Improving Communication with Nonviolent Communication (NVC)
At Steadfast Counseling, we integrate the powerful tools of Nonviolent Communication (NVC), developed by Dr. Marshall B. Rosenberg, PhD, to help individuals, couples, and families cultivate more compassionate, effective, and healing communication.
- Observe situations without judgment
- Identify and honor our feelings and needs
- Express ourselves clearly and vulnerably
- Listen with empathy and presence
Rather than communicating from a place of blame or reactivity, NVC helps us speak and listen in ways that honor both our needs and the needs of others, creating space for mutual understanding and collaborative solutions.
Family System Impact:
- Families with open, respectful communication often foster children who can express themselves healthily.
- Families marked by criticism, emotional neglect, conflict, or enmeshment can leave children struggling with shame, fear of conflict, or difficulty expressing needs as adults.
- Unspoken rules (such as “don’t talk about feelings” or “don’t question authority”) continue to shape adult communication patterns, often outside of conscious awareness.
External Environment Impact:
- Cultural norms may reinforce hierarchical, power-based, or gendered communication patterns.
- School, workplace, and social environments may reward competition over collaboration or compliance over authenticity.
- Exposure to trauma or toxic relational dynamics can lead to communication patterns rooted in survival (people-pleasing, aggression, withdrawal).
The result: Many adults struggle with communication that is reactive, defensive, or disconnected—because these were the strategies that once kept them safe or accepted.
- Increased conflict and emotional reactivity
- Misunderstandings and assumptions
- Erosion of trust and safety in relationships
- Emotional distance and isolation
- Escalation of resentment and unmet needs
- Impaired problem-solving and collaboration
- A cycle of defensive or avoidant behaviors that prevent true connection
Without intervention, dysfunctional communication patterns can severely damage relationships—both personal and professional.
- Greater emotional intimacy and trust
- Increased capacity to navigate conflict constructively
- Enhanced ability to express needs clearly and respectfully
- Deeper sense of being seen and understood
- Reduction in defensive or aggressive behaviors
- Strengthened empathy and compassion toward self and others
- More collaborative and connected relationships
- Improved sense of personal empowerment and relational integrity
Healthy communication builds relational resilience—allowing individuals and couples to weather life’s challenges with greater connection and grace.
Style Characteristics Common Impact.
| Passive | Avoids expressing needs, suppresses feelings, prioritizes others’ comfort | Builds resentment, leads to unmet needs |
| Aggressive | Dominates, blames, criticizes, disregards others’ needs | Creates fear, damages trust and intimacy |
| Passive-Aggressive | Indirect, uses sarcasm or manipulation to express unmet needs | Confuses others, fosters mistrust |
| Assertive (Healthy) | Openly expresses needs and feelings with respect for self and others | Fosters trust, clarity, and collaboration |
Nonviolent Communication helps us move toward a healthy assertive style that is grounded in empathy and authenticity.
- Recognize and transform unhelpful communication patterns
- Learn and practice the core components of Nonviolent Communication
- Express yourself with clarity, honesty, and compassion
- Listen with empathy—even in difficult moments
- Navigate conflict in ways that build connection rather than erode it
- Honor both your needs and the needs of others without self-sacrifice or domination
- Foster healthier family, couple, and workplace relationships
You can change the way you communicate—and in doing so, you can change the quality of your relationships and your life.
We are here to support you on that journey.
Contact us today to begin transforming your communication and your relationships—steadfastly, and with compassion.
You are welcome to a free 15-minute phone consultation with me.
You can call me at 509-951-1449
“Only with steadfast memories can we now be strong so as to undo the mistakes of the past, to begin anew and build from the rubble of their betrayal.”
-F. Sionil Jose