“When we hear the other person's feelings and needs, we recognize our common humanity.”

- Marshall B. Rosenberg, Ph.D.

Using Nonviolent Communication (NVC) skills in relationships can help us learn to listen to ourselves, and thus be better listeners to the needs and feelings of others. We can also learn to identify and express previously unmet needs fueling expressions like anger. By using Nonviolent Communication skills in relationships, we can actively help create and nurture extraordinary interpersonal experiences for ourselves, as well as the people we value and rely on the most.

Think about all of the people we interact with and in many cases, come to rely on during the course of our day. Now think of all the times we hamper communication with these people because deep down inside we feel our needs are not being met in some way. Sometimes we feign anger, while other times we express judgements or criticism (Basics).

This self-defeating behavior fosters miscommunication and, in some cases, a vicious cycle of misunderstanding that spirals a relationship out of control to the detriment of everyone involved. By using Nonviolent Communication skills in relationships, we provide a fertile ground for trust, authenticity and meaningful human interactions to occur.

Healthy interpersonal relationships rely on communication that fosters trust and vulnerability. We must be able to trust and be vulnerable with the people closest to us, whether they’re coworkers, friends, romantic partners, or anyone else we share important parts of our lives and selves with. In turn, the people who share their lives and selves with us deserve to be treated with the same compassion and empathy we desire. Nonviolent Communication skills can improve communication in a relationship by helping you:

• Transform judgment or criticism into understanding and nurturance
• Understand someone’s needs over your own fears or expectations
• Get your needs met without coercion, demands or guilt
• Discern the needs underlying your own feelings, behaviors, and actions
• Be sensitive to the needs underlying someone else’s feelings, behaviors, or actions

Would you like to learn more about how you can improve communication in a relationship? Read up on the many benefits of applying NVC to interpersonal relationships (PuddleDancer webstore).

Dr. Marshall Rosenberg was the founder and preeminent voice of the Nonviolent Communication revolution. He tirelessly dedicated his life to helping people of all backgrounds and walks of life cultivate happy, healthy relationships within themselves and thus with their neighbors near and far alike. He showed us how this works even with people who we might have previously viewed as enemies or have seen us as an enemy. Dr. Marshall Rosenberg’s healthy relationship advice is excellent for everyone looking to mend communication in some way:

“Conflicts, even of long standing duration, can be resolved if we can just keep the flow of communication going, in which people come out of their heads and stop criticizing and analyzing each other, and instead get in touch with their needs, and hear the needs of others”

- Marshall B. Rosenberg, Ph.D.

Read more of Dr. Marshall Rosenberg’s healthy relationship advice (Relationship Articles Archive).

Living Nonviolent Communication with empathy and compassion in relationships is totally achievable. To this end, so is living Nonviolent Communication in every other area of our daily lives too…. including

• Relationships
• Parenting and Families
• Education
• Conflict Resolution
• The Workplace
• Healthy Body Image
• Personal Growth

If you would like to become actively involved in living Nonviolent Communication with empathy, authenticity, and compassion in relationships, we invite you to get in touch with us (Contact Us).

PuddleDancer Press relationship communication books help you learn simple, effective communication and conflict resolution skills that will transform your internal dialogue with yourself, as well as how you communicate with other people. The results are the extraordinarily healthy, happy, satisfying relationships you desire and deserve at home, work, and throughout your community. Check out the entire PuddleDancer Press collection of relationship communication books to find the resources you need to foster the meaningful relationships you’ve always wanted!

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"NVC provides us with the most effective tools to foster health and relationships. It is the missing element in what we do."

Deepak Chopra, author, The Ultimate Happiness Prescription and Ageless Body, Timeless Mind