”Aya’s leading of The Alchemy of Conflict Transformation series so clearly revealed to me the importance of caring for everyone’s needs when engaging in conflict situations, seeing that our liberation is inextricably interdependent. I especially appreciated Aya bringing both theory and practice into every session, by centering each class in the heart of NVC consciousness while walking us through the practical skills for engaging modern scenarios, including the personal and political challenges of our day. It’s been amazing to witness my relationships (including the one with myself) transform as I continue to practice what I’ve learned in the course. So much gratitude for Aya, Nora, and my classmates…"
Jozelle Wong Yu
"Aya Caspi’s courses are about so much more than skillful communication. The approach is to distill our message down to its core truth, which is based on the most innocent and basic needs that are tied to our very survival as humans. Reclaiming Wholeness brought me through the process of peeling back the layers of thought, created by social expectation and other external forces, that tend to blind me to my own humanity. I left each class uplifted and in a state of clarity. I felt a deeper appreciation for myself and the rest of the world, as opposed to shame about my “flawed” thinking. Once in touch with my higher intentions, the right words flow naturally. I so looked forward to each session. These classes have inspired me to make NVC an ongoing practice."
Laura Cuda
"I so much appreciateAya's service, which helps me to continue to grow. I thought the series was gracefully executed and was very rich with the examples that were brought forward by the group. I feel hopeful witnessing so many sincere, courageous people. I enjoyed the focus on the spiritual aspects of NVC as it seemed to tap into the most essential part. The depth ofAya's integration of the NVC consciousness continues to impress me and it shines through her in even the smallest interaction. It's not easy for me to speak up in a group that size, but it was somewhat easier in the smaller breakout groups and I will continue to stretch myself towards more participation. I really liked having the option to listen to the classes again on the recordings."
Andrea Nila Negron
"I am grateful for both the depth and simplicity of the two day NVC intensive. It was a unique opportunity to explore deeper layers of healing and empathy individually and collectively. The real-life labs helped me to witness the interconnectedness of our challenges, vulnerabilities as well as longings. I found the steps in transforming judgments to deeper needs a handy tool to remember and use an ongoing basis. It was a poetic movement of intentions and a spiral of resonant loveliness. Deeply grateful,"
Monica Espinoza, CNVC Certification Candidate
"I recently attended a NVC workshop with Aya in Southern California. I was particularly impressed with Aya’s ability to listen and sensing and for holding space for all participants with an open heart. Her guidance through the process of understanding the NVC concepts are gentle and compassionate, emphasizing that we are all spiritual beings longing for connection and belonging and that all of our needs matter. I feel inspired to continue the journey of inner and outer balance and I thank Aya for her guidance."
Katlen E.
"Aya is a teacher who is vulnerable, authentic and caring. She invokes and demonstrates a world of velvety softness - and of deep veracity. In this world, she lives the example of a world where every desire, longing, and need in the group is upheld, cherished and protected. She provides this example both with vigilance and elegance - creating a vividly felt experience of how possible it is to sink into the deep peace in one’s heart (compassion [for self and the world]) that seems rare today...yet with her guidance, increasingly possible. One gravitates to her like a moth to a soft, strong, peaceful flame. The emotional environment she creates and maintains stands, finally, a potent reminder for all those fortunate enough to come into contact with her...of with how miraculous it really can be to be living a human experience in this world."
Sarah Spector
"Going into the retreat, I had no idea the depth of healing and insight I would receive. Aya is truly a gifted teacher and a master of holding space, and I am honored and blessed to have learned so much from her. Aya takes NVC to the next level; I would definitely recommend her retreats or coaching to anyone!"
Rachel Rozen
"When I embarked on this journey of working with Aya a few years ago, I was in a great deal of emotional pain and desperately looking for some tools to help alleviate it. I had no idea that my work with her would come to have life transforming and spiritual properties. Reflecting on my life prior to working with her, I am amazed at the completely different person which has emerged...Through patience, love, and artful reflection, Aya helped me dig through layers of anger and resentment which obscured my true and deeper longings...On a practical level, this awareness often leads to a greater fulfillment of my needs ultimately, because I am more able to accurately identify my true feelings and make requests from this more connected place. My relationships now are more meaningful and authentic. I see life now as an opportunity to grow and deepen connections with others. The love, support, and presence I have received from working with Aya has been a gift. I will forever be grateful for the contribution Aya has made to my family, to myself, and to the world at large."
