
Appreciation vs. approval, compliments or praise
Choice vs. submission or rebellion
Observation vs. observation mixed with evaluation
Feeling vs. feeling mixed with thoughts
Need vs. request
Request vs. demand
Stimulus vs. cause
Value judgment vs. moralistic judgment
Natural vs. habitual
Interdependence vs. dependence or independence
Life-connected vs. life-alienated
Shift vs. compromise
Persisting vs. demanding
Self-discipline vs. obedience
Respect for authority vs. fear of authority
Vulnerability vs. weakness
Love as an action vs. love as a need and a feeling
Self-empathy vs. acting out, repressing, or wallowing in feelings
Idiomatic vs. classical (formal) Giraffe
Empathic sensing vs. intellectual guessing

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS IN TRAININGS

Why is it important to stay focused on feelings and needs?
How do you think Nonviolent Communication can change the way conflict is handled?
How do you define empathy? Could you talk more about the difference between empathy and sympathy?
I understand you promote a unique form of appreciation; how is it different from telling someone how great they are?
I’ve heard you say that my presence is the most precious gift I can give to someone’s pain. Can you explain what you mean by that?
I’ve heard Marshall talk about “enjoying someone’s pain.” What does that mean?
When we empathize, why do we guess rather than simply ask what the speaker is feeling?
You’re saying we are not responsible for how other people feel. Can you tell me what we are responsible for then?

LIVING NONVIOLENT COMMUNICATION: INTENTION TO LIVE IN NVC CONSCIOUSNESS

The purpose of this paragraph is to highlight the intention to embody Nonviolent Communication consciousness in our lives in each moment. This intention is supported by becoming a part of an Nonviolent Communication community or creating one of your own choosing - if not a regional community, then a virtual community for a special interest group, such as parenting, education, business, or social change. To collaborate actively with others in your community by promoting each other’s events, consulting over dates and keeping each other informed about your activities. We want to create communities that operate in a spirit of cooperation, without competition or hierarchy. This will ensure ongoing learning and sharing, and will support the development of cooperative Nonviolent Communication communities worldwide.

We might ask ourselves, "What am I doing to …

ground myself in the consciousness of feelings and needs - to live more fully from the heart?"
deepen my capacity to empathize with myself"
develop my ability to be present moment by moment"
deepen my capacity to receive the world empathically?"
develop awareness of my own intentions when speaking or acting?"
bring clarity to my communication - to express myself in a way that is readily understood by others?"
create fulfilling relationships and to live in harmony with those around me?"
deepen my sense of interconnection with others and all of life?"
increase my capacity to give from the heart?"
appreciate myself and other people more?"
be able to live more often in the place of gratitude and abundance?"
take more joy in the joy of others?"
cultivate compassion in my life?"
deepen awareness of what I am wanting back from others when I speak or act?"
deepen awareness of when my ‘Giraffe ears have fallen off’ (i.e. when I have forgotten that I have choices in how I hear a message)? And what do I do when I then become aware that I had forgotten?"
feel more alive?"
be more aware of when I am in my head and disconnected from the heart?" experience more freedom in my life?"
be able to ‘express anger fully’?"
experience greater clarity in my life?"
experience more peace in my life?"

TEACHING NONVIOLENT COMMUNICATION IN HARMONY WITH NVC PRINCIPLES

The purpose of this paragraph is to clarify clear intentions, effective presentation and openness to feedback. This involves an ability to convey our understanding of Nonviolent Communication – both to present concepts and to facilitate practice in ways that effectively support others in their learning needs.

Clear intentions include the ability to understand and live the spiritual nature of Nonviolent Communication and to demonstrate the inclusion of this spirituality into your training in a way that is comfortable and authentic for you. Also, to be able to demonstrate the distinction between the vision the Nonviolent Communication process serves and the four steps of the model.

Clear intentions also include the ability to demonstrate the inclusion of a social change component or consciousness in your Nonviolent Communication teaching and Nonviolent Communication activities, from the understanding that social and political transformation is the basic philosophy that underlies the teaching of Nonviolent Communication.

The following are questions for reflection:

CLARITY OF INTENTION IN BECOMING A CERTIFIED TRAINER:

What are the intentions behind my desire to become a Certified Trainer?
What are the intentions behind my desire to teach Nonviolent Communication?
What am I wanting to get out of (or learn from) doing this?
Do I see myself teaching the truth? Is it possible for others to have a different truth? How important is it that others agree with my teachings on Nonviolent Communication?
What is my commitment to an Nonviolent Communication regional team or to CNVC? How does my presence enrich the Nonviolent Communication community? How do I contribute to the cohesiveness, harmony or growth of the community? What motivates me to participate in a vision to create a Giraffe world?

PRESENTING AND DEMONSTRATING NONVIOLENT COMMUNICATION THEORY AND CONCEPTS: HOW DO I…

Develop my ability to communicate to others what I understand of Nonviolent Communication concepts?
Develop my ability to understand and answer others’ questions about Nonviolent Communication?
Deepen my confidence in leading a practice group or presenting a piece of the teaching?
Develop my ability to inspire others to approach me with their learning needs?

ABILITY TO PRESENT THE TEACHING EFFECTIVELY:

What do I consider to be the most important information to present?
How do I organize this material?
What kinds of teaching aids, curricula, activities, examples, etc. do I use?
How do I engage the participants’ interest?
How do I increase such qualities as clarity, comprehensiveness, compellingness, etc.?
How do I develop my skills and fluency in demonstrating the model through role-play or other illustrations during training situations?

RECEIVING AND OFFERING FEEDBACK:

How do I solicit feedback and strengthen my ability to give and receive honest feedback as a resource for my own and other people’s growth? How do I offer feedback to others in a way that is likely to meet both our needs?
How do I cultivate the capacity to offer my knowledge - including “correcting” people’s errors in a way that they welcome hearing?
How do I increase my facility to receive negative feedback (especially when directed at myself or those with whom I am identified) without hearing criticism or perceiving hostility? How do I become more receptive to the possibility of benefiting from such feedback?
When I organize or teach at Nonviolent Communication events, what kinds of interactions with others are most likely to trigger me? How would I like to be responding?

GROUP SKILLS – "HOW MIGHT I…

expand my capacity to contribute in the context of a group?"
contribute more to each person’s sense of their own power?"
contribute more to a group’s sense of purpose and community?"
contribute to depth, authenticity and honesty in a group?"
contribute to harmony, the resolution of tension and conflict, mutual understanding and cohesiveness?"
contribute more to inspiration, joy and lightness in a group?"
contribute more to focus, efficiency and order?"
develop more awareness of the feelings and needs of other people in a group?"
more fully balance my needs and those of others in a group?"
become more vulnerable in a group?"

SOME THINGS I MIGHT DO

The purpose of this section is to make suggestions to prepare for becoming a Certified Trainer. Not all these suggestions will work well for everyone. They are offered as a guide to support your learning process and as a way of monitoring your own progress and readiness.

