NVC in the pine forest

I was born in 1949 in Germany, after the end of WWII. In my youth, the war was present in many ways: families in our village had lost beloved ones, there were refugees, later I learnt about the holocaust and other atrocities Germans had committed.

I felt guilt and shame about being German and wanted to contribute to a world that cared about people’s lives. With NVC I understood the difference between guilt/shame and responsibility: guilt and shame are about the past which I can’t change. With responsibility I live in the present moment, here I can choose how to act.

I got to know NVC in 1994 at a youth camp for young people from Western and Eastern Europe and the former Yugoslavian countries. At that time there was war and contrary to my expectations the youth from Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia were sitting around the campfire singing. I learnt that this was possible as they had come with trainers for NVC.

I realized that this could be a way to live peacefully with each other.

Since 2007 I have been working internationally as a trainer and contributed to reconciliation with NVC (e.g., in Kenya, Israel/Palestine, Iceland, Somalia, Ukraine, France, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nigeria, and Rwanda).

NVC is for me foremost a consciousness from which I live, it is less about words I use. Peace is more than the absence of war. It begins within me. Then I can contribute to PEACE between people and inspire others to transform conflicts peacefully.

I love to contribute by engaging in transforming conflicts, inner conflicts, conflicts in families, the workplace and in society.

I also serve as an assessor and accompany candidates on their path to CNVC certification as a trainer.

Since 2004, Nonviolent Communication has been far more than a method for me — it is a way of living, as a father, partner, and companion for families. In my seminars for parents and couples, I create spaces where listening becomes possible again, needs can be expressed openly, and genuine connection can grow.

I am deeply guided by the belief that children — and adults alike — thrive when they experience: I am welcome. I have a place. I am held. I am allowed to be alive. This attitude shapes my work and is grounded in many years of experience supporting families, relationships, and educational contexts.

As a certified trainer in Nonviolent Communication, coach, and mediator, I support people in staying connected with clarity, honesty, and compassion — especially in challenging moments — so that relationships do not merely function, but feel alive, resilient, and meaningful.

I live with Gundi, my wife, near Munich, Germany. I am author of the book: “I want to understand what you really need” – NVC with children
Visit me on www.freiekommunikation.de