NVC Level 1 Foundation Training: IN PERSON, IN NATURE (camping & nearby accommodation available)

”A beautiful space for learning, held confidently and compassionately. A lovely way to get my CPD hours!”

”I loved how Beth held space for all our feelings and needs, no easy task! I highly recommend doing the foundation training, I went with my family, and came away with communication skills that will serve me in every area of my life.” Ruth

”Beth gave clear explanations and taught us with patience, kindness and humour. I’m grateful for your generosity and your teaching and I’ve come away with greater clarity and understanding about my needs and emotions and perhaps how to better relate with others. ” Lisa V

We warmly invite you to this NVC foundation training at Abundant Earth, our small holding nestled in the lovely Dearness Valley and surrounded by woodland, pasture, birds, a river and more. Located in the northeast of England, we’re two miles from Durham City, which is on the national train line.  Camping and nearby accommodation are available onsite or locally. 

For more insight on what you can expect from a training @ Abundant Earth, see a taster video HERE. 

Get skilled up and free your heart:

• Find ways to have tricky conversations with care for all.

• Get clarity around what happens during disagreements / arguments / tensions so that you can do things differently.

• Unstick familiar habits and patterns that don’t serve you with friends and family.

• Transform judgements you have about yourself & others.

• Discover how to experience true choice, empowerment AND compassion for all.

Is this the right fit for you?  This training best serves those who:

• Attend the full training

• Are willing to make personal changes

As a Nonviolent Communication level one / Foundation Training, this experience is suitable for everyone—those with no prior experience and those who have done foundation training before (there is always new learning).

These Sessions will also:

• Show you how to make yourself heard in a way that’s clear 
• Help you create action plans that better serve both your needs and those of others

• Reveal the mystery of what is going on for others!

• Bring deeper connection and understanding in all your relationships.

What do the Sessions look like?

Days will be spent together making use of both inside and outside spaces at the Abundant Earth small holding.  While there is much to deliver over the course of the training, I make a point  of allowing for personal quiet time for important reflection and integration.  Lashings of tea will be provided, alongside snacks and an invitation to bring and share lunches.  The first evening will see us come together around an outdoor fire with soup, before engaging in some communal clean up, and drink making and sharing.

This training entails:

• An experiential approach, i.e. learning  by doing.
• Time alone in silent reflection.

• Hand outs & charts to take away.

• Whole group & small group exercises.

• Whole group questions and feedback sessions

• Video links for continuous post-training support.

• A pace that enables you to think / integrate. 
• A 15-person participation maximum.
• All learning styles are accommodated. Please reach out to me if you would like to discuss any needs, preferences or concerns.

Beyond these session:

It takes persistence and practice to lift the veil of social conditioning and relate with awareness, integrity and compassion. As such, participants are offered & have the possibility of

• joining a practice group,
• being paired with an empathy buddy, and
• tapping into other sources of learning and practicing,

upon the conclusion of the training.

You’ll also learn about Giraffes and Jackals! 

Who is Beth Silverbirch (the trainer)?

More about me HERE

Making a Booking

• Go to the booking form and fill in your details.
• An initial £50 deposit is kindly requested upon booking. After you have made this deposit I will be in touch with you about your financial contribution. 
• I’m committed to making my NVC work accessible, so I offer pricing on a sliding scale that ranges between £400 and £150 per person for the full training. You’re welcome to contribute at a level that reflects your means. In considering this, please be mindful of the sustainability of this work—that is, the preparation, facilitation, and care that goes into creating this space and keeping it accessible to all who need it.  
• The remaining part of your financial contribution can be transferred by bank transfer after the training, or we can arrange an instalment plan if that feels more manageable.
• There may be 2 bursary places available. If you’d like to enquire about this, please feel welcome to get in touch.

Some more practical FAQ’S

Can I use this for my CPD?

This training adds up to 14 hours of CPD if your employer recognises it as such.  A certificate of completion is available upon request if all the training has been attended

What is the venue like?

Abundant Earth covers 15 acres of beautiful woodland, pasture and gathering space, bounded to the south by the vibrant Deerness river and to the north by sky and a tree-line cycle track.  The small holding is home to sheep, hens, bees and cats (alongside ourselves!).  

We are centered on simplicity and sustainability. As such, guest facilities entail compost loos and hand washing with rain water (being off-grid, no bathrooms or showers are available onsite). Solar electricity is available to campers for phone charging. Delicious fluoride- and chlorine-free spring water is available for drinking. The ground can be uneven and muddy during wet weather. 

This training will take place outside when the weather permits and in our cosy wooden facilitation cabin, where appropriate. In all scenarios, a warming fire, a steady stream of hot drinks and healthy snacks are provided. Seating consists of chairs and floor cushions.

How do I get there?

Abundant Earth is located just outside Broompark village, which is 2 miles west of Durham City. 

