How CTC Works
CTC is NOT a training program, and is not interchangeable with any other training offered by BayNVC (such as Foundation series or the Leadership Program) or any other NVC trainer. My intention is for involvement with CTC to be a separate commitment taken on in addition to any other learning of NVC. CTC is intended for those whose commitment to living fully the NVC consciousness in all they do is high, and for whom consciousness transformation is a top priority in their life, including a commitment to pass it on to others in some capacity.
Upon receiving an application, I will have a conversation with the applicant to determine together what level of engagement would be most supportive for the applicant and the group, what other learning the applicant may want to engage in, and what form of service the applicant may want to engage in. Applications are welcome year-round, and people are welcome to join whenever you want.
For as long as the group remains small enough, I plan to review each person’s study program (use of CTC offerings, other workshops, service projects, etc) 2-4 times a year and make specific recommendations for training opportunities to support the person’s goals; practices to increase capacity in areas of challenge; or service projects that may provide next steps. If and when the group grows enough, I will offer this personalized support to smaller groups (integrators, practitioners, supporters, and trainers), and invite trainers to offer it to explorers. All this will be discovered over time.
In essence, CTC will be co-created by all of us through an ongoing iterative process of feedback and experimentation that will lead to uncovering shared needs. For starters, I offer a particular structure that makes sense to me right now as I am designing this in isolation. I see the proposed structure of components below as the basic skeleton of CTC, upon which I and others will design and implement more.
It is my hope that CTC will contribute significantly to sustainability for everyone who is offering support to others. Initially that hope focuses on me as the primary person holding this vision and implementing it. Over time, if the group grows enough, I will not be able to attend to all the needs present, and I will then anticipate that trainers will take on a bigger role, at which point I would want to support their sustainability as well.
In addition, I dream of the community as a whole being self-sustaining in even more ways. For example, I would ideally want administrative support for CTC to be given within the group with the exception of registration and the financial management of the program, which is handled by BayNVC. I can’t even fully imagine everything that could happen. Right in this moment, as I am writing this, it’s all a dream. But I know that dreaming is the first step, and I want to give full room for my dream to unfold and become known to others. As the dream unfolds, I imagine it interacting with others’ dreams who participate, and shifting as a result to become more of a collective dream than an implementation of just my dream. I am open to whatever can happen.
Here are the components of CTC as I envision them right now. I anticipate ongoing shifts in how CTC is run based on experimentation and feedback.
1. Your written questions answered
At whatever level you are engaging with CTC, you have access any time you want to send me questions about your experience and practice. I plan to answer all questions within a few days, and all answers will be sent to the entire group. Thus, even if you don’t ever ask questions, you will have access to the learning that you can get by seeing other people’s questions with my answers.
This also includes the opportunity to receive feedback on any written work that you are doing, such as a piece of writing, or a journal that you worked through, or preparation for a workshop. Anything that is in writing and can therefore be shared with everyone else.
2. Writings by me
I am happy to share early drafts of anything that I write. This will both support your learning and give you an opportunity to support my learning and writing.
3. Weekly group with me
Over time I anticipate having both a weekly group on the phone and an in-person weekly group for people local to the San Francisco Bay Area. For starters, I plan to have only a phone group, and likely not as often, depending on how many people join CTC and how much financial contribution they commit to.
While the group is smaller than 5 people, I anticipate meeting only once a month. As the group grows, I plan to add a 2nd monthly meeting, and move towards a weekly meeting when there are at least 12 people who are committed to coming most weeks. That’s when I currently imagine adding the in-person meeting local group, and deciding the frequency based on similar considerations.
I am not committing to being present for all of the meetings, but am intending to be in most of them, especially when they are less frequent. When I am not present, one of the trainers is likely to cover. If not, a supporter may be present, or a integrator. Even if only explorers arrive at any particular week, the group will still take place with as much self-responsibility as is available to whoever is present to offer support, connection, and feedback towards consciousness transformation.
4. Other offerings by trainers and supporters
These will become known and will be announced as trainers and supporters join and choose what they want to offer. Feedback during evaluation calls (see below) will also be part of what will shape which offerings become available.
5. One-on-one support calls or in-person meetings
Based on willingness and availability, everyone in the group has access to individual support. There is no limit to the number of requests made for individual support. The only limit is the willingness of those who would be offering this support.
Trainers will typically receive one-on-one support from me or each other, supporters and practitioners from trainers or each other, integrators from supporters or each other, and explorers from integrators, supporters, or each other. That said, anyone is free to make requests of anyone else provided they are clear that whoever receives the request is free to say “no.” For example, I intend to make myself available for one-on-one support primarily to trainers and on occasion to supporters and practitioners. On a rare case-by-case event I may also make myself available for integrators and explorers. But I anticipate saying “no” to most requests for one-on-one support and passing them on to others. If CTC grows, my availability to integrators and explorers will diminish even further. I feel confident that at that time other resources will exist within the group for one-on-one support for integrators and explorers.
6. Empathy buddy
Each member is asked to have an empathy buddy, usually within their own level of engagement unless mutual agreement is made with another person. Empathy buddies are asked to connect on the phone for an hour each week to share empathy and feedback with each other.
7. Materials
Each member will receive all the journals and reference materials that Inbal and I have created over the years.
8. Email and/or web forum
Everyone who chooses to from the group that forms is welcome to join an email listserve and/or a wiki or other interactive web forum to communicate with others.
9. Quarterly evaluation time
Once per quarter I plan to schedule a phone call with all those who wish to participate with me in evaluating the progress of the community and to participate in co-creating any changes to the offerings.
10. Service projects
In addition to deepening and integration of the consciousness, it is my hope that some members, and in particular practitioners, will be engaged in projects they initiate or join where they use NVC consciousness and practices in supporting transformation in their personal world and beyond. This aspect of CTC is highly underdeveloped and it is my deep wish that someone who joins CTC will be enthusiastic about giving fuller shape to what this might mean, including what structures of support CTC will offer specifically for those engaging in service.
11. Retreats
At present there are no CTC-specific retreats being scheduled. Instead, I see two options for CTC members to attend retreats:
- CTC members will sometimes be invited to join a retreat scheduled for another purpose provided there are enough CTC trainers or supporters present at the retreat who could support members in designing a meaningful time for themselves. In particular, at least the first retreat of the 2010 Leadership Program (Feb 19-27) is open to CTC members who want to attend. I and one other CTC trainer will be present.
- If enough members are interested in doing a CTC-only retreat, we will schedule one. I anticipate that initially I will be the only one leading retreats in this group. As the group grows, I imagine over time trainers also being available for leading retreats as needed.