Leigha H.
"Aya’s ability to teach in such a heartfelt manner comes across so clearly. She embodies NVC as I have never seen any trainer do before, except for Marshall Rosenberg himself. She has embodied the teaching in a way that she can transmit the teachings with precision and care."
Reed Goodey
"Aya pulls in such a wide range of experience, background, and knowledge and always with such grace and passion that it is absolutely infectious. As far back as I can remember I have had trouble simply getting along with the majority of people I would interact with…I would also constantly find myself engaged and enraged in situations at work, school, and with my loved ones that would leave me unemployed, dropping out of school and pretty much alone… I was showered with a sense of community and openness that I have never experienced before. Multiple times a day Aya would find a way to show up with me in a personal and confidential way to check in with me and and track my processing, emotional state and general understanding of the topics and sessions of the day. I have never in my life felt such a present and loving person in each and every interaction I had and continue to have with her. I am struggling to find words to emphasize what I got out of this…my communication, my ability to empathize, my ability and willingness to consider other peoples feelings and needs, my willingness to be open and vulnerable, etc have already changed my life in a number of ways. I have already signed multiple new contracts for my company, starting to heal multiple damaged relationships, and all of my interactions from a rental car person to a bus driver or a customer support person on the phone are now not only friendlier but actually rich and enjoyable…my overall happiness and excitement about life and my journey in this life is forever enhanced."
Mike Jenkins
"I was very inspired by Aya Caspi's generosity of time and energy. Aya ate all her meals with us, played with us on rest day, changed schedule and material to meet requests throughout the week. She was able to calmly hold the space for beginners and experienced alike to take the next steps. I would recommend Aya Caspi as an instructor to beginners and more experienced practitioners alike because of her ability to break down and teach the material, but also her kind and understanding demeanor. She held each person with care on their path at their own speed, with great understanding of the pain and joy of discovering a new way. Aya offers a deep teaching and uses great discernment in addressing misconceptions of beginners, while offering everyone a powerful example of lived NVC."
Karen Martinsen, CNVC Certification Candidate
"Aya taught us, me, how to identify our feelings and our needs. And then we learned how to express ourselves to others. To recognize their feelings, their needs, and to respond to them. I brought all of this home with me…I stopped looking for solutions…a tremendous step for me and I carry it with me. How Aya managed to gain the respect and love of all of us from many places, many backgrounds, many ages and many walks of life is astounding. I truly have never met anyone as skilled as Aya in teaching so difficult a subject as NVC"
Linda Bartlett
"I found Aya's course in Nonviolent Communication is a journey in reclaiming my voice. Once I was introduced to the basic core of NVC, observation, feelings, needs, request, I found I was able to slowly participate in any conversation. This has not been the case for most of my life. The once a week meetings held time to practice our own unique style of NVC, support each others unique style of NVC, and Aya', keen translation of our unique style of NVC always is full of opening up further insight into communicating with the most likely hood of positive results. Bonus, and I have acquired a new group of allies and support. Spreading the NVC word."
Nancy Clark
"Each session brought examples of Aya’s ability to be genuine, open and authentic, in both her celebrations and in some mournings. She is very attuned to the needs of individuals within the group, and is able to track who needs attention with apparent ease. Her ability to reflect what has been said and to "cut to the chase” with accuracy and precision and curiosity helped me to improve my own ability to sense and guess at what needs were under the pain or the celebration. She had participants from the USA as well as Canada and Germany. The sense of community Aya was able to create, maintain and encourage in these 8 sessions was remarkable."
Hope Moffatt, CNVC Certified Trainer, Canada
"... Aya is a truly gifted NVC trainer and is an excellent facilitator. She is always prepared with a topic and is very skilled at keeping us on track and is good at walking us through scenarios that relate to the topic she has set. She is also great at incorporating into the discussion whatever spontaneously comes up... I find that the more I engage and practice with Aya, the greater chance that, even under pressure, my first response is one that grows from an NVC consciousness. If you are interested in expanding your knowledge of NVC, I urge you to consider signing up too."
