Glossary
Nonviolent Communication (NVC)
Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is Marshall Rosenberg’s method for saying hard things honestly, built on observations, feelings, needs and requests.
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NVC was developed by Marshall B. Rosenberg, PhD, who founded the Center for Nonviolent Communication. It pairs honest expression with empathy, the aim being solutions that meet everyone’s needs, without criticism or blame.
In practice it gives a hard sentence four parts: what you observed, how you feel, the need behind the feeling, and a clear request. “When the phones came out at dinner, I felt lonely, because I need time that’s ours. Could we keep phones off the table on weeknights?”
A core NVC idea is the difference between a need and a strategy. No phones at dinner is a strategy; connection is the need. Tara’s method is WinWin Conversations by Kamal Sarma, with NVC underneath, and adds one more move before the request: what you appreciate.
Sources
- Center for Nonviolent Communication: What is NVC? (checked October 21, 2026)
- Center for Nonviolent Communication: The Purpose of NVC (checked October 21, 2026)
- BayNVC: Basics of Nonviolent Communication (checked October 21, 2026)
- Untangle: The Method (checked October 21, 2026)
Have the conversation.
Tara sits between you, each on your own phone, so you both walk away heard. 3 days free, then $25 a month for both of you.