I would dedicate a notebook to my Nonviolent Communication practice-one central place to record my learning and insights and to come back for review.
I would regularly journal about moments of “stuckness” or conflict in my life and replay them in writing, using Nonviolent Communication. For example, in recalling an interaction where I felt disconnected from another person, I would journal about what I was observing, feeling and needing at various points of the interaction. What could I have said or done differently? What prevented me from doing so at that moment? What might the other person have been observing, feeling, needing and requesting? Suppose I was frustrated with what I heard on the news: I might use my journal to draft a Giraffe letter to the media commentator. If someone praises me and I notice discomfort, I could try putting their words in my journal and translating them into Nonviolent Communication; do I then hear their message differently? I might celebrate a moment when I used Nonviolent Communication as I would have liked. Or journal about an episode of anger - “enjoying watching the Jackal show” as I scribble down all my angry thoughts. In re-reading what I wrote, I would look for “should thoughts.” Do I hear the needs hidden behind those thoughts? I would often ask myself, “What am I learning here?” I could also use the (B) questions under “Certification Readiness ABC’s” to focus some of my journal entries. Perhaps I would create imaginary scenarios and alternative ways of unfolding them through Jackal or Giraffe. I would journal about places of pain inside, connecting with my own needs, translating inner Jackal dialogues, and exploring requests I might make of myself.
I could use this journal outline:
- Feeling
- Need
- Empathic Statement (all four steps)
  1. Describe a conversation or a situation that was difficult.
  2. Then express the jackal show. Were you judging yourself? The other person?
  3. Can you restate those judgments and with each judgment identify a feeling, a need and an empathic self-statement?
  4. What did you say in response to the other person?
  5. Could you offer empathy to the other person? Did it work? If you could not offer empathy, what stopped you?
  6. What did you learn about this exchange that will support you in doing it differently in the future? What specific steps will increase your skill? (For example: " I realize that I needed to give myself empathy before I could care enough to offer him empathy. So for the next two weeks I will do a daily 5- minute self-empathy practice to deepen my skills." OR: " I will spend time this coming week staying with my feelings and deepest needs (in reflection or writing) until I feel a shift, before trying another conversation with this person.") Then, how about describing another exchange with the same person, 3-6 months down the road. What is different this time? In other words, demonstrate your Nonviolent Communication progress in real life situations.
I would find a buddy, a mentor, an Nonviolent Communication practice group or team. We would help each other develop goals and a clear structure for practice and use the materials in this packet. We would support each other in our intention to follow through with our goals and in making Nonviolent Communication practice a priority in our lives.
I would study “Certification Readiness ABC’s” and evaluate my current strengths and weaknesses. I would take one or two of the questions and concentrate on them over a defined period of time before taking another to work with. (“Work” might include contemplation, journaling, requesting feedback or doing specific practices.)
I would cultivate awareness of intention when opening my mouth – especially when I’m angry or when I have an urge to “say it anyway.” (“Say it anyway” or “do it anyway” even though I’m aware that it’s likely to contribute to alienation rather than to connection.) When I do act out of anger or the urge to “say it anyway,” I would try to overcome the tendency to defend myself and instead acknowledge my limitations with compassion. The important piece for me is not that I fail to walk my talk, but that I acknowledge when it happens.
I would practice answering the question, “What is Nonviolent Communication?” in 15 seconds. Then change it to one minute, five minutes and 15 minutes. I would stage a mock presentation introducing Nonviolent Communication in 30 minutes.
I would lead practice groups and offer Nonviolent Communication introductory presentations to small groups. From there I would organize more extended trainings (workshops), first informally, then more formally. I would video record my own presentations and study the recordings. I would ask for feedback from others for all aspects of these events. (See Feedback Form for Participant in packet of materials.)
I would practice using Nonviolent Communication in my life, especially where I have enemy images that trigger reactivity. Possible triggers might be political leaders, media commentators and letters to the editor. I would acknowledge this reaction and strive to free myself of it through self-empathy and requesting empathy from others.
I would make it a priority to attend Nonviolent Communication trainings available to me, especially by different trainers to expose myself to a range of styles and possibilities.
I would read recommended books that would help to deepen my conceptual understanding of Nonviolent Communication framework or assumptions. I would explore how these concepts apply to me (e.g. A book says our dominator system teaches us to value domination and submission. How have I internalized such values?).
I would go through CNVC materials (audios, videos, printed material), especially the resources recommended in this packet, that would support my skills as a potential trainer.
I would encourage in myself a conscious practice that involves taking time each day to notice what I appreciate in life, and to deepen my compassion and self-awareness.

SELF-QUESTIONNAIRE FOR CERTIFICATION CANDIDATES

The purpose of this section is to support the mutual exploration between Certification Candidate and Assessor of the following topics: self-awareness, self-responsibility, the importance of the value of community, and the political and spiritual philosophy (demonstrated by living in Nonviolent Communication consciousness) which is at the heart of Nonviolent Communication.

Please note that in the triad of “knowing, teaching, and living Nonviolent Communication,” this questionnaire is focused on living in Nonviolent Communication consciousness, which Assessors consider the most important and often the most difficult for Certification Candidates to demonstrate.

Am I fully aware of what time and energy this preparation for certification involves, and do I see how it fits into my work and my life?
Am I familiar with and comfortable with all the policies and procedures leading up to certification, including the guidelines for teaching Nonviolent Communication as one who is not certified, details of the certification preparation document, the latest trainer agreement, my relationship with my Assessor, how I evaluate my own progress, the importance of living in Nonviolent Communication consciousness. If you are uncomfortable with any procedure, please do not wait until pre-assessment to work it out with your Assessor.
Do I notice when I get caught reacting from the domination paradigm, and am I developing the skills to shift my consciousness?
Do I have the resources for empathy that I need to support the creation of a “sacred space” (Robert Gonzales’ term) for my interactions with my Assessor, and with others in my life?
Do I understand that after certification, I will be joining CNVC in support of its mission, and also working with an Nonviolent Communication community as an active member so that I can continue to practice living in Nonviolent Communication consciousness?
What learning edges have emerged for me by responding to this questionnaire? Where am I in my journey to become a Certified Trainer? What support might I want to request, and from whom?
Am I willing to explore the concept that each Nonviolent Communication Key Distinction is a reflection of the difference between the domination paradigm and the partnership paradigm that Nonviolent Communication offers to the world?
Am I willing to explore the concept of needs/values in terms of what values are important for me to live by (“do I walk my talk”) rather than focusing on needs as either met or not met, or that the goal of Nonviolent Communication is to get one’s needs met?

APPENDIX 1 - SUMMARY OF THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS

PRE-REGISTRATION

Potential Certification Candidate:
- reads the Preparation for Certification process in its entirely.
- contacts an Assessor
Potential Certification Candidate and Assessor:
- discuss possible working relationship and registration requirements
- discuss thoroughly the Preparing for Certification process.
- Mutual decision to work together and apply to register
- No mutual decision to work together
- If potential Certification Candidate contacts another Assessor, they inform both Assessors about this step
- Potential Candidate may contact the Certification Coordinator for further support

REGISTRATION

Potential Certification Candidate sends application to Assessor which includes:
1. Contact Info
2. Training Log (a minimum 20 days of training with Certified Trainer(s))
3. Statement of purpose
4. Recommendation from at least one Certified Trainer
5. Read and agree to: Guidelines in Preparing for Certification process; Trainer Agreement; Guidelines for Sharing NVC for people who are not Certified Trainers
6. Pay the Registration Fee
Potential Certification Candidate and Assessor:
- decide mutually to complete registration
- don’t come to mutual decision - Certification Candidate may contact the ACC to ask for support
Assessor and CNVC office:
- Assessor fills out the form, “Manage Candidates”
- CNVC office sends instructions to Certification Candidate to fill out online registration form
- CNVC office sends orientation welcome packet to Certification Candidate

PREPARATION FOR ASSESSMENT (3-5 YEARS)

Candidate
- works through the materials in this Certification Preparation Process
- attends minimum of an additional 40 days Nonviolent Communication training, including an International Intensive Training (IIT) (strongly recommended) or equivalent (minimum 50 days altogether)
- teaches Nonviolent Communication for at least two years
- asks for feedback from participants and other Certified Trainers
- reflects growth and learning from writing a journal
- Discusses the Trainer Agreement with the Assessor. May transfer to another Assessor if mutually agreed upon.

