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  • About
    • About
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    • What is Philosophical Counseling?
    • What to Expect in a Workshop
    • Rogue Philosophers Video Chats
  • Counseling
    • Philosophical Counseling with Monica
    • Counseling for Academics
    • Counseling for Gymnasts
    • Rates & Policies
  • Workshops
    • Workshops
    • Upcoming Workshops >
      • The Search for Meaning
      • Ethics & Sports
    • Past Workshops >
      • Crash Course in Ethics
      • Anger and Forgiveness
      • Nonviolent Communication
      • How to Live Philosophically
      • Buddhism
      • Buddhism in Action
      • Taoism
      • Existentialism
      • Feminism & Freedom
      • History of Sexuality
      • Ethics and Nature
      • Alienation
      • Alienation 2
      • William James: Meaning, Faith & Science
      • Philosophy of Dialogue
      • Roots of Democracy
      • Ethics of Authenticity
      • Color Conscious
  • Retreats
    • Retreats
    • Past Retreats >
      • Spring Retreats
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Nonviolent Communication

A Curious Soul Philosophy Workshop
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When:
Saturdays, April 10, 17, 24, 2021
1:00-3:00 p.m. Pacific Time

Where:
Online via Zoom

Workshop Description:
Communication today feels broken. Public discussions on the news and on social media sound more like instances of mutual assault than mutual understanding. Everyday conversations with friends, family members, co-workers and neighbors too often spiral out of control into expressions of anger and accusation. Violence, it seems, is not just physical. It is alive in the way we speak to each other, too.

Marshall Rosenberg, in his influential book Nonviolent Communication, believes there is a way to re-connect with our natural compassion for each other and restore human bonds when they are broken. He describes the practical strategies by which we can (a) identify our emotional states and the human needs at the bottom of our words, (b) learn to express ourselves more authentically, and (c) come to understand each other more empathetically. With examples from his own work, he shows us how nonviolent communication practices can improve our relationships, enrich our lives, and help us to pursue a more peaceful existence.

In this workshop we will study, discuss, and find opportunities to practice the four elements of nonviolent communication — i.e., the articulation of observations, feelings, needs, and requests. In the process, we'll work to raise our awareness of our shared vulnerability and humanity, and find ways to take the fulfillment of our different and overlapping needs seriously.

The techniques of nonviolent communication have earned praise from counselors and conflict resolvers all over the world. They are useful for handling difficulties with friends and family, as well as problems in the work place, the local community, and the larger political arena. You're gonna want to learn this stuff.

About Philosophy Workshops:
Philosophy Workshops emphasize discussion, life experience, self-examination, and practical application.  They are led by philosophy professors committed to accessible language and open conversation. No prior philosophical training is necessary . . .  just an open mind, a respectful approach to others, and a sense of humor!

The Theory and the Lab:
There are two portions of this discussion-based workshop: 1) the Theory, and 2) the Lab.


In the Theory portion of the workshop (from 1:00-2:15) we’ll work to understand key concepts from our reading for the day. In the Lab portion of the workshop (from 2:15- 3:00) we will reflect on the ways in which the theory applies to our own time period and our own personal struggles. We will devise “experiments” for putting key concepts into practice in our lives, and we will discuss with each other how our experiments work out.

If this is your first philosophy workshop, you can learn more about what to expect here.

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About Your Workshop Leader:
Monica Vilhauer, Ph.D. is a former professor of philosophy and the founder of Curious Soul Philosophy. She's committed to the practical value of philosophy for everyday life, and she's always looking for ways to move philosophy beyond academic settings and into the local community. She does this by offering workshops, retreats, and individual philosophical counseling through Curious Soul. She also collaborates with Portland organizations like Oregon Humanities and Literary Arts.


Readings: 
For this workshop, participants should purchase Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg.
The workshop leader is using the 2nd edition. The link above is to the 3rd edition, which has an additional chapter and a different Foreword, but either edition should be fine.
Order your book early to leave time for delivery.

Preparation: 
For each meeting, participants should read in advance the selection of text we'll be discussing, consider some questions Monica will send by email to help us focus, and come with some marked passages to talk about.

Rates:
  • Friends Rate: $150 Are you signing up to take the workshop with a friend? Click on the "Friends Rate" button for a significant discount. For our online sessions during the pandemic, the discounted "friends rate" is for everyone!
  • The workshop has limited space. Please register soon to save yourself a spot!
  • Registration closes on Saturday, April 3, 2021.
  • Register by clicking the button below and following instructions to use PayPal. If you do not have a PayPal account, PayPal still allows you to pay using a credit card. To pay with a credit card, click the Buy Workshop button below, then click on the Debit or Credit Card button. You should be able to enter your card info there. Thanks!

Philosophical Counseling with Monica Vilhauer in the news:

Article about philosophical counseling in Oprah Magazine
Oprah Magazine
Article about philosophical counseling in VICE
VICE

What Our Clients Are Saying
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"Monica meets you on every level: She’ll readily engage with any abstract ideas you have about the world or the self, and analyze those ideas with you, but she also has a way of making you feel that she viscerally understands the difficulty of the situations you’re describing. When I talk to her, I have the feeling that I’m talking to someone who is very present, who is on my side, and who has also fought to be able to live her own life on her terms."
"Conversations with Monica feel non-hierarchical. She is working through the questions with you, not diagnosing you or analyzing you."
"I get the sense that philosophical counseling for Monica is an extension of who she is. These difficult topics are a part of her own life, and she is comfortable talking about what is uncomfortable."

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