What is NVC?

(Time to read: ~1 minute)

NVC stands for Nonviolent Communication, which was articulated by Marshall Rosenberg, a clinical psychologist in the United States.

I have never seen Marshall give a definition of what NVC is, even though I am a Certified NVC Trainer through the organization that Marshall founded – the Center for Nonviolent Communication (www.cnvc.org). We are known as CNVC-Certified Trainers.

A Definition

For me, NVC is a way of understanding and communicating about our experience. A way that is both compassionate and empowering – for ourselves and for others.

It offers concrete tools to help us do this and to create connection with others to find strategies that work for everyone.

A fundamental principle of NVC is that “Anything anyone ever does is seeking to meet a beautiful need” – one of a set of universal needs that we all share.

In NVC, we focus on understanding our own needs and the needs of others, and we look for ways to deal with situations that meet everyone’s needs.

For me, it is amazing how often that is possible, even when it initially appears impossible, when we keep our attention on the needs (intangible values like care, consideration, autonomy, integrity), rather than on the specific strategies we might prefer.