PRE-ASSESSMENT

Candidate:
- makes contact with their Assessor to schedule pre-assessment
- agrees to the Trainer Agreement
- sends pre-assessment portfolio to Assessor including:
  1. A statement of your purpose in becoming a Certified Trainer
  2. Personal journal entries
  3. Feedback forms
  4. List of the total trainings
  5. Training log
  6. Explanation of Nonviolent Communication concepts and key distinctions
  7. Pre-assessment fee
Assessor:
- asks the Certification Candidate if they have any “unfinished business” with CNVC or Nonviolent Communication community to attend to
- reviews portfolio
- solicits feedback from CNVC Educational Services team and Certified Trainers community
Candidate and Assessor:
- decide mutually on Certification Candidate’s readiness for pre-assessment
- don’t come to mutual decision
- Assessor may ask for further information before pre-assessment
- Candidate may contact ACC for appeals process
- co-create pre-assessment session together
- agree mutually at the end of pre-assessment
- Candidate goes ahead with the final assessment
- Candidate can re-apply after a minimum six months with suggested work on specific area/s
- don’t come to a mutual agreement at the end of pre-assessment: Candidate may notify Certification Coordinator for further support

ASSESSMENT

Candidate:
- makes contact to schedule assessment
- pays assessment fee to Assessor
Candidate and Assessor:
- co-create assessment session together
- agree mutually at the end of assessment
- Assessment was successful: Assessor and Certification Candidate explore learning edges for future growth and review final steps for certification
- Decision to postpone certification: Assessor and Certification Candidate discuss strategies for further preparation; Certification Candidate can re-apply after a minimum six months with suggested work on specific area/s
- don’t come to a mutual agreement at the end of assessment: Candidate may notify the Assessors Coordinating Circle for further support
Assessor announces the success of the assessment to CNVC office and writes a letter of recommendation to the Certification Coordinator

CERTIFICATION

CNVC office:
- sends Certification Candidate “Final Steps for Certification” letter
Certification Candidate:
1. Completes the administrative registration for “new Certified Trainers”
2. Fills out a form providing information about themselves
3. Sends a short biography to be included in certification announcement
4. Sends a list of Nonviolent Communication trainings received and offered during the certification process
5. Signs the Trainer Agreement and pays the Certification Fee to CNVC
CNVC staff:
- updates records, adds to website and Global Home
- announces certification of new Certified Trainers on the Global Home and through email announcement to Certified Trainers and Candidates.
CELEBRATION!!! with new Certified Trainer, CNVC staff, Educational Services team, and the Certified Trainer community

TRAINER AGREEMENT FOR CERTIFIED TRAINERS

CREATED MARCH 2023 (EFFECTIVE UNTIL UPDATED)

The purpose of this agreement is to create alignment and synergy between the Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC) and Certified Trainers (CTs), and to help everyone involved be more successful in sharing Nonviolent Communication in the world.

Please read this Agreement and if you agree, sign at the end. If you have questions, email us at certification@cnvc.org

PREAMBLE

The Center for Nonviolent Communication is a global organization that supports the learning and sharing of Nonviolent Communication, and helps people peacefully and effectively resolve conflicts in personal, organizational, and political settings.

CNVC is a 501©(3) tax-exempt, nonprofit organization registered in the United States, in the state of Texas.

CNVC is a steward of the integrity of the Nonviolent Communication process and a nexus point of Nonviolent Communication-related information and resources, including training, conflict resolution, projects and organizational consulting services. CNVC’s mission is to contribute to more sustainable, compassionate, and “life-serving” human relations in the realms of personal change, interpersonal relationship and in social systems and structures, such as business/economics, education, justice, healthcare, and peace-keeping. Nonviolent Communication work is being done in over 65 countries and growing, touching the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

Certified Trainers are people who CNVC has determined, according to the organization’s assessment process, as living and embodying the values and principles of Nonviolent Communication. In addition, CTs can articulate the key principles and can share Nonviolent Communication in a way that is consistent with the process created by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg. Even after being certified, CNVC asks CTs to continue to learn and integrate Nonviolent Communication principles as part of a continuing education process.

CNVC asks CTs to embrace the process of learning and living the Nonviolent Communication consciousness and therefore contributes in whatever ways possible within the limits of willingness and capacity in local and/or international community projects, volunteering in CNVC governing bodies (circles, committees, or task forces), thereby multiplying the chances of nurturing paradigm shifts from life-alienating to life-enriching on all levels.

AGREEMENT

The purpose of this agreement is to establish alignment and to create synergy between CNVC and CTs, and to help everyone involved be more successful in their missions.

This agreement between CNVC and CTs grants the CT the right to use the trademark and service mark of CNVC, as well as other benefits as identified in Appendix 1, along with a request of the CT to fill out the Annual Trainer Survey which enables CNVC to:

Celebrate the contributions that trainers are making throughout the world and make them more visible;
Gather data that helps us to track what type of impact we are having, and with which groups of people (this helps us when seeking funding for projects);
Collect best practices and share them to support trainers;
Understand the factors that help trainers to thrive and enjoy their work (and factors that get in the way of this).
Fully align intention, behavior, and commitments between all parties. This includes clarity about processes when the agreement is not upheld.

I. HOW WE WANT TO LIVE AND SHARE NONVIOLENT COMMUNICATION

By signing this agreement, as a CT I agree to align my actions with the CNVC Mission Statement, Code of Ethics, and Goals:

1. MISSION STATEMENT AND CODE OF ETHICS

CNVC strives for all of our operations, activities, and programs to be based on mutual consideration of human needs in harmony with the consciousness of Nonviolent Communication. Therefore, CNVC longs for all relationships with Certified Trainers and participants to be based on honesty and empathy within the context of keeping to this Trainer Agreement.

2. OUR GOAL

CNVC’s goal is to continue developing and supporting a strong growing community of Certified Trainers who use their skills toward nurturing a more peaceful world.

3. OUR UNDERSTANDING OF QUALITY

The more Certified Trainers value Nonviolent Communication consciousness in their teaching and living, the more effective the whole Nonviolent Communication community will be in reaching our goal of creating a more peaceful world.

In order to live the values of Nonviolent Communication, CNVC asks Certified Trainers to maintain an ongoing process of personal development, supporting each other by exchanging materials, giving and receiving feedback and offering empathy, and exploring ways to develop new training designs and materials. CNVC encourages Certified Trainers in the Annual Trainer Survey to share information about their work.

4. RESPECT TOWARDS PARTICIPANTS

Certified Trainers agree to work with their participants in harmony with the values of mutual trust, safety and respect. CNVC holds a core value that Certified Trainers maintain a high degree of personal integrity in, and awareness of, their role and responsibilities when teaching, evaluating, supervising or advising a participant and especially when boundaries are being tested and relationships being formed.

5. HOLDING BOUNDARIES

In the course of Nonviolent Communication events, it is possible that participants and trainers alike may feel an unexpected level of emotional intensity, intimacy, or vulnerability, and may wish to express these feelings as sexual contact. CNVC wants to model and stand for integrity, responsibility, consideration, and care towards event participants, CT candidates, and communities, in order to create safer learning spaces. CNVC wants to raise awareness around:

power dynamics that come into play.
impact of a relationship (sexual, romantic, or other) across power differences.
vulnerability of people who step into potentially emotionally-charged environments.

Therefore, Certified Trainers agree to the following:
Abstain from sexual contact with training participants, private students, coachees or clients during Nonviolent Communication events and for a period of 6 months after the professional relationship has ended. If a Certified Trainer develops romantic or sexual feelings for a participant, or if a participant expresses such feelings for a CT, we ask the CT to seek support and offer transparency within the training team or personal support circle to find a way to care for everyone without getting further involved. Openness to feedback is essential to minimize blind spots. For more information and depth about this request, please refer to the guidelines in the Sex and Intimacy, document that appears in the Certification Preparation Packet.

6. INCLUSION AND CREATING A SPACE FOR EVERYONE

CNVC and Certified Trainers agree to remain aware and mindful in creating inclusivity, celebrating diversity, and maintaining equality and fairness for all participants with regard to their color, race, religion, class, gender, age, ability, and political beliefs and to support participants to make their needs known. CNVC and CT’s strive to include participants and trainers from countries and groups that have been historically disenfranchised and promote economic accessibility for all to join CNVC events and resources.