Carole Orr
"The Alchemy of Conflict series is a wonderful way to increase your capacity to handle the high conflict areas in your life. The skills Aya teaches during this class are applicable to any conflict situation, whether it’s personal, professional, or political. Aya’s commitment to nonviolence is inspiring and she holds the class with a level of competency, compassion, and professionalism that makes the experience one that will expand the way you see high conflict situations and make you more confident in your ability to navigate them with kindness, strength, and integrity"
Kara Nance, CNVC Certification Candidate
"NVC with Aya is an eye opening, life-redefining experience. I learnt practical tools to communicate with others in a truly connecting manner, while developing a new sense of self (through self empathy and reclaiming innocence). It was wonderful to be able to share compassion during those unprecedented isolating times. I'm always amazed at how easy it becomes to connect with total strangers through the power of NVC. I (re)discovered the power of empathy, how we are interconnected and how behind every action, every word we say, there is a need we are trying to care for. Aya delivers a message of peace and teaches how to put it in practice."
Astrid Hugen
”Aya has led me to go through a journey from suffering to self-love and loving others. She leads life to a status of innocence and beauty."-
Yumi - China
"Aya, thank you for offering the online classes in NVC. It served as a refresher for me. I really enjoyed the breakout sessions; the chance to practice NVC in a safe and formatted setting. I also learned a lot from hearing your insights on different topics and hearing your language when addressing emotionally challenging situations that arose in the classes. I look forward to future opportunities to work and learn from you."
Thea Blair
"Every sentences Aya articulates is a natural manifestation of NVC consciousness. I’m full of admiration toward her."
Maple - China
"I was inspired by the way Aya taught from the way of being she has that has integrated NVC so much into her being and her spirituality. Being invited to include the joy and pain of my spiritual aspect in what she was teaching, I felt much more eager to learn.. Aya showed Care for herself and celebration of her courage and effort. From that I felt more connection with her as another human and was reminded of the importance of celebrating my own courage in taking on challenges (which is easy for us in this society to forget to do). I admired her ability to show deep respect of students in checking if they felt complete with their process with her and respect for the needs for the whole in choosing at a certain point to not take more questions in order to go forward with offering teaching and opportunities for us to practice them in breakouts.”
Lynn Thomas
"I appreciated the talks that Aya gave to introduce the concepts and exercises. I also gained a lot from the honest sharing by participants. The group exercises were very important to be able to see how the different processes can transform our way of approaching each other. I learned that I have tools to reconnect with my innocence inside and to trust the feelings in my body. I also overcame some of my fears about speaking honestly and sharing my experiences in front of people."
Allison Gause
"Aya's teaching refreshes and confirms my commitment to NVC which began in 1996. I feel inspired and joyful when I experience the depth she goes to and the way she brings this depth alive in the course of a class. Even having so much more experience (sometimes in Life, sometimes in NVC) than the folks with whom I did small group sharing, I loved the connection and gained support and help with some significant issues in my life."
Selene Aitken, CNVC certified trainer
"This workshop helped me become a better listener of other people’s needs, and a better communicator of my own needs. Through a combination of demonstration, enquiry, and role-playing, involving both real and imagined situations, the workshop provided hands-on practice to ensure that the concepts really stick. The participants were all interested and attentive, which is always helpful in this kind of interactive workshop. Even though I consider myself a good communicator, I learned a lot, and became a better communicator over the weekend.”
Dan Freedman
"Aya’s teaching is worth reviewing again and again. I’m touched deep in the heart and have regained freedom, choicefulness and strength."
Lucy - China
”I feel enriched by the NVC workshop Aya led in January in the beautiful Robinson Gardens in Beverly Hills. I found this workshop to have an Immense Influence on the “collective I”:
it was Intense, Intelligent, Informative, Insightful, Inspiring, Intimate. Aya instilled in me an insatiable interest in this incredible subject and its tools for better communication. I’m still basking in her NVC glow, hoping for a lasting effect. With warm gratitude,"
Orna
"Studying NVC with Aya has been a one of a kind experience. After just returning from a retreat with her, I am particularly moved by the way Aya used real time interactions between fellow participants to demonstrate NVC in action. In every other place in my life, this addressing of live conflict would be avoided at all costs; I dare say even taboo. However, with Aya’s gift for holding space and care for the individual and the whole, we were able to witness and partake in what felt like a true transformation. The impact on me was immediate; my ever-present anxiety went down, my heart opened and I experienced a profound sense of intimacy with a group of people I had only just met. I am left deeply inspired and filled with hope".
