What is Direct Compassionate Communication ?
Direct Compassionate Communication (DCC) is deeply aligned with Nonviolent Communication (NVC) developed by Marshall Rosenberg, building on its foundation with a more embodied, heart-forward commitment. It centers honest expression and empathetic listening, weaving in transformative and restorative justice practices and the liberatory lens of Decolonized NVC by Meenadchi.
In the midst of transformative justice processes, dialogue can be tender, raw, and charged with deep personal and systemic truth. DCC gives us a way to move through these moments with both clarity and care. It's honest without being harsh, present without needing to fix.
DCC is:
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Direct
It invites us to be brave enough to be straightforward and name what’s real, to say the hard things with clarity and integrity, and to receive truth without defensiveness. -
Compassionate
It is rooted in empathy and a deep respect for the humanity in ourselves and each other. No one is left outside the circle of care. -
Communication
It strengthens collective resilience through real-life practice and intentional dialogue that helps us move through tension toward transformation. -
Relational & Reparative
It transmutes conflict and encourages openness, curiosity, care, and repair - it allows us all to take ownership of our part in building beloved community!
DCC is not a system, a step-by-step process, a training module, a hierarchy, or a technique to control outcomes.
Instead, it is a way of being. A practice. A remembering.
It’s about honoring the sacredness of connection by meeting one another with open hearts and honest words. In this work, we’re not trying to “win” communication, we’re trying to be human together. And from that space, healing becomes possible.
Check out the "FAQ" tab for answers to common questions, and "Perks" to sign up for a practice session! Sessions range from in-person to virtual to hybrid, they can be one-time pop-up events or monthly gatherings, as well as extended Intensives and Retreats. Stay connected to see what's coming up in HYWF & DCC programming.
Perks
In this monthly practice group, we explore the basics of Direct Compassionate Communication (DCC) while building community together.
Whether you’re brand new to DCC or working to strengthen your foundation, this practice group uses guided exercises to emphasize self-connection and practical-relating skills you can use right away.
What to Expect:
- monthly on the 4th Friday @ 4pm - 5:30pm PT / 7pm - 8:30pm ET
NOTE: Join the Heal Your Way Forward Collective as a member to access this session for free (this and many more sessions are either free or available at a reduced rate to our Collective members)!
Practice not only expressing difficult truths (free from blame and criticism), but also receiving them with grounded, empathetic presence.
What to Expect:
- monthly on the 1st Monday @ 5pm - 6:30pm PT / 8pm - 9:30pm ET
-
guided exercises using real-life scenarios with partner and small-group practice
-
explore misunderstandings, disconnection, tension and conflict
Join us whether you’re brand new to Direct Compassionate Communication (DCC) or seasoned with Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and looking to foster deeper resilience and capacity to say and hear hard things.
Optional: bring a real situation you're navigating and would like support working through!
NOTE: Join the Heal Your Way Forward Collective as a member to access this session for free (this and many more sessions are either free or available at a reduced rate to our Collective members)!
In this monthly session, we slow down the self-connection process. We'll look back on the previous month with reflection and explore what’s alive in us.
What to Expect:
- monthly on the 28th @ 9am - 10:30am PT / noon - 1:30pm ET
Together, we’ll:
- Gently unpack your judgments, moralizations, criticisms, assessments, and evaluations
- Practice shifting these stories into clear observations that support these beliefs (separating “fact” from interpretation)
- Build awareness of your feelings so you can better understand what you need
- Explore how understanding your needs helps you name your perfect preference as well as see where you can be flexible (while we examine the common barriers that make expressing needs difficult)
- Reach for a request of yourself and another that you can make for the following month
NOTE: Join the Heal Your Way Forward Collectiveas a member to access this session for free (this and many more sessions are either free or available at a reduced rate to our Collective members)!
Have you been taught that joy is avoidance and distraction?
That finding pleasure signals indifference to suffering or complicity in the system?
Oof. No wonder you’re burnt all the way out.
What if play is not avoidance, but a sustainable resistance strategy?
What if self-care is soul care, and nourishing your soul requires making space for grief and joy to coexist?
What to Expect:
- 2nd Saturdays @ 11am - 1pm PT / 2 - 4pm ET
- 3rd Tuesdays @ 4pm - 6pm PT / 7 - 9pm ET
In this Direct Compassionate Communication practice, we’ll explore the ways we block play, exploration, and possibility--not with shame, but with curiosity. Together, we’ll examine the judgments we carry (like “I don’t deserve this,” “it’s irresponsible to rest,” “joy is a luxury I can't afford”) and gently translate them into the unmet needs beneath them.
Through guided self-connection practices and compassionate dialogue roleplay, you’ll identify the feelings activated in your resistance to joy and connect them to the core needs at stake. We’ll practice moving from scarcity to spaciousness by identifying one action you can take (or one honest request you can communicate directly!) that honors your needs with integrity.