We ask that trainers create spaces that are strong enough to hold many perspectives, needs, and honest expressions of every participant, including the cultural beliefs and practices that the people present have brought with them. Essentially, we are aiming for containers that welcome freedom of expression, vulnerable sharing, and honoring and caring for everyone’s vulnerability. If requests around confidentiality arise, we ask trainers to navigate this with participants in a way that encourages the formulation of requests and agreements that work for the situation and everyone present.

7. CONFLICT OF INTEREST

CNVC defines a conflict of interest as a situation in which a person or organization is involved in multiple interests, financial or otherwise, and serving one interest could involve working against another, or have perceived or real personal gain or gain to a connected person.

Certified Trainers agree to disclose any contract or professional role that may impact their personal, professional, legal or financial interests, as well as any relationship that may compromise their objectivity, competence, or effectiveness in performing their duties as a CT. Furthermore, CTs agree to enter into an open and transparent discussion on how to manage any perceived or actual conflicts of interest.

8. RESOLUTION OF CONFLICTS AND DISPUTES

We acknowledge that concerns, complaints, disagreements, and disputes may arise within the network, with participants or between CNVC and CTs concerning this agreement. CTs, Board Members, and the Executive Director agree to address these issues with the people concerned in the first instance, and at the earliest opportunity, as an informal attempt to find an acceptable solution between the parties. CTs, Board Members, and the Executive Director also agree that if any one of us are approached to resolve an issue we will engage to the best of our ability in finding resolution. This means that when it is needed, CTs, Board Members, and the Executive Director agree to seek support within the network from a person or conflict transformation group that is mutually acceptable to all parties involved. It is our hope that this approach will result in a resolution that is satisfactory to everyone involved.

If conflicts occur that are not resolved and are creating harm to CNVC, CTs, and/or Board Members, CNVC might temporarily suspend the trainer’s active status until they are willing to engage in a conflict resolution process (or mediation) with those who are being impacted by their actions. In the event that the parties cannot come to a resolution and a third party is needed, CNVC will engage an arbitrator from the International Centre for Dispute Resolution and all parties agree to abide by the outcome of this process.

In the event that any controversy, claim, or dispute between the parties arising out of or related to the arbitration process or the Trainer Agreement which is not solved by any of the methods described above, the dispute will be understood and interpreted according to the laws and legal statutes of the State of Texas, Travis County, United States. Because CNVC is registered in the United States, State of Texas, ultimately we are subject to their laws even though some Nonviolent Communication principles differ from the principles of these legal systems. Our hope is that using these systems is a last resort, and that we can use Nonviolent Communication principles to find a mutually satisfactory solution.

II. GRANTING CERTIFICATION

By signing this agreement, CTs agree to align their intentions and actions with the terms and conditions outlined in Section I above. In response, CNVC grants the CT the non-exclusive and non-assignable right to use the name, registered trademark and service mark, and training materials of CNVC.

1. RESERVATION OF RIGHTS

Except for the title of “CNVC Certified Trainer” or “Certified Trainer” specifically granted by this Agreement, CNVC reserves all rights in its name, registered trademark and service mark, and copyrighted training materials.

2. GOODWILL OF CNVC

It is expressly agreed by the parties that an important asset of CNVC is its goodwill and that it may become necessary for the CT to take action to protect that goodwill. If CNVC becomes aware of reasonable grounds to believe actions of the CT may cause damage to CNVC’s goodwill, CNVC is free to take action to notify the CT of the injury, loss or harm and seek to solve the problem using the Nonviolent Communication process.

3. TERM OF AGREEMENT

This Agreement is in effect until CNVC updates it. Each year on the Annual Trainer Survey, CNVC will ask each trainer to reaffirm that they are willing to act in alignment with this Trainer Agreement. An opportunity will be provided on the survey to give feedback or make suggestions for changes to future versions of this Agreement.

III. RELATIONSHIP OF THE PARTIES LIMITATION

It is understood and agreed by the parties that this Agreement does not create a partnership, joint venture, agency, employment, or fiduciary relationship of any kind between them, and nothing in this Agreement is intended to make either party a general or special agent, joint venturer, partner, or employee of the other for any purpose.

1. NO LIABILITY LEGAL AND FINANCIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PARTIES

Certified Trainers are practitioners who are affiliated with CNVC through the Certification process. When CNVC designates people as CTs, the organization provides credibility and visibility to them as people who the organization trusts and recommends to the general public to share Nonviolent Communication.

Each trainer operates independently in their own business structures from a financial and legal standpoint. CNVC encourages trainers to establish business structures, acquire liability insurance when it is relevant, and use resources that support them in their work of sharing NVC in the world. However, CNVC does not currently provide these resources for CTs.

CNVC assumes no liability for any debt or obligation incurred, or warranty, guarantee, or representation given by the Certified Trainer in connection with the use of their status of Certified Trainer as described in this Agreement. CTs indemnify CNVC against all claims, liabilities, and costs arising from CNVC Certified Trainer malpractice or conduct which is not in harmony with the values of NVC or the contents of this agreement. In addition, CNVC recommends that CTs obtain professional liability insurance.

IV. NOTIFICATION OF BREACH OF AGREEMENT

CNVC may issue a Notification of Breach of Agreement if the organization has reasonable grounds to believe that the CT has taken actions that could damage the reputation of CNVC, or has taken actions which create liability issues for CNVC.

1. METHOD OF NOTIFICATION

The CT will be notified by email, using the email address provided by the CT to CNVC and will be asked to respond within 14 days. It is the responsibility of the CT to ensure that their email address is up to date in the CNVC database.

2. PROCESS

When CNVC perceives that a CT has violated one or more terms of this agreement, one Board Member and the Executive Director will reach out to the CT to discuss the situation, explore solutions, and seek to make agreements that address the organization’s concerns and also is consistent with the CT’s needs.

If this does not lead to a mutually satisfying result, the next step is to initiate a restorative process to which the following parties are invited:

CT who is perceived to have violated the Trainer Agreement
Person who is perceiving the violation of the Trainer Agreement
One or more Board Members
Executive Director
Facilitator trained in Nonviolent Communication-based restorative practices or mediation and agreeable to all parties (if a person cannot be agreed upon by CNVC and the CT, the Programs Resource Circle will be asked to appoint a facilitator)

If the CT who is perceived to have violated the Trainer Agreement is not willing to participate in the Restorative Circle, or if the Restorative Circle does not result in mutually agreeable outcome, CNVC will engage an arbitrator from the International Centre for Dispute Resolution and all parties agree to abide by the outcome of this process.

V. SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF CERTIFIED TRAINER STATUS

If procedures for addressing the issues as described above have failed, CNVC will notify the CT that their status as a Certified Trainer is suspended. Notification shall be by the method deemed to be the most likely to give actual notice to CT and will include email notification.

1. DUTY OF CT UPON NOTIFICATION OF SUSPENSION

Upon receiving notification from CNVC that this Agreement is suspended, the CT shall immediately cease to use any of the items in connection with the promotion or delivery of CT’s training activities, including but not limited to the following:

Use of the CNVC logo
Claiming that they are a current CNVC Certified Trainer

2. ELIGIBILITY FOR RESTORATION OF CERTIFIED TRAINER STATUS AFTER SUSPENSION

The CT is not disqualified from consideration for a renewed agreement by CNVC in the future as a result of having been suspended, and the decision regarding the appropriateness of future status is fully within the discretion of CNVC and will be exercised in a manner consistent with the Mission and Code of Ethics of CNVC.

VI. OTHER PROVISIONS

1. ADDRESSES FOR NOTIFICATIONS

Any notice required by this Agreement will be deemed to have been properly delivered to a party if sent by certified mail or electronic mail to the address of the respective party as set forth below.

