Resumption of NVC Practice Group 2026-2027
Hello, Everybody; may I tell you a story? “Once upon a time,” a nice boy and his parents got safely to America, to Detroit, and rented a small apartment close enough to school for the boy to walk. On his way to and from school, though, he was taunted: “German spy!” “Dirty Kike!” “Little Jew boy!” He was physically bullied too, and everyday he tried to figure out the safest route home--but sometimes figured wrong and was beaten by the bullies. The words hurt most. The physical violence seemed to follow the words—almost as if the hitting grew right out of the words . . . as if the words turned someone into an enemy, and then somehow that made the hitting ok?
He wondered how it all worked . . .
. . . and then he began to wonder if it could ever work the other way . . .
He needed to figure it out, So he did. In time he earned a Ph.D. in psychology, became an effective psychotherapist, and helped dozens? hundreds? of persons each year--the persons who found him and could afford to keep seeing him for months and months. But it was too slow.
While he was helping his clients learn to use language to connect with others, to solve problems together, to live peacefully with others in their lives, most young humans, in most of the homes, playgrounds, schools, markets, and media, in most of the cultures on our planet, were absorbing language habits that fostered division, hurt, and violence.
SO,
this still-nice but now seasoned, wiser grown man named Marshall Rosenberg distilled into a book the essence of the psychological skills, peace-leaning language patterns, and strategies fostering human connection that he had been helping his clients integrate into their lives—and of course, if you want an intellectual understanding of his work (isn’t that the long suit of most of us attracted to UU?) you can read it: it’s titled Nonviolent Communication (it was written in the era of Gandhi and King) and there are copies in our library. HOWEVER, if we want to learn how to live what he distilled for us—to actually use it with everyday persons “out in the wild” (and especially at home!)--most of us have found that we have to practice it,
a lot —so there are “Practice Groups,” in most countries of the world by now, (there have been several here in the Nashville area for over 20 years) and a how-to book that helps, anyone who wants to, to start a PRACTICE GROUP with just a few—or many—other persons. There was one—and once there were two—NVC Practice Groups here at FUUN, pre-covid. Now we’re starting one again, sponsored by the Beloved Community Team, and you’re invited.
This ’26-’27 “semester,” It’s a 16-session, group, Starting Sunday, September 27, 11:30-1:00, childcare provided, Each 2nd & 4th Sunday thereafter (excepting the 4th Sunday of December) through May. There are no requirements except wanting to integrate these peace-promoting, connecting skills into your life.
*Reading the book first (or reading a chapter before each session) is not required but a wise idea. The Beloved Community Team has provided books to borrow or you may purchase one for yourself to keep.
*Putting all 16 sessions in your calendar, but forgiving yourself if Life gets in the way of getting yourself to a session now and then, is another.
Carleen Dowell is the “Shepherd” for this Practice Group; if you have questions, contact her through Breeze.
-
Location