NVC Compassionate Communication
Are you dissatisfied in your relationships or at work?
Do you have difficulty identifying and communicating your needs?
Do you want a deeper connection with others?
Would you like to overcome common barriers to communication?
We can help.
Changes to our NVC Training Model - Starting May 2026
I appreciate all the continued interest in our NVC groups. Over the years (a decade!) we have greatly enjoyed running them. However, what has given me the most joy is working with families and companies/organizations on improving communication and empathy. I’m choosing to focus on smaller group work with people who know each other rather than process/instructional groups for the general public.
So if you are a couple (or poly), family, company, coworkers, or some other organization looking for smaller facilitation of NVC process, please do reach out via my normal scheduling page, and we can talk about your needs and what I can offer.
Together with Jennifer Burrell of Portland Wellness Counseling, I offer a 12-week, therapist-led, group training course in Nonviolent Communication (NVC), also known as Compassionate Communication, where you can learn practical skills for developing more fulfilling relationships!
This is a limited size training group that utilizes the work of Marshall Rosenberg’s “Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life” book. We will be building on learned skills from one week to the next so participants are expected to attend all sessions and come ready to engage with others in practice.
When: Our NVC training group meets Tuesdays at 7:00pm-8:30pm. Please sign up now to get on the list. Please see update above.
Where: We meet online via a secure telehealth platform.
Cost: The cost per group training session is $60. Attendance at all 12 sessions is expected.
How: Send me an e-mail expressing your interest - aaron@trailheadcounseling.net Please see update above.
Why do you call it “Compassionate Communication?”: Click here to find out!
If you’d rather work on your communication skills directly with me, rather than in a group, we can certainly do that in individual counseling. I incorporate the principles of nonviolent communication into my psychotherapy, as both a method of exploring your own emotional needs and as a concrete skill to use when communicating with others.
We look forward to working with you.
FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to the 12-week group?
1
For a few years I co-facilitated a 12-week NVC group with Jennifer Burrell at Portland Wellness Counseling, and it was good work. I've decided to step away from instructional groups for the general public and focus on smaller group work with people who already know each other well.
Who are the current NVC offerings for?
2
Two kinds of folks. People in individual counseling with me who want NVC woven into our work together — often around a difficult relationship, a hard workplace, or their own patterns around conflict. And existing groups like couples, poly constellations, families, coworkers, leadership teams, and organizations who want to learn and practice NVC together with some help, or want help solving a specific problem.
Can a workplace or organization hire you for this?
3
Yes. Common asks are a leadership team that wants better conflict skills, a small company working through a rough patch, a nonprofit board, a clinician peer group, or a department after a reorg. These engagements feel less like a workshop and more like guided practice. Get in touch and we'll talk about what you're hoping for.
How do we get started?
4
The easiest thing is to [book a free 20-minute consultation](/schedule-an-appointment). Include a few sentences about who's involved and what you're hoping for. That way I can come to the call with a real sense of whether I'm the right fit.