By car, foot or bike: Abundant Earth is on Google Maps, go HERE, though have no postcode!  Our what3words location is: Letter.degree.square —this will take you to where you need to be.

By Train:  Durham is on the national east coast train line. There is a bus from Durham city centre to Broompark (number 43), which takes around 10 minutes and runs approximately every 30 minutes. From there, Abundant Earth is a short 10 minute walk.

Where Can I stay?

Staying overnight Options:

1) Camping: tent or campervan

We have open field space and woodland. Onsite camping is available for a small contribution (£5) to support the land costs. Provisions are basic: compost loo, spring water to carry, minimal electric and a VERY simple poly-tunnel kitchen.  We have no bathroom or shower facilities.

2) Sleeping in the venue

The little wooden building that forms the venue for much of the training can be slept in overnight for a limited number of guests and a small contribution (£5) for maintenance and heating.. It is equipped with a gas heater and some cushions, though you would need to bring your own bedding.

3) Bed & Breakfasting at the local B&B 

My Way Guest House is located in Broompark Village where the bus stops. It is an 8 minute walk from the Abundant Earth.

4) Loca home rentals

There is a local home rental sleeping 5 people, including one couple, available in nearby New Brancepeth. It is a 10 minute drive from Abundant Earth. If you are interested in taking this option, then please let me know if you want to share this with other participants. 

What are timings like over the course of the training?

FRIDAY 

3.30pm: Arrivals & cuppa  (you are welcome to arrive earlier) 

4pm: Training begins

6.30 pm: Fire & Soup (vegan & gluten free with wheat bread & gluten free oatcakes).  All contributions of other food to our meal are very warmly welcomed.

After soup you are free to stay around the fire or take your leave.

SATURDAY & SUNDAY

9 – 9.15am: Arrivals

9.30 am: Training starts

There will be morning and afternoon breaks  of 20 minutes and 90 minutes for  lunch.

5pm: Training close

Can I help out as an assistant?

We have room for one assistant. This place is open to candidates or those who have already been on a foundation training and have some NVC practice experience.  You will need to be available from Friday morning at 10am through to 7pm on Sunday evening to assist with set-up and wrap up. If this interests you, then please do reach out to me.

How inclusive is this training?

I openly welcome people from all backgrounds and identities to participate in my trainings.  Please do get in touch with me if you have any questions or concerns around your inclusion or access needs. You can reach me at beth.silverbirch@gmail.com and I will try to respond as soon as possible.

Some FAQ’S about NVC generally

What is nonviolent Communication or NVC? 

NVC is a radical way of thinking, speaking and relating.  It differs from how the dominant culture has programmed us to think and communicate and thus requires us to engage in a little rewiring of our brains!

NVC tools and skills allow us to cultivate:

• A deeper understanding of and connection with ourselves and others in a way that facilitates more life enriching experiences.
• Clarity of understanding about where we get stuck, and how our habits and patterns of behaviour manifest in how we relate to ourselves and others.
• Insight into how our relationships with others are truly unfolding.

NVC has been and continues to be used across the globe in personal relationships with the self and others, as well as within organisations like hospitals, schools, prisons, NGOs and businesses (e.g. Friends of the Earth, Microsoft, FMO etc.). Its tools support individual development and personal relationships, whilst maintaining an awareness of systemic issues.

Where does Nonviolent Communication come from?

American psychologist, mediator, author and teacher, Dr Marshall Rosenberg (1934–2015) started to developed nonviolent communication in the early 1960’s as a process for supporting partnership and resolving conflict within and between people, relationships and society. Working worldwide as a peacemaker, Marshall Rosenberg’s motivation for developing NVC was based on his own personal experiences  of the 1943 Detroit race riot, as well as his early life experiences of antisemitism. For more on Marshall Rosenberg, see here.

What is NVC Foundation Training?

A foundation training covers all the main ingredients of Nonviolent Communication (NVC).  Whilst the NVC framework is simple enough, it takes practice to integrate it into our ways of being. A foundation training is for people who are new to NVC, as well as for those who have attended such training before and really want to embed the practice further or feel a little rusty in their practice.

How is the training delivered?

Mindful of different learning styles, we use hand outs, flip charts, Q&As and other pedagogical techniques as part of the training, including whole group work, small groups and work in pairs / trios. The focus will be on practicing what we are learning.  Bringing a notebook to help you absorb, reflect on and revisit the learning is recommended.

Below are some links to support your initial  learning if you should choose. (optional)

I highly recommend Marshall Rosenberg  book, A Language for Life: https://puddledancer.bookstore.ipgbook.com/nonviolent-communication–a-language-of-life-products-9781892005281.php

Here is a short video with Marshall Rosenberg describing NVC: https://youtu.be/fg2yiG_pjlI