Frequently asked questions

You are so welcome to join us for any of the events, whether you are completely new to this work or a seasoned professional.
If previous experience is required or supportive, it is noted.

For example, without having completed a foundational training like ‘Communicate to Connect’, can I attend the other ones, like ‘Empathy Essentials’ or ‘Speak your Truth’?

Yes, you are welcome to join.

At the same time, prior attendance to a ‘Communicate to Connect’ training is helpful. This is primarily for two reasons:

• Several trainings (e.g. ‘Empathy Essentials’) build on the foundational skills learnt in the ‘Communicate to Connect’ training. Many of these are not covered in other NVC trainings or in Marshall Rosenberg’s books or recordings.
• Having previously participated in a ‘Communicate to Connect’ training means we have already journeyed together in this way. This gives us a head start on building a sense of community, deeper connection, trust, and emotional safety when we do following trainings.

It will be outlined on the specific event page.

A typical schedule for full day trainings is:

• Arrival from 9:45 for meet and greet.
• Begin when all are present, otherwise no later than 10:10.
• Finish sometime between 17:15 and 17:45.
• At least 1 hour break for lunch, around 13:30, with 2 shorter breaks morning and afternoon.
• Teas, snacks and kitchen facilities available (fridge, cooker etc.).
  For lunch, you can bring your own or visit local cafes, shops, and restaurants.

A delicate topic and a good opportunity to practice consent.
We ask participants not to take photos or videos of anyone else without asking them first.
Occasionally, I will want an assistant to take photos to be used online. If so, we will ask everyone participating before any are taken.

If anyone doesn’t want to be included in these, they can tell the photographer, who will either avoid capturing them, or remove them from any pictures taken.

If this is not satisfactory, any participant can request to transfer to a different training or receive a full refund.

I offer events with support from an evolving team of collaborators (some of whom are introduced on this website), which is why you’ll often read ‘we’ and ‘us’.

Some venues have accommodation options; others don’t. Check the specific event pages for contact links.

If you are travelling a long way to get to the event, we will try to support you. There are usually sleeping options around (e.g., AirBnB, Hostel World) and we can organise ridesharing from there.

Alternatively, you may post on our events group to inquire whether another person attending the event has accommodation available locally.

We want to make these events both accessible and sustainable, i.e., available to everyone who would benefit, regardless of income, and, at the same time, minimize risk of loss and try to sustain ourselves financially.

Donation based events

Some events are partly offered by voluntary donation. Here is how they work.

We request payment in 2 parts:
1st: To secure your place and make sure we cover costs: Deposit (e.g. 30€) per day of training.
2nd: To contribute for the teaching / facilitation: A voluntary donation… For this:
You are invited to contribute as much as YOU like.

• If you already know how much you want to pay, you can transfer online anytime, or pay cash when you arrive.
• If you want to experience the event first, you can pay anytime before leaving, either by cash or online transfer.
• Balance what you receive (what it’s worth to you) with what you are comfortably able to give.
• What you are investing in:
  
  • Expenses that go into the event production – venue rental, paying assistants & admin, catering, printing, websites, certification fees and taxes etc. (These are often covered by a fixed deposit fee)
  • Those who can afford to and choose to contribute more support us to include those who can’t.
  • The rest goes to me (Donal), to sustain myself – this work is my only and full-time occupation.
    What you are investing in:
• If it’s not easy, or you don’t want to choose, let us know. We can suggest a quick process to help you decide… and/or share the sliding scale prices we used previously.
• If in doubt, feel free to contact us. We are happy to talk with you about it.

What’s the intention? Why have this option?

So that these precious teachings are available to all, regardless of income. This meets needs for choice, inclusion, community, diversity, etc.

We have experienced that generosity is met with generosity, and so we hope that we will receive enough donations to sustain the work we do. If so, we can offer more events like this and so a positive cycle continues.

Ultimately, we wish to move towards a gift economy, in which the giving is separate from the receiving. A step toward that is what some call a “semi-gift economy,” which is what we offer at these events—some contribution is expected; the amount is decided by the participant rather than the facilitator.

Either by:

• Cash
• Bank transfer to Donal Gannon
  • Revolut ( @donal60oi )
  • IBAN: LT12 3250 0172 3142 7113
• PayPal to info@donalgannon.com

Find ways to contact us directly here