Participants will leave with practical skills that promote relational healing, inner clarity, and courageous possibility. When we speak our needs without blame and listen without defense, joy becomes less threatening and more accessible.
This is not about toxic positivity.
It’s about understanding what stands in the way of joy so that gratitude and delight can emerge authentically.
Because joy is not the opposite of responsibility, accountability or awareness - it can be the fruit of it!
NOTE:Join the Heal Your Way Forward Collectiveas a member to access this session for free (this and many more sessions are either free or available at a reduced rate to our Collective members)!
The internet doesn’t have to feel like a battleground, a nd protecting your peace doesn’t have to mean disappearing.
In this prerecorded workshop, Direct Compassionate Communication Practice Guide Jen Gergen, and her guest, Social Media and Marketing Strategist Melissa Pagnotta explore how we can cultivate not only fortitude and resilience for engaging on social media, but how we may bring empathy to our online interactions.
Many of us are navigating grief, frustration, and fatigue in an increasingly polarized digital landscape. We long for meaningful connection and compassionate dialogue, even when the internet feels like a battleground.
We are overwhelmed. Caught between wanting to speak up and protect our mental health when we witness and/or experience harm. We are longing for meaningful connection and transformation, but also see the limits of our capacity and want to protect our fragile peace.
In this session, we’ll practice what it means to show up with authenticity, curiosity, and care… without abandoning ourselves to “empathy vampires” or taking the bait from trolls and bots.
Who this session is for:
- if you’ve ever felt drained by online conversations or unsure how to maintain your boundaries while still showing up with empathy
- if you've ever said "there's no point going online" or "why try connecting on social media, you aren't changing minds there" and need some help checking your ableism in that belief
- if you ever engaged with activating digital written communication like texts and emails (not just social media!)
What to expect:
Through the lens of Direct Compassionate Communication (rooted in the principles of Nonviolent Communication), we’ll focus on practices that support self-connection and empathetic (boundaried!) engagement online. You’ll gain tools to navigate social media with confidence, responding from a grounded place rather than reacting from stress, fear, and frustration.
We'll use real examples (this isn't just theory!) and interactive exercises to help you embody these practices, offering guidance on how to hold empathy and curiosity for yourself and others
You can c are deeply, show up online with integrity, and protect your mental health .
We are committed to keeping our programming accessible. No one is ever turned away for inability to pay because learning direct compassionate communication is not just for the financially privileged!
📣 To make that possible, we need your help:
To help those experiencing resource scarcity, consider making a contribution to our DCC scholarships!
Highlights
See all activityFAQs
I am not able to pay the minimum contribution amount. Are scholarships available?
If you are experiencing financial insecurity, but would like to join us for practice, please simply send an email to support@healyourwayforward.org - we never let money be a barrier to accessing DCC practice.
How do I access the session I purchased?
You will receive an email confirmation after purchase with details on how to access the session (including a way to add it to your calendar). If you do not receive this email to support@healyourwayforward.org and we will get you what you need! But first, quick check your spam folder and add us as a safe sender if you find the confirmation email stuck there.
I am enjoying Direct Compassionate Communication and would like to bring you to my organization!
Wonderful, we would love to partner with you on bringing DCC practice to your org. Send an email to support@healyourwayforward to start the conversation!
Are DCC sessions included with the HYWF Collective Membership?
Yes, regular DCC sessions are included free with the HYWF Collective Membership (excluded are DCC Intensive Trainings and Retreats)! If you would like to join the Collective to gain access to DCC practice (and so much more!), learn more and sign up by clicking here.
Who are the DCC Guides?
-
myisha t hill | Founder · Healer, Writer, Possibilitarian: myisha is the founder and heart of Heal Your Way Forward Collective — a writer, life coach, healer, and activist guiding others in healing their relationships to systems of oppression. Her work integrates neuroscience, ancestral wisdom, and healing justice. She is the author of Heal Your Way Forward and creator of the Direct Compassionate Communication framework.
-
Mitzi Magdaleno | DCC Guide · Creative Entrepreneur: A creative entrepreneur, multi-medium artist, and business coach who spent 15 years in the Bay Area focusing on youth, women, and staff empowerment at organizations like the YMCA and Mission Girls. Mitzi became a committed co-conspirator with HYWF in 2019, supporting people through human-centered, creative tools for healing.
- Jen Gergen | DCC Guide · NVC Practitioner: Beginning her NVC journey in 2008 training with founder Marshall Rosenberg, Jen has been dedicated to the practice, facilitation, and education of NVC since. She collaborates with the HYWF Collective to build fortitude and resiliency in liberation movements through authentic, compassionate communication.
