LIMITED TIME INTRODUCTORY PRICE $79 | After 06/30 → $159

Course Description

Engaging in Compassionate Communication, as both a spiritual, self-nourishing practice and conversational art, nurtures our relationships and deepens our connection to life. It builds our emotional and social intelligence, and enhances your ability to nurturing human nature, and all of nature. It is also interwoven with and foundational to our ability to understand and relate to other species.

We strongly recommend this course to augment your nurture nature practice and communities, and to support the growth of multispecies, ecological and spiritual intelligence.

Compassionate Communication leads to positive changes in the self, relationships, organizations, and communities, at both the local and global level. It encompasses the nonviolence resistance began by Gandhi, and upon which Martin Luther King Jr. founded the civil rights movement, and Marshall Rosenberg developed Nonviolent Communication. At its core is the promise of developing our emotional and social intelligence to the level which leads to transformation of self and society. We are glad that you have joined the course – to nurture yourself so that you can nurture human nature, and all of nature. I have found that having Compassionate Communication as my primary spiritual practice has allowed me to engage more vibrantly with the world and to be a greater social change agent, even when the outcomes are far from assured or pleasant.

This course originally was developed for the Unitarian Universalist Leadership Institute, so you will hear, especially in the first module, several references to congregations and Unitarian Universalism. As this is a faith that encompasses all religions, spiritualities, and ethical and humanistic frameworks, our hope is that you will be comfortable with this language. Furthermore, when references to faith and congregations occur, you can translate this into other organizations and world views.

In this course consisting of six modules you will:

1. Grow your emotional and social intelligence
2. Grow self-understanding and self-empathy
3. Grow understanding and empathy of, compassion for, and connection to others, of all species
4. Have greater choice in your thinking, emotions, and behaviors
5. Grow your capacity to nurture yourself and others
6. Grow your organizational intelligence and leadership ability so that you can lead the change you wish in the world and more effectively advocate for self and others.
7. Learn the foundations of Compassionate Communication and Nonviolent Communication, and gain hours towards your certification as a registered Trainer for Nonviolent Communication
8. Strengthen your listening and conversational skills, as well as ability to engage in ethical deliberation and conversation.

This course is designed for both individual and group learning. Participants should complete the Nurture Nature Introductory video before enrolling.Each of the six modules consists of a video recording of Rev. Dr. LoraKim Joyner teaching, and ample opportunity for individual reflection or group discussion.

Handouts for each module provide journal exercises and suggested practices in which you can engage, as well as a list of resources and supplemental information. Journaling, discussion, and practice are paramount for embodying the relevant principles and acting them out in the world. You can find "handouts" under the "Reflection/Exercises/Handouts" section as well as the "Resources for Further Exploration/Handouts" section.

Taking all six modules in sequence the learning deepens and has greater impact on your personal life the more time with which you engage and practice. We strongly suggest that you engage all of this material, for learning emotional intelligence is a gradual process that slowly rewires your brain. Rev. Dr. Joyner will answer your questions and read your comments as your progress, and will also meet with you online or on the phone for one hour to offer personal coaching and support.

Successful completion of quizzes, meeting with Dr. Joyner, and submission of a 300-500 word essay on how this course has impacted your life are required for certification. You can use this certification towards Nonviolent Communication trainer hours as well as leading Nurture Nature Communities.

As you move through the modules we invite you to post comments and questions so that you can build community as you progress and so that we can support you in your learning experience.

Good hope to you, for in your work and engagement, you bring hope to the earth.

The modules are:

• Introduction and Fundamentals
• Nurturing Ourselves - Emotional Intelligence Part 1: Body Intelligence
• Nurturing Ourselves - Emotional Intelligence Part 2: Self-Connection, Self-Awareness, Self-Empathy
• Nurturing Others and Relationships: Social Intelligence, Other Empathy, Enemy Images, Requests, Observations
• Nurturing Our Congregations and Organizations: Organizational Intelligence, Leadership, Restorative Practices, Covenants, Policies, Practices
• Nurturing Our Communities and World: Social change, Civility, Diversity, Multiculturism, Multispecies Intelligence