2. ADDRESS OF CNVC

Center for Nonviolent Communication
1401 Lavaca Street
Suite 873
Austin, Texas 78701 United States
Email address: cnvc@cnvc.org

3. SUPPORT OF CNVC

The CT agrees to make an annual financial contribution to CNVC in order to support the organization’s subsistence, and to support CTs around the world by creating visibility of CTs and serving as a central hub for the global Nonviolent Communication network.

To support the organization’s sustainability, CNVC requests an Annual Trainer Contribution in the amount of USD $300 or more. If, due to personal, economic, or structural circumstances, a CT is unable to pay this amount, CNVC asks the CT to contribute an amount after considering the following factors:

Ability to pay: How much financial resources do you have access to?
Desire to support CNVC: How much would you like to give, to support the sharing of Nonviolent Communication in the world?
The value that you receive: How is your life enriched by being associated with CNVC? In what ways does being a Certified Trainer help you share Nonviolent Communication in the world?

CNVC asks you to choose an amount that is a modest stretch for you, but that also allows you to maintain your sustainability and well being. Even if the amount that you will pay is $0, we ask you to state on the Annual Trainer Survey the amount that you will contribute as a form of engagement and participation. Among other things, this gives CNVC important information about trainers to learn from.

The Annual Trainer Contribution supports the cost of the CNVC certification program and related activities, as well as maintaining the CNVC website, record-keeping, referrals, supporting access and community connection for Certified Trainers. Once you fill out the Annual Trainer Survey, you will receive instructions for how to make your Annual Trainer Contribution.

4. CHANGE IN CERTIFICATION STATUS

Certified Trainers may resign their role as a Certified Trainer at any time by informing the CNVC Certification Department in writing at certification@cnvc.org. A Trainer who has withdrawn and subsequently wishes to reinstate their Certified Trainer status agrees to contact the Certification Department and agree the steps to reinstatement before signing the Trainer Agreement.

5. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT/AUTHORISATION

I have read and understand the Mission Statement and Code of Ethics, as well as all other terms and conditions of this Agreement as set forth above. By my signature below, I acknowledge that a material element of the consideration for the grant of the status/title as CNVC Certified Trainer is my promise that I will use my best efforts to align my actions in relation to my activities as a CNVC Certified Trainer with the Mission and Code of Ethics of CNVC and that my failure to do so shall be considered a material breach of contract and grounds to suspend the certification granted.

I acknowledge that I have had the opportunity to consult with an attorney or any other legal advisor prior to signing.

This Agreement shall become effective only after the signing and delivery of this Agreement by each of the Parties and no other course of conduct, oral agreement or written memoranda shall bind the Parties with respect to the subject matter contained in this Agreement except this Agreement itself. This Agreement may be signed and delivered by way of electronic signature and delivery, which when delivered, shall function as the original.

Each individual signing this Agreement on behalf of a Party has been duly authorized and empowered to sign and deliver this Agreement.

APPENDIX 1: BENEFITS PROVIDED BY CNVC TO TRAINERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AGREEMENT

1. CNVC PERFORMS THE FOLLOWING FUNCTIONS THAT SUPPORT CTS:

Maintains the cnvc.org website
Responds to general public enquiries
Refers requests and business opportunities to CTs
Maintains a virtual bookstore / online shop of Nonviolent Communication educational materials for sale (sales are fulfilled by other distributors)
Creates and sponsors intensive trainings (IITs) and other CNVC-organized events
Helps the public connect to Certified Trainers
Provides administrative support for the certification program, including supporting candidates and assessors
Offers administrative support when trainers are addressing conflicts.

2. Designation as a “CNVC Certified Trainer”

including use of the names “CNVC” and “The Center for Nonviolent Communication” along with the CNVC logo and branding.

3. Attendance at trainings sponsored by CNVC

such as International Intensive Trainings (IITs) without tuition charge or at discounted tuition charge may be available depending on CNVC resources to the extent there is space available. CNVC may at its discretion limit the number of places available. CTs are responsible for their travel, accommodation, and other costs.

4. Consideration to be part of IIT Trainer Teams

subject to eligibility which includes being current with the annual renewal steps for CTs. IIT Trainers are contracted and paid by CNVC provided that the CT has completed and submitted the most recent Annual Trainer Survey and has made their Annual Trainer Contribution (see section VI 3 of this document)

5. Use of www.cnvc.org and specific functions dedicated to CNVC Certified Trainer support including:

Post and promote profile information in a searchable database of trainers.
Post and promote upcoming events in an online training schedule.
Email CNVC supporters with agreed and approved content that includes notices of upcoming training, and promotion of Nonviolent Communication-related events.
Access to the Certified Trainers Global Home, for sharing materials and curriculum, offering and receiving training advice and seeking support.

6. Automatic Membership

In addition, and in accordance with the bylaws adopted on 09-Aug-2020 all Certified Trainers (“CTs”) are automatically Members of CNVC. Each Member eligible for voting will have one vote on all matters put forward for voting. CTs will be eligible for voting when they comply with the requirements of the CNVC Trainer Agreement relevant for the year in question.
The Member Voting Rights relate to:

election of Board Members
amendment of Bylaws
decisions at a Special Purpose meeting.

7. Legal Usage of Marks

After signing this agreement, Certified Trainers may legally use:

The name “Center for Nonviolent Communication” or CNVC.
The logo of the Center for Nonviolent Communication.
Training Materials containing the name or logo of CNVC.
The title, “Certified Trainer with the Center for Nonviolent Communication” or “CNVC Certified Trainer.”

APPENDIX 2: AGREEMENTS THAT CERTIFIED TRAINERS MAKE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AGREEMENT

In Accordance with the Agreement, Certified Trainers will:

Maintain the core values of the Nonviolent Communication process. Clearly distinguish Nonviolent Communication from other teachings, concepts, skills, methods or philosophies, even if they are consistent with Nonviolent Communication.
Support a consistent and clear connection with, and recognition of, CNVC. Exhibit presence in the international community by mentioning CNVC on any Nonviolent Communication media or materials you produce such as business cards, signatures, brochures, and websites. The signature “CNVC Certified Trainer” or equivalent translation.
Mutually support other members of the CNVC Certified Trainer community by:
- Sharing handouts and other training support materials with one another and with CNVC, with credit given to the original creator.
- Contacting Certified Trainers and Nonviolent Communication communities before you initiate in-person public Nonviolent Communication events in their region for potential collaboration, connection, and follow-up.
- Collaborating with other CTs in your region and coordinating events in new areas whenever feasible or possible.
Support Ongoing Learning by:
- Requesting feedback from training participants.
- Offering feedback to your fellow Certified Trainers, CNVC Staff, and community members so everyone can grow in our understanding of the consciousness of Nonviolent Communication and in our skill to promote Nonviolent Communication awareness in the world.
- Working with and attending workshops of other Certified Trainers, and offering attendance to other CNVC Members without fee or at a reduced cost.
- Participating in a Nonviolent Communication community. We strongly encourage you to participate in existing Nonviolent Communication communities in your region and/or to form them when possible, in order to learn, grow, and collaborate with your colleagues.
Support CNVC’s mission by contributing to connection. For example, offer trainings or mediation skills to resolve conflicts, and facilitate connections with other Certified Trainers for additional support.
Consider supporting CNVC’s mission by making additional financial contributions if you have the financial means to do so. Financial or “in kind” contributions to CNVC or regional and local groups helps to promote the spread of Nonviolent Communication in the world. Aside from the agreed CNVC Certified Trainer contribution referred to in the section called ‘Support of CNVC’ we ask you to make additional contributions where it is given freely and allows you to maintain your financial sustainability.

I agree to the terms and conditions described above to be a CNVC Certified Trainer starting which will remain in effect until a new Trainer Agreement is created by CNVC.