How is this "reparations in action"?
When you engage with Black-led spaces, you're not just supporting a cause, you're contributing to the healing and restoration of a community that has been systematically oppressed. This is more than education. It's a radical shift toward healing. When you purchase a DCC session or donate, you're directly funding the labor of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color educators and healers. We invite white members to give at or above their means so others can attend free (this is where the "top-off" feature at check out comes in). Reparations here aren't symbolic, they're material redistribution woven into how the HYWF Collective and Direct Compassionate Communication runs.
In this monthly practice group, we explore the basics of Direct Compassionate Communication (DCC) while building community together.
Whether you’re brand new to DCC or working to strengthen your foundation, this practice group uses guided exercises to emphasize self-connection and practical-relating skills you can use right away.
What to Expect:
- monthly on the 4th Friday @ 4pm - 5:30pm PT / 7pm - 8:30pm ET
NOTE: Join the Heal Your Way Forward Collective as a member to access this session for free (this and many more sessions are either free or available at a reduced rate to our Collective members)!
Practice not only expressing difficult truths (free from blame and criticism), but also receiving them with grounded, empathetic presence.
What to Expect:
- monthly on the 1st Monday @ 5pm - 6:30pm PT / 8pm - 9:30pm ET
-
guided exercises using real-life scenarios with partner and small-group practice
-
explore misunderstandings, disconnection, tension and conflict
Join us whether you’re brand new to Direct Compassionate Communication (DCC) or seasoned with Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and looking to foster deeper resilience and capacity to say and hear hard things.
Optional: bring a real situation you're navigating and would like support working through!
NOTE: Join the Heal Your Way Forward Collective as a member to access this session for free (this and many more sessions are either free or available at a reduced rate to our Collective members)!
In this monthly session, we slow down the self-connection process. We'll look back on the previous month with reflection and explore what’s alive in us.
What to Expect:
- monthly on the 28th @ 9am - 10:30am PT / noon - 1:30pm ET
Together, we’ll:
- Gently unpack your judgments, moralizations, criticisms, assessments, and evaluations
- Practice shifting these stories into clear observations that support these beliefs (separating “fact” from interpretation)
- Build awareness of your feelings so you can better understand what you need
- Explore how understanding your needs helps you name your perfect preference as well as see where you can be flexible (while we examine the common barriers that make expressing needs difficult)
- Reach for a request of yourself and another that you can make for the following month
NOTE: Join the Heal Your Way Forward Collectiveas a member to access this session for free (this and many more sessions are either free or available at a reduced rate to our Collective members)!
Have you been taught that joy is avoidance and distraction?
That finding pleasure signals indifference to suffering or complicity in the system?
Oof. No wonder you’re burnt all the way out.
What if play is not avoidance, but a sustainable resistance strategy?
What if self-care is soul care, and nourishing your soul requires making space for grief and joy to coexist?
What to Expect:
- 2nd Saturdays @ 11am - 1pm PT / 2 - 4pm ET
- 3rd Tuesdays @ 4pm - 6pm PT / 7 - 9pm ET
In this Direct Compassionate Communication practice, we’ll explore the ways we block play, exploration, and possibility--not with shame, but with curiosity. Together, we’ll examine the judgments we carry (like “I don’t deserve this,” “it’s irresponsible to rest,” “joy is a luxury I can't afford”) and gently translate them into the unmet needs beneath them.
Through guided self-connection practices and compassionate dialogue roleplay, you’ll identify the feelings activated in your resistance to joy and connect them to the core needs at stake. We’ll practice moving from scarcity to spaciousness by identifying one action you can take (or one honest request you can communicate directly!) that honors your needs with integrity.
Participants will leave with practical skills that promote relational healing, inner clarity, and courageous possibility. When we speak our needs without blame and listen without defense, joy becomes less threatening and more accessible.
This is not about toxic positivity.
It’s about understanding what stands in the way of joy so that gratitude and delight can emerge authentically.
Because joy is not the opposite of responsibility, accountability or awareness - it can be the fruit of it!
NOTE:Join the Heal Your Way Forward Collectiveas a member to access this session for free (this and many more sessions are either free or available at a reduced rate to our Collective members)!
The internet doesn’t have to feel like a battleground, a nd protecting your peace doesn’t have to mean disappearing.
In this prerecorded workshop, Direct Compassionate Communication Practice Guide Jen Gergen, and her guest, Social Media and Marketing Strategist Melissa Pagnotta explore how we can cultivate not only fortitude and resilience for engaging on social media, but how we may bring empathy to our online interactions.
Many of us are navigating grief, frustration, and fatigue in an increasingly polarized digital landscape. We long for meaningful connection and compassionate dialogue, even when the internet feels like a battleground.
We are overwhelmed. Caught between wanting to speak up and protect our mental