Jill Vice, Oakland, CA
"Aya offers a safe place to show up and practice speaking up with what is alive inside even when fragile, scared thoughts/ patterns of separation or confusion or shame are present and suggest to be quiet. Aya masterfully supports a safe and stimulating environment to explore what really matters for each person even when it is not agreed on with another and skillfully brings it to the surface. I so appreciate her example of standing grounded in Presence with an open heart and sharp mind even in the midst of adversity and still offer acceptance and love to the other.
In brief......Aya has a skillful mastery in teaching how to discover what is most alive inside and allow it to emerge so that barriers can dissolve and an offering of connection and clarity be made.
YesI Brilliant!"
Ingrid Hyord
"I'm grateful to say that I have, through this course, realized Nonviolent communication as a consciousness, a way of being, more than just a strategy for expressing and communication, but as a means by which we can birth the collective vision of loving and peaceful existence, and freedom from suffering for all beings. I see clearly the work to be done to fully establish myself in this consciousness, thanks to Aya's clear demonstration."
Workshop participant
"Aya's ability to listen, hear, all rooted in presence and deep attention, set a new bar for me as to how we humans could aspire to interact, not only to (re)solve conflicts, but on a day to day basis. A new vision of "conscious relating" was midwifed into existence by Aya. There are mirrors that reflect your image better than your own sight could perceive it, if you could stand beside yourself and watch-especially if the heart is cloudy. Aya is such a mirror, which remains an inspiration and a model for me. I am grateful that her soul dwells in the same age as I happen to be visiting here."
Andrei, CA
"Aya is a tremendously skilled teacher. Her abilities as a mediator and communication facilitator are unparalleled. The fearlessness, but also care, with which she faces difficult conversations is awe inspiring. She has a true gift, but one that is borne of real and deep work. ..Aya guides participants with a combination of teachings and real life practice, offering students opportunities to implement concrete changes in their way of communicating. Aya always practices the utmost care and respect for participants, but at the same time supportively challenges students to shift their thinking and communicating, and GROW. Aya's teachings have resulted in subtle shifts in my mindset which has had a profound impact on the way I communicate and interact with colleagues, family and friends. The class has helped me develop a very different understanding of "conflict," and has helped me find a path to empathizing and supporting others, while still caring for my own needs. I feel extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Aya."
Natalia Williams
"Aya’s understanding and integration of NVC consciousness is very deep. In moments of pain and discomfort in the community, I have seen how she follows connection as a steady beacon. I have great trust in her capacity to hold the needs of the whole with skill and compassion."
Anita Anandan, CNVC Certification Canditate
"The series of classes .......... taught by Aya Caspi, changed the way I want to walk in the world. Through her compassionate and heartfelt desire to help others find the place in them that will start changing their own lives as well as the others around her, she has shifted for me, quite literally, my view of the world and my own place in it. This class is a must for anyone interested in getting closer to their own truth, as well as the skills necessary to communicate in a way that draws each of us closer to one another."
Hope Davis
"...I found Aya’s insights and guidance in the fundamentals of NVC and suggested weekly practices to be extremely helpful. She quickly built a safe and open platform for everyone to share personal ideas and thoughts. For me, the course also illuminated the many areas of my life that I wanted to work on through the use of NVC…such as practicing to be more bold in sharing my own needs while learning about others’, “tracking” a conversation while it unfolds, and practicing more self-compassion. These insights were just as valuable as the course itself, so I am grateful for Aya’s guidance. Aya also has a natural ability to listen carefully, connect with the person she’s working with, provide honest and insightful feedback, while simultaneously tracking the rest of the group to make sure they felt like they were all heard. It was a powerful and inspirational experience and I look forward to future opportunities in learning from her again."
Kelly H. Wong
"Thank you Aya, for holding the spirituality of NVC. Along with tools offered through classes, I received your alive presence. Your passion and devotion (that is very contagious) allowed the presence for all participants in vulnerability and trust. Consequently my vulnerability and trust continued being with me in everyday life, and Magic of world showed its new face. We see each other, only are still clumsy in expressing and sharing it. NVC holds our hand and teaches how to show that we see, how to acknowledge that we seen. I can be vulnerable, it’s empowering!"
Tatiana Vaturi