This Trainer Agreement was revised by a Task Force that worked from October 2022 to February 2023 and was co-chaired by Lorna Ritchie, Certified Trainer (Germany) and Jeff Brown, Executive Director (United States).

APPENDIX 3 - FORMS

Training Log: Record Nonviolent Communication events when you were offering training or assisting others.

FEEDBACK FORM FOR CNVC-TRAINERS AND OTHER NONVIOLENT COMMUNICATION COMMUNITY MEMBERS

Name of Certification Candidate:
My name:
Email:
Phone:
My relationship to the Certification Candidate:
Date:

As part of the preparation process for becoming a Certified Trainer, Certification Candidates are encouraged to solicit feedback from trainers, group members, teammates, mentors, and colleagues in order to support the Certification Candidate’s growing self-awareness.

Briefly describe specific observations (what did the Certification Candidate do or say?), along with what need of yours was met or not met, that would apply to any of the following areas:

Open to exploring new ideas and concepts
Involved and active in discussions and exercises
Ability to receive empathy
Ability to offer empathy
Able to stay in the present moment
Celebrated and recognized new awarenesses and learning new skills

PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK FORM

Name of the Certification Candidate:
My name:
Email:
Phone:
Title of event:
Date:
Online or in-person (if in-person, describe the location):

As part of the preparation process for becoming a Certified Trainer, Certification Candidates are encouraged to solicit feedback from participants of practice groups or trainings which the Candidate is leading or assisting with.

Was the Certification Candidate (select one):

Lead trainer
Co-trainer
Assistant trainer

Answer these questions:

How helpful was this training (or this Certification Candidate’s contribution to the training)? In what ways was it helpful? In what ways might it be improved?
What was your level of satisfaction with the way the Certification Candidate presented the material and responded to your questions and concerns? In particular, what did the Certification Candidate do or say to contribute to your satisfaction or dissatisfaction?
How comfortable and connected did you feel at this training, and what, if anything, did the Certification Candidate do or say that contributed to that experience?

APPENDIX 4: GUIDELINES FOR SHARING NONVIOLENT COMMUNICATION

When people experience the impact of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) in their lives, often they want to share what they have learned with others. It is our dream that through our efforts together, people and organizational structures throughout the world will deepen in their capacity to relate peacefully and serve life more fully. We welcome your to participate in spreading the dream about the vision of NVC, and we want to inspire you to share authentically and creatively from your heart.

The following questions are often asked by individuals who want to share their understanding of NVC with individuals, groups, and organizations.

IF YOU WANT TO ENCOURAGE ANYONE TO SHARE NVC, WHY DO YOU CREATE CNVC CERTIFIED TRAINERS?

Our intention is to encourage people to pass on their valuable learning in ways that are meaningful to them. We promote the teaching of NVC through our trainer certification program because we want to protect the integrity of NVC as a body of teaching. We do this by fostering a community of CNVC Certified Trainers who have the shared experience of the CNVC certification process.

Through the certification process, we develop a relationship with and trust CNVC Certified Trainers to communicate the purposes and the intent of Nonviolent Communication in an accurate, thorough, consistent and reliable way. CNVC Certified Trainers are asked to stay in community with CNVC and other CNVC Certified Trainers, and to make a yearly commitment to support the work and mission of CNVC, along with other agreements that can be found in the CNVC Trainer Agreement.

SO ANYONE CAN SHARE THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES REGARDING NVC?

Yes! We appreciate you sharing from your experiences and clarifying that your experience is based on your own understanding of Nonviolent Communication. When you share your experiences using any of the trademarked terms listed below, we request that you acknowledge and mention local or regional NVC organizations and CNVC Certified Trainers, as well as provide CNVC contact information, www.cnvc.org.

CAN WE ADVERTISE OR SET UP FORMAL MEETINGS REGARDING NONVIOLENT COMMUNICATION?

If you are sharing your NVC experiences through a presentation such as a workshop or practice group, we request that you refrain from using the following terms in the headings, titles, or subtitles of your workshops, materials or media promoting your work such as business cards, brochures, email addresses or Internet domain names. However, feel free to use these terms as you share NVC, and in the body of your materials or media promoting your work.

We have heard requests to create a list of alternative names and/or titles for use by those who are not CNVC Certified Trainers. We would like to support you in your creativity, choice, and freedom to find titles that describe your intent and your own personal focus; we feel that creating a specific list of alternatives might be more limiting than supportive. Instead, we encourage you to be as creative as possible, and we are reminded that there are so many other ways to express the beauty that NVC can bring to our lives.

The trademarked terms include:

Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life
The Center for Nonviolent Communication
CNVC

CAN WE SAY THAT WE ARE “NVC TRAINERS”?

CNVC Certified Trainers are identified as being sponsored by CNVC through use of the term “CNVC Certified Trainer” which signifies their connection with CNVC. In order to avoid any confusion regarding sponsorship, we request that you use terms that are free of the implication of certification or sponsorship by CNVC or any of the first set of trademarked terms listed above on any media or materials such as business cards, brochures, email addresses and website names.

We request that you inform those that you share your NVC experiences with that you are not certified by CNVC as a trainer; however, feel free to provide information about your own work, NVC training, and life experiences.

IS THAT ALL? DO YOU WANT ANY FINANCIAL RETURN FROM MY WORKSHOPS?

We would enjoy receiving a donation from you as an expression of the giving and receiving spirit in which we hope you are sharing your NVC experience. These funds support CNVC in its mission to make NVC available throughout the world.

MAY I SHARE MATERIALS PRODUCED BY CNVC OR CNVC TRAINERS WHEN I DO PRESENTATIONS?

Please engage in a dialogue with CNVC before using these materials. Most materials are produced for specific types of training, and we find that the clarity and integrity of these materials are best received when offered within the context for which they were developed. To use materials created by an individual, please check with that person first.

If you use or produce your own materials, please refer to “Nonviolent Communication” as you share your experiences, indicating the materials and content are “based on the work of Dr. Marshall Rosenberg and the Center for Nonviolent Communication”

If you still have questions, we will do our best to answer them. If you have needs that would not be met by agreeing to these guidelines, please contact the CNVC office for further dialogue before you or your group proceeds outside these guidelines. We look forward to working with you in our quest to create a more peaceful world.

CNVC Educational Services Team
Center for Nonviolent Communication
30-Nov-2016

APPENDIX 5: SEX AND INTIMACY IN NVC TRAINING. CERTIFICATION GUIDELINE

This document is an attachment to the CPP as of 20-Sep-2021. It has been updated with the feedback from the CT community on 20-Jan-2023.

INTRODUCTION

This document is a resource for the certification process of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) trainers. Its aim is to support assessors, CTs and candidates in deepening awareness around the topic of sex and intimacy in NVC training - especially in relationships with power differentials. The intention is to ensure that the focus of the training remains on learning and to minimize the risk of harm, confusion, or trauma resulting from sexual or romantic relationships during the training.

The document includes requests for new trainers and provides a framework for further discussion and exploration of the topic in the entire community of CNVC trainers. In order to further address this issue, we recommend:

Assessors share this document with candidates at the start of the assessor-candidate relationship
Invite candidates to write journal entries and discuss the topic with peers and their mentors
Encourage transparency and openness during the assessment process
Include this document in the AIT guidelines
Assessors collect strategies for bringing awareness to the topic and commit to training and understanding the topic
Holding an event for Assessors/AITs to learn about key elements of the topic and practice addressing power differentials.

We see this document as a starting point. It has been handed over to the CNVC board, the Program Resource Circle and the newly formed workgroup revising the trainer’s agreement to consider the following proposals:

Including a version of this document in the trainers’ agreement
Creating a training program for current and future Certified Trainers and Assessors;
Offering a version of this document to participants in NVC trainings;
Setting up a body to investigate allegations of harm by CNVC trainers, for example an ombudsperson.

These proposals aim to address power dynamics within the context of the assessor-candidate relationship as well as within the relationship between CNVC trainers, organizers, and participants.

