COMPASSIONATE COMMUNICATION FOR PARENTS or Parenting From Your Heart
When:  8 weeks, 2 hrs each week
Where: TBD and upon request

As parents and caregivers, we want the best for our children. To see them grow into amazing adults, caring and full of life. We want to build strong relationships that endure the test of time and where our children seek our guidance.  Or we want to build bridges back to our children after we’ve been disconnected. 
This 8-session course will give you tools to stay present and fully BE THERE for yourself and for your child(ren) in challenging situations - and the skills to restore the connection when you make "mistakes".

  • Ways to deepen your listening and communication skills (for yourself, your children and your loved ones)

  • Insights into what may be behind your child's behavior so you can attune to them

  • How to be gentle and grounded so you can nurture your child and support them obtaining secure attachment

  • Ideas about how to prioritize your own Needs without giving up on the Needs of others

  • Ways to invite collaboration without resorting to rewards or punishments

  • More ways to support your child's growing self-esteem

  • Empathy for yourself and you children, so that they are surrounded in empathy and learn how to have empathy for others while not disregarding care for themselves. 

  • Tools for setting and communicating safe boundaries

  • Ways to de-escalate conflict while building trust and connection

  • Having more compassion for ourselves when we fall short of our own values

  • Ways to get to calm alert so you can respond rather than react and so you can teach your child how to do the same

  • How to have empathy, give empathy, and teach empathy

  • Ways to get to the heart of issues so as to create solutions that really work

  • How to work with regret when parent guilt comes crashing in


Come and learn in a supportive, NONJUDGMENTAL community  of parents with lots of chances to practice skills of listening and finding your own inner wisdom (without receiving advice you didn’t ask for!)  
Who is this for:
Anyone with children/teens/youth in their lives - parents, aunts/uncles, grandparents, teachers, co-parents, child care workers, etc.
Offered by Marcia Christen, Certified Trainer and Assessor with the Center for Nonviolent Communication, and Parent Educator. 
People who are interested in gentle parenting, mindful parenting, conscious parenting or who want to know how to support their own and their child's emotional intelligence and relationship skills.

Accessibility for the building:  5 Disability parking spaces are available next to the ramp to the front of the building. The classroom space is on the first floor with no stairs needed to access. There’s an accessible restroom stall in the building also.

Cost:  16 hours, $200 per person request for a minimum 10 person class ($20 per class), $350 for co-parents or co family members.
Give what you can option.
     For guidance:
If meeting monthly bills is a stretch, pay $50-100
If meeting monthly bills is doable pay $100-199
If meeting monthly bills feels secure with some left over and you’d like to support these classes being accessible to many, pay full tuition at $200 to $350
REGISTRATION HERE

Nonviolent Communication Introductory course a.k.a. Connected Communication Course

8 week course, 2 hours each class.

In this class you will learn to:

  • have ways to stay grounded and aware even in hard situations

  • deeply listen in ways that leads to more collaboration

  • get to the heart of matters in ways that really adddress what’s important to everyone and in ways that solve problems that work for everyone

  • have difficult conversations that lead to more understanding and, to navigate relationships at home, at the work place, in faith communities, at nonprofit/social justice agencies all while increasing your awareness of yourself.

Cost: Full tuition $240 per person or $390 for 2 people in the same family. Sliding scale to support access available.

No one turned away due to lack of funds.

REQUEST THIS CLASS HERE 

Want to have Marcia give a training to your group? Contact her at marcia@heartconnectedcommunication.com or REQUEST HERE

Parent Talking Circles

Drop in circle for parents where you can be heard and have a space to come to your own wisdom. We’ll use the tools of empathy from Nonviolent Communication to practice empathic listening so that you don’t get advice, consoling, one upping, or interogation. Each person gets a chance to be heard about a celebration or a challenge and members listen for feelings and what values/needs are important to you. You get to practice listening and being heard.  
$10-25 request for each 2 hour circle (May be modified by sponsoring organization Teen Talking Circles)
No one turned away due to lack of access to funds. 
Date and time: To be determined 
Coming soon to Bainbridge/Poulsbo area

Parents of Teen talking circle coming in October 2024. Poulsbo in person.

REGISTRATION coming soon

Parenting From Your Heart online practice group for parents:

Third Sunday of the month starting Oct 20th

Requested amount - $20 per 2 hour session or $35 for 2 family members per session. Sliding scale available.

No one turned away due to inability to pay/donate.

REGISTER HERE

Nonviolent Communication Introduction and practice group

Dates: 6 sessions -Fridays, Oct 18, 25; Nov 8. 15, 22 time to be determined (will depend on location. Trying for morning).

In this group you will learn and practice the forms of Nonviolent Communication: Self-empathy, empathy for others, and speaking.

You will learn and practice:

  • ways to stay grounded and aware even in hard situations

  • how to deeply listen to yourself and others in ways that leads to more collaboration

  • how to get to the heart of matters in ways that really address what’s important to everyone and in ways that solve problems that work for everyone

  • how to have difficult conversations that lead to more understanding and, to navigate relationships at home, at the work place, in faith communities, at nonprofit/social justice agencies all while increasing your awareness of yourself.

Cost: $25 for each 2 hour session or $125 for all 6 session. No one turned away due to lack of funds

Poulsbo Library small conference room

REGISTER HERE

or Email marcia@heartconnectedcommunication.com to request an introductory class.