Educators and program administrators will learn simple, yet powerful tools to:

* Develop their own and their student’s emotional vocabulary, including understanding the needs we all have in common

* Effectively diffuse anger or violent situations without coercion, violence or threat of punishment

* Assist youth to shift away from blame, judgment, or victim mentality behavior

* Express meaningful empathy to students -- allowing students to really be heard, often for the first time

* Utilize self-empathy to reduce stress and retain focus in difficult situations

* Connect – at any given time – to the needs behind all behavior, especially behavior we don’t like

* Assist youth to consider how to meet their needs with positive strategies, rather than with violence, substance abuse, etc.

* Resolve conflicts in a way that is satisfying to all involved

* Express themselves honestly in a way that they are more likely to be truly heard


At risk youth educators, administrators, workforce development specialists, youth mentors and others who have integrated some aspect of NVC into their work have experienced the following benefits:

* Substantially improved trust between youth and educator/administrator

* Reduced conflict and/or violence

* A deeper, fuller, more mutually respectful connection between youth and educator that allows the youth to make better use of the help he/she is receiving

* By utilizing empathy to identify the needs met by youth’s behavior, educators bring a sense of rationality to the conversation, helping the youth visualize how other behavior could better meet their needs

* Empowerment in youth who are often heard for the first time; a powerful step toward their own self-care

* Reduced overall stress and emotional toll on educators


Services offered for community organizations

Basic skills training for staff
12 hours of training plus one 3-hour follow-up included

Practice group for staff
Once the basic skills training has been completed, every 2 weeks or once a month for a minimum of 3 meetings

Individual or small group coaching
To integrate more fully the notions of NVC into the organisation

Training and practice groups for the clientele of the organization
Same formula as for staff

Empathic presence
For staff and\or clientele

For teachers, school administration, daycare service staff & support staff

Would you like to inspire cooperation and learn alternatives to punishment and rewards?
Would you like to prevent, reduce and resolve conflicts peacefully?
Would you like to end power struggles with your students?
Would you like to co-create a life-enriching learning community with your students?

Through games and role-plays and by using real situations from our everyday lives as teachers, see how it is possible to live our relationships with our students and colleagues in harmony with our values.
*Resolve conflicts in a way that is satisfying to all involved
*Find effective and creative solutions to challenges, big and small
*Listen to and better take care of ourselves
*Express ourselves authentically as we listen to others with compassion
*Deepen our empathic listening skills helping us to effectively diffuse conflictual situations and allowing students to really be heard
*Transform judgements, demands and punishments into opportunities for deep connection where we listen and express ourselves from our hearts



In her workshops, Melanie Whitham shares with participants her deep respect for children, her compassion for teachers who want so much to bring more harmony to their relationship with their students, as well as her passion and gratitude for NonViolent Communication (NVC)© developed by Marshall Rosenberg.

Workshops are tailored to meet the needs of your school team and can include follow-up support in integrating the principles of NVC into classrooms as well as into the culture of the school.


Click here for stories about school workshops

Basic skills training for staff
14 hours of training plus one 2-hour follow-up where we learn about the No-Fault Zone, a conflict resolution tool. We use: games, exercises and role plays based on your daily school situations.

Practice group for staff
After the basic skills has been completed, every 2 weeks or once a month for a pre-determined amount of time. The questions and needs of the group are used to plan each practice.

Individual or small group coaching
To help you plan how to integrate more fully the notions of NVC into your school or your classroom.Can be done individually or in small groups. Can also be done through direct modelling in the classroom.

Activities and training for the classroom
Classroom sessions (variable number of sessions possible), accompanied by individual sessions with the teacher depending on his or her objectives. Includes No-Blame Game training, a game adapted from the No-Fault Zone.(see useful links)

Young mediators training
10 sessions of one hour each, followed by 3 monthly practice sessions. Max. 15 participants. For children 6 years or older.

Empathic presence and\or mediation
For staff, parents and students, upon request or on a regular basis.

This 3-hour workshop offers families the opportunity to create and learn to use a conflict resolution tool called the No-Blame Game, adapted from the No-Fault Zone.(see useful links)

The No-Blame Game is a game board played with a deck of cards - cards with feelings and needs vocabulary written on them. The goal of the No-Fault Zone is to create a safe place where everyone can be listened to, everyone can express how they felt and what they need, and conflicts can be resolved. No punishments, no consequences because no one really did anything wrong. We are all simply choosing strategies to get our needs met and sometimes, those strategies don't work for others. With this attitude, we aren't cutting ourselves off from others by our judgements about right and wrong. This makes real healing, through understanding and compassion, possible.



Families will create their own No-Blame Game complete with playing cards and board and then receive training in how to use it to create more harmony and connection with each other. We will also play games and begin a family chain of gratitude. Wondering what that is? You'll find out at the workshop!

Contact me if you have any questions or would like to organize a workshop for your family or a group of families you know.

Personalized trainings
Half-day, full day or several days
Activities chosen according to your families needs

Empathic presence, coaching and mediation
On a regular basis or by appointment