Fall Festival 2026 ~ NVC Santa Cruz

Full weekend of workshops on diverse topics in Nonviolent Communication. Mark your calendars for October 24th & 25th for a weekend of enriching and connecting workshops for beginners through more experienced practitioners. All levels are welcome and accommodated! Come for the whole weekend or just the parts that interest you. We are using compassionate pricing to meet our needs for generosity and your needs for contribution. This means you are welcome to register to attend for any amount that works in your budget. Here is some context to help you decide on an amount: • Sustaining: A sustaining donation of $301+ helps us continue our mission beyond this retreat. • Maintaining: A maintaining donation of $300 helps us cover our overhead costs for this retreat. • Supported: A supported donation of $35-299 will be gratefully accepted as we welcome all interested parties, regardless of ability to pay. Please register by Friday October 17th to help our logistics flow smoothly. WHAT TO EXPECT (scroll down for details) SATURDAY & SUNDAY 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM at Simpkins Swim Center/Live Oak Meeting Rooms (Santa Cruz) Over both days, we’ll offer: • A dedicated beginner’s track of workshops with Jean Morrison, Eric Huang, and Caren Camblin to grasp the fundamentals, encounter NVC in a new way, or just get a refresher. • An experienced practitioner’s track of workshops with Kristin Masters and Caren Camblin, and others • More workshops open to all levels, with the above trainers, plus Zucu Bermann and first-time guest trainer Edmundo Norte. NOTE: "experienced pracitioners" does not necessarily mean "advanced," but just that you've taken at some workshops and/or read Marshall's book and have some facility with the basics on NVC. FULL SCHEDULE OF OFFERINGS SATURDAY at The Live Oak Meetings Rooms at Simpkins Swim Center (979 17th Avenue, Santa Cruz) 8:45 - 9 am Greeting & gathering 9 - 9:30 am Morning council, overview of offerings 9:45 - 11:15 am Session 1 A (Beginner’s Track) Intro/Refresher to NVC with Jean Morrison Join Jean for her interactive introduction to the heart, head, and soul of NVC, a mindful/conscious process for our whole being and our relationships. Session 1 B (Experienced Practitioners) Beyond OFNR: Practicing NVC Consciousness with Caren Camblin How can we lean into an ongoing, embodied relationship with NVC, not just as tools to reach for in crisis, but as an orientation to life? What might that look like and feel like? This session will draw on guided meditation, storytelling, and journaling or pair-shares to explore the possibilities. 11:30 am - 12:45 pm Session 2 A (All Levels) Self-Empathy: What Is It and How Does It Work? with Zucu Bermann In this experiential session, you'll witness self-empathy in action, learn some of the relational neuroscience behind how it supports emotional regulation, and go on a guided self-empathy journey. Session 2 B (All Levels) 4 ways of Hearing Hard Stuff with Kristin Masters This is one of Kristin’s favorite ways of integrating learning of NVC principles, and often generates both insights and practices. Group play, learning, and practice of the gifts of 4 chairs/4 ears. 12:45 - 1:45 pm Lunch & Integration 2:00 - 3:15 pm Session 3 A (Beginner’s Track) Saying “No” and Hearing “No” with Eric Huang Saying “no” can be hard. So can hearing “no.” And it can be the start of self empowerment and authentic connection. Join Eric for a bit of journaling, “yelling” at each other, and group discussion. Material stolen from Jean Morrison and others. Geared toward beginners, though could be fun for experienced practitioners as well. Session 3 B (All Levels) NVC’s Critical Role in Relational Healing for Social Justice with Edmundo Norte Drawing from the work of several elders and experienced activists, in this session we will engage with a framework for action which includes the critical role that NVC tools and consciousness can play in transformative action––that is, action that helps heal individual and collective trauma––to truly create a world that honors all beings. 3:30 - 5:00 pm Session 4 A (All Levels) Relational Repair as Walking in Beauty: NVC as a Way of Seeing and Moving in Relationship with Edmundo Norte In this session we will focus on the critical role that “relational repair” plays in living in alignment with our interdependent nature as human beings, and how NVC principles and practices can restore connection and model a healthy way of being when we inevitably have negative impacts on others. Session 4 B (Experienced Practitioners) Choosing "Use of Force" with Kristin Masters One of the questions that can stump us in NVC is about “protective use of force.” How can we comprehend, feel, and practice the differences between protective and punitive? Join Kristin for a supported inquiry. SUNDAY at The Live Oak Meetings Rooms at Simpkins Swim Center (979 17th Avenue, Santa Cruz) 9:00 - 9:15 am Greeting and gathering 9:15 - 10:30 am Session 5 A (All Levels) Empathy Poker with Jean Morrison Immerse in presence with, and empathy for, others and deeper understanding and empathy for yourself. It’s poker in an exquisite version: yes, we’ll have cards—NEEDS cards! This session provides repetitive practice in formulating and offering compassionate guessing of others’ needs. Limited to 15. Session 5 B (All Levels) Transforming Enemy Images with Eric Huang Bring your enemies with you (if you want to). And we will see what empathy, journaling and small group discussion can do to make it less awful to think about someone as an enemy. Designed for beginners; may be useful for experienced practitioners who still occasionally have people they don't like very much. Eric stole bits of these practices from Jim and Jori Manske and Dr Yvette Erasmus. 10:45 am - 12 pm Session 6 A (Beginner’s Track) Q & A on the theory and practice of NVC with Caren Camblin You’ve taken at least one Intro session or Basics course (or you've read a little or watched some videos) and you’ve got questions! This session will focus on your wonderings about the theoretical foundations, key distinctions, and general practice of NVC. Caren will gather and group your queries, then we’ll dialogue our way to more clarity. Session 6 (All Levels) The Art of the Request with Zucu Bermann Does making or responding to requests feel vulnerable because of the possibility of hearing or saying "no?" Through live practice, we'll make requests feel less scary by sharpening our tools for turning any response into an opportunity for connection. 12 - 1 pm Lunch & Integration 1:15 - 2:45 pm Session 7 A (Experienced Practitioners) Mediating Your Own Conflict with Kristin Masters We’ll draw on principles and skills of NVC-based mediation to the (many) times when you are a party to the conflict, when there is no third party holder. Holding space for someone else’s struggle can be pretty different from stepping into that role when you are not removed from impact. Session 7 B (All Levels) Street Giraffe/Code Switching with Caren When we first learn any language, we reach for templates and stock vocabulary. It can sound and feel stilted. As we practice, especially with other speakers/learners, we can find our way to more authenticity and natural expression. This session will focus on finding our own clear voices in an NVC framework, and “translating” tools depending on context. 3 - 4:15 pm Session 8 A (All Levels) Being Giraffe versus Doing Giraffe with Kristin Masters “Being giraffe” versus “doing giraffe” is a key distinction in NVC.