About Our Trainings

"I work with crime victims, prison inmates, and homeless youth. My work often involves designing communication activities for people to learn non-violent approaches to conflict, including forgiveness. Several years ago I was introduced to The Compassionate Listening Project, and since then have used its teachings to train many, including prison inmates, with tremendous success." – Lorenn Walker, former deputy Attorney General, Hawai’i

The practice of Compassionate Listening helps us to awaken to what the mystics from all of the great faiths have known for centuries: that cultivating the wisdom of the heart is the key to real peace from the inside out.

The goal of our trainings is to support participants to embody the Five Core Practices of Compassionate Listening:

• Cultivating Compassion for ourselves and others;
• Developing the Fair Witness by remaining open in conflict situations;
• Respecting Self and Others by developing boundaries which protect yet include;
• Listening with the Heart – allow divergence and find a deeper point of connection;
• Speaking from the Heart with language which reflects a healing intention.

The intelligence of the heart is confirmed in research in the field of Neurocardiology. In Compassionate Listening, our emphasis is on strengthening the influence of the heart through cultivating compassion for ourselves and others, and learning to listen and speak from the heart – even in the heat of conflict. The practice of Compassionate Listening teaches us how to reach through layers of defensiveness and reactivity to our essential core. From there, we can shift communication and relationships into heart-to-heart interaction. Participants in our experiential workshops learn powerful skills for peace-making, starting with peace within ourselves, and with family, community, in the workplace and beyond. We are truly learning to be the peace we wish to see in the world, as Gandhi so eloquently challenged us to do.

We have taught Compassionate Listening world-wide since 1999 in public, private and academic settings. Our client list includes mediation centers, social service agencies, religious institutions, colleges, community organizations and peace groups. Our facilitators regularly present and speak at conferences around the world. We are happy to work with you to bring Compassionate Listening to your community, institute or workplace. We now offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for all of our trainings. Click here to see our calendar of trainings and events.

Participants often tell us they did not expect such a deeply personal, transformative experience in our one and two-day introductory trainings. Participants put the skills to use immediately where they are challenged the most. What you take out of the workshop has everything to do with what you bring to the weekend – your personal needs and challenges. Together we create a trusting circle and experience the heart-opening power of Compassionate Listening. We welcome people of all nationalities and backgrounds in our trainings, ages 18 and over (if younger people wish to participate it is up to the individual facilitator).

We are offering our next Advanced Trainings in late Febrary, and May 2010, for those who have taken an introductory intensive or participated in one of our training delegations. Last year we de-coupled the Advanced Training courses. Participants are free to take either or both courses, in any order. However, both courses are prerequisites for our certification program.

Please check our calendar for a full listing of upcoming trainings. Over the last couple of years we have taught in 15 states in the U.S., Canada, Europe and the Middle East. If you do not see a training scheduled in your area and you would like to host a workshop, please call our office at 360-626-4411, or write to us at: staff@compassionatelistening.org. We would be happy to work with you to bring Compassionate Listening to your community in a way that serves your needs. We can also offer introductory evenings if we have a facilitator in your area.

Registration & Cancellation Policy

Once you find a training you’d like to attend, click on the secure online registration link underneath the workshop listing. Your $100 deposit reserves your space. Registration is limited to 30 participants. Final payment is due at the conclusion of the workshop, and is based on your ability to pay and your perceived value of the workshop. Although your $100 registration fee is non-refundable, $50 may be applied to a future workshop. If we cancel the workshop for any reason, your deposit will be refunded in full.
If you prefer to register over the phone, please call us and we’ll be happy to register you.

Scholarship Information

Partial scholarships are available for most of the workshops we offer. We endeavor to make our workshops accessible. To inquire, please call the Compassionate Listening Project office at 360-626-4411.

From the participants

Compassionate Listening is vital in every situation I find myself in. At work, home, out on the street and with friends, family and broken relationships…

The facilitation was exquisite. Perfect. Balanced. Whole. Soft. Clear. Supportive. Understanding. Connected!

This was the most transformative, essential workshop I have experienced…this is a powerful tool that can change the world.

I came away with so many inspirations from your workshop. It opened up something in me that has been laying dormant – the passion to listen deeply to others – friends, colleagues, and to those who are not in my circle but to whom my circle extends when I open my heart.

The skills this workshop provided are both personally and socially transformative.

I can’t thank you enough for the incredible gifts from last weekend. I began the week with repairing conflicts in my life…They were things I thought I had to live with and now I have moved enough to bring my peace to the situations. Thank You, Thank you.

I truly believe that Compassionate Listening is life-transforming. I am extremely grateful to have had this opportunity…the value is clear to me in terms of my life, relationships and work.