INTENTION

We want to model integrity and responsibility towards NVC workshop participants, Certified Trainer candidates, and communities to ensure that the focus of NVC training remains on learning and to minimize the risk of harm, confusion, or trauma resulting from any kind of sexual contact or romantic relationships between trainers, assistants, and participants; especially across power differentials.

Therefore, we aim to:

Raise awareness about how power dynamics impact attraction and relationships between trainers, assessors, assessors-in-training, organizers, CNVC staff, and participants.
Increase understanding of the impact that intimate relationships across power differences (e.g. between those with structural power and a participant) can have on trust, safety, and the ability to focus on learning within a group. And promote responsibility for the impact that comes with positions of greater power.
Help trainers and assessors understand the vulnerability of people who may be entering emotionally charged environments for the first time and sometimes mixing the experience of ‘being met with deep empathy’ with ‘love at first sight’. We want to support them and provide a holding space for their experience.
Ensure that trainers and assessors are trauma-aware. While most of us have been affected by ancestral, collective and personal trauma, some people with experience of harm may not be aware of their own vulnerability.

As trainers, our purpose is to serve personal development and support healing - this is the implicit agreement we have with participants. This agreement has been made explicit for IITs and we want to make it explicit in regards to all NVC training. If a relationship between a trainer and a participant becomes sexual or romantic, it may negatively impact the participant’s personal development process.

Why? Because such a shift in intentions, towards sex or other interests (such as friendship or business relationships), means the trainer is also prioritizing their own needs for pleasure, connection, or sexual expression, in addition to the need for contribution. We believe it is challenging to attend to both sets of needs simultaneously. Also, feelings of infatuation and sexual attraction that arise from shifts in relationships can obscure the needs that initially prompted individuals to participate in the training.

Agreements made by participants or trainers with their partners, families, communities, etc. may be disregarded in this state and agreements may be broken without consideration of potential consequences for specific participants, other participants, and those outside the training. Additionally, such a shift also impacts the whole group of participants and can have a ripple effect on the entire CNVC community of CTs. We ask all of us trainers to grow in awareness of this shift and its implications for our responsibility as CNVC trainers.

Trauma Definition: “a lasting rupture or split within the self due to difficult and hurtful events. This psychic injury, lodged in the nervous system, mind, and body, lasting long past the originating incident(s), triggerable at any moment. It is a constellation of hardships, composed of the wound itself and the residual burdens that the woundedness imposes on the body and soul: the unresolved emotions visiting upon a person; the coping dynamics they dictate, the scripts they live out” - definition by Gabor Mate “The myth of normal”.

Trauma is a universal human experience, which pervades our culture - from personal to systemic levels. Given that “trauma is not what happens to a person, but rather what happens inside a person as a result of an event(s)” - the availability and the quality of a post-traumatic event support is very important. The effects of trauma may reside below the threshold of awareness for individuals, and as NVC is an awareness-increasing strategy, impacts from old pain may rise to the surface in a workshop/training/coaching/mentoring environment.

“Aware” means a basic understanding of trauma and direct experience with working with one’s own trauma. It may also include awareness of the distinction between post-traumatic stress (which results in lack of resources to attend to the needs arising) and post-traumatic growth (the resource is available to attend and contribute to needs that arise).

OUR REQUESTS

Our strong requests are as follows:

Assessors, CTs, and candidates refrain from getting involved in romantic or sexual relationships with participants (including candidates and CTs) during a training or during the interim between “connected trainings” (e.g. 1-year or 9-month programs that include occasional retreats).
We recommend maintaining this responsibility for 6 months to 2 years after the training (if you are unsure about this recommendation, consult a mentor or supervisor with experience in this field).
If a trainer or assessor develops romantic or sexual feelings for a participant, or if a participant expresses such feelings for a trainer or assessor, we ask the trainer (assessor, etc.) to seek support and offer transparency within the training team or personal support circle to find a way to care for everyone without getting further involved. Openness to feedback is essential to minimize blind spots.
If a participant speaks to a trainer or assessor about their feelings, we ask the trainer to acknowledge the participant’s vulnerability, recognize that this is a common occurrence, and refrain from discussing their own feelings. If possible - propose a co-trainer to step in to offer deep empathy to the participant so as to shift the focus of attention.
In the event that a participant makes declarations of love or intimate invitations, or if a trainer has strong romantic feelings towards a participant (including CTs and candidates), we ask the trainer to conduct a “reality check”. It is common for self-deception or confusion to occur in these situations, so it can be helpful to explore these questions with the support of someone else on the team to clarify your thoughts, feelings, and needs:
- Are you aware of unmet needs in your life that may affect your commitment to your role as trainer and that may increase your vulnerability?
- Are you flattered and do not want to miss out on this opportunity, or do you feel like this is your only chance?
- Are you only seeing the positive aspects of this person or the potential relationship? Do you find yourself enjoying everything the participant says, feeling drawn to them, and coming up with reasons to be near them or interact with them?
- Do you think the participant would have approached you if you had met in a different context where you were not in a trainer or assessor role?
- Is the participant showing up in many of your sessions, sitting closer to you, or finding reasons to talk with you? Do you have any indication that they may be placing you on a pedestal?
To address declarations of love or intimate invitations, or if you have strong romantic feelings towards a participant, we recommend the following steps:
- Communicate about it: Share and reflect on the situation with colleagues or a mentor/co-trainer. By discussing these topics, you can reduce their subtle power and influence.
- Be honest about your experience, but DO NOT discuss your own feelings with the participant in question during the training.

If you choose to pursue a romantic or sexual relationship with a participant during a training, it is strongly recommended that you step down from your role as a trainer, assessor, CT, or candidate.

If you disagree with any of the statements in this document or if you encounter resistance, please discuss your concerns with your assessor, mentor, or supervisor and engage with your community to explore the topic in more depth.

We propose an agreement that includes a high threshold for maintaining the integrity of CNVC: If a trainer, assessor, CT or a candidate chooses to pursue a romantic/sexual relationship during a training, they will no longer be considered a trainer or assessor and become a participant in the training. However, it is noted that we request this proposal be addressed more fully with the Assessor Community Circle, CNVC board, and other relevant parties before it is implemented. It is currently only being proposed.

FRAMEWORK AND RESOURCES

The quality of the relationship between trainers and participants, or between assessors and candidates, is essential for the learning process in NVC because we prioritize connection. Additionally, the trainer - participant relationship can become blurred, depending on how we live the “power-with” principle (i.e. the trainer may believe they connect as fellow human beings and thus are equal and overlook where roles/power differentials call for different responsibility within the relationship).

This applies also to a relationship between a participant and an organizer or or other individuals with more access to resources i.e. power within the training context (including between people with different degrees of structural power and rank - like a trainer and an assistant). It may be helpful to view such relationships as asymmetric. It is important for trainers and organizers to consider how they approach and interact with participants in such relationships, both during and after a training, in order to acknowledge and address any power differences.

The relationship is not equal because of the following dynamics (this dynamics also applies to relationships between people with different degrees of structural power and rank within the training team, where the power/rank difference is even more subtle than between a trainer and a participant):

Trainer / Assessor / Organizer / Host	Participant
guides (creates structure, framework and context for the training; invites cocreation)	participates, co-creates within the frames
invited by the trainer, commits themselves	pays for the training
is paid for the training	learns, receives, shares own insights
shares knowledge and experience, invites dialogue	self-reflects
questions routine patterns	opens up to the process
secures the space (takes responsibility for the emotional and physical well-being of all attending)	explores own vulnerability
takes care of own vulnerability and invites others to explore their vulnerability	receives feedback and coaching
offers feedback and coaching	offers feedback about their needs around the workshop
asks for feedback about the needs of participants around the workshop	receives assistance in development
intends to serve personal development / healing	possibly idealizes / devalues
in the “spotlight” to be idealized / devalued

During training (and for a period of time afterwards), it is important for trainers to own their role, take responsibility for power imbalances and create a learning environment that promotes trust. Our recommendation is to maintain this responsibility for 6 months to 2 years after the training. If feelings of attraction arise for a trainer, it is important to address them with the support of a mentor or colleague (e.g. if the lead trainer is struggling with sexual feelings) and with high priority.

It is important to consider the potential consequences of sexual or romantic relationships between trainers, assistants, and participants in NVC trainings, which may include:

Difficulty thinking clearly and staying focused, potentially leading to confusion of roles and aims
Tendency to hide or obscure one’s own limitations, vulnerabilities, etc.
Attempting to please or posture, which may have unintended effects
Focusing on gaining attention at the expense of other participants
Not seeing the other person as a whole individual with both strengths and edges.

There are several potential effects of sexual or romantic relationships between trainers, assistants, and participants in NVC trainings, including:

Difficulty for the trainer to take responsibility for the processes of the participants, particularly when distress arises
Other participants in the group or as individuals may receive less attention, care, or other resources
The trainer may want to offer excessive attention and believe they can make a unique difference in the participant’s life, leading to an unhealthy and unbalanced power dynamic
The trust of the participants in the trainer may be compromised
Imbalance in the group due to “preference” may trigger self-protection responses or trauma reactions among other participants, such as anger, jealousy, or envy
Undisclosed relationships may be sensed subconsciously within the group and compromise the needs for clarity, transparency, and trust, even if all ethical and responsible considerations within the intimate circle are clear.

TRAUMA CONSIDERATIONS

One of the primary reasons why this document calls for such relationships to not occur for 6 months to two years after a training is that we want to hold responsibility towards people who are in an active process of personal growth and healing, when it is not clear what has been experienced before. We prioritize needs for trust, contribution, integrity… and give both parties time to reorient before forming a new relationship.

The person attracted to the trainer might have an unresolved trauma (without even knowing), but also if the new relationship is seen, it might trigger retraumatization in some group members. Any group of people will have people in it who have experienced trauma to a lesser or greater degree. It is important to know that this can lead to fight, flight or freeze responses. Healing from trauma is a process and will take time. It’s also important to work with a mental health professional who is trained in treating trauma.

To learn more about trauma, you can refer to the following resources. If you have resources that you sense would be helpful please give us your feedback.

Resources on power and inclusion:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/15yoAlLnQfejEsyHApmiCsU3VxYHrmctp3u3r0n_7BDU/edit

NVC-based perspectives on trauma:

Sarah Peyton, https://sarahpeyton.com/
Susan Skye, https://susanskye.com/
sarahpeyton.com/event/how-nonviolent-communication-discovered-trauma-healing-an-interview-with-susan-skye/
Tracy Seed http://tracyseed.com/
Simone Aniker http://simoneanliker.com/

If you know other certified trainers with expertise in trauma, please offer us feedback so we can add their names to our resource list.

Other resources on trauma:

FEEDBACK

The feedback we received so far can be accessed here and within the original document here. Please consider offering further feedback here.

We updated the guideline with the feedback received one year after the document was available. Now, we would like the updated guideline to stay as is for another 3 years (until Jan-2026) before incorporating another round of feedback.

AUTHORS AND CONTRIBUTORS

This document was initiated by the ethics group of NVC network in Austria (Nicola Tobias, Paula Rossi, Mira Kernjak, Andrea Scheuringer), and Lydia Hammerschmied and developed into CNVC guideline by Maria Hechenberger, Aga Rzewuska-Paca, Susanna Warren and Jim Manske.

We would like to express our gratitude to everyone who contributed to its current form, including Stephanie Bachman-Mattei, Shona Cameron, Mariam Gafforio, Miki Kashtan, Robert Krzisnik, Kathleen Macferran, Roxy Manning, Emma Quayle, and Erin Selov.

CNVC CPP 2024

Center for Nonviolent Communication

Certification Preparation Packet

Version 3.0 (released 26-Jul-2024)

PREPARING FOR CERTIFICATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. GENERAL INFORMATION:

II. PROCEDURES AND STEPS (THE STRUCTURE THAT WE PROVIDE):

III. FEES:

IV. PREPARATION, SELF-DEVELOPMENT, AND SELF-RESPONSIBILITY (WHAT THE CANDIDATE TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR):

APPENDICES

GENERAL INFORMATION

WELCOME TO THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS

PURPOSE OF TRAINER CERTIFICATION

AUDIENCE WE ARE ADDRESSING WITH THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS

STEPS ON THE PATH OF CERTIFICATION

INTENTION OF THIS PACKET

PROCEDURES AND STEPS

THE STRUCTURE THAT WE PROVIDE

PRE-REGISTRATION

REGISTRATION

Application to Register as a Certification Candidate

COMPLETION OF REGISTRATION

PREPARATION FOR ASSESSMENT (3-5 YEARS)

NVC Training and Preparation

Personal Journal entries

Video recordings

Feedback Forms

IIT or Equivalent

Prepare and Ready Yourself Before Pre-Assessment

Candidate transfers to a new Assessor

PRE-ASSESSMENT

SCHEDULING YOUR PRE-ASSESSMENT

SEND ASSESSOR PRE-ASSESSMENT PORTFOLIO

PRE-ASSESSMENT APPOINTMENT

YOUR ASSESSOR NEEDS FURTHER INFORMATION BEFORE PRE-ASSESSMENT

ASSESSMENT

ASSESSMENT SESSION

ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES

CERTIFICATION: CELEBRATION AND MOURNING

CELEBRATION: COMPLETION OF THE CERTIFICATION PATH

MOURNING: APPEALS PROCESS FOR CERTIFICATION

INFORMATION ON FEES

PREPARATION, SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND SELF-RESPONSIBILITY

WHAT WE ASK CANDIDATES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR

KNOWING NONVIOLENT COMMUNICATION - THEORY, CONCEPTS AND PROCESSES

NVC MODEL: PARTS AND COMPONENTS

NVC PROCESSES

KEY DIFFERENTIATIONS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS IN TRAININGS

LIVING NONVIOLENT COMMUNICATION: INTENTION TO LIVE IN NVC CONSCIOUSNESS

TEACHING NONVIOLENT COMMUNICATION IN HARMONY WITH NVC PRINCIPLES

CLARITY OF INTENTION IN BECOMING A CERTIFIED TRAINER:

PRESENTING AND DEMONSTRATING NONVIOLENT COMMUNICATION THEORY AND CONCEPTS: HOW DO I…

ABILITY TO PRESENT THE TEACHING EFFECTIVELY:

RECEIVING AND OFFERING FEEDBACK:

GROUP SKILLS – "HOW MIGHT I…

SOME THINGS I MIGHT DO

SELF-QUESTIONNAIRE FOR CERTIFICATION CANDIDATES

APPENDIX 1 - SUMMARY OF THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS

PRE-REGISTRATION

REGISTRATION

PREPARATION FOR ASSESSMENT (3-5 YEARS)

PRE-ASSESSMENT

ASSESSMENT

CERTIFICATION

TRAINER AGREEMENT FOR CERTIFIED TRAINERS

CREATED MARCH 2023 (EFFECTIVE UNTIL UPDATED)

PREAMBLE

AGREEMENT

I. HOW WE WANT TO LIVE AND SHARE NONVIOLENT COMMUNICATION

1. MISSION STATEMENT AND CODE OF ETHICS

2. OUR GOAL

3. OUR UNDERSTANDING OF QUALITY

4. RESPECT TOWARDS PARTICIPANTS

5. HOLDING BOUNDARIES

6. INCLUSION AND CREATING A SPACE FOR EVERYONE

7. CONFLICT OF INTEREST

8. RESOLUTION OF CONFLICTS AND DISPUTES

II. GRANTING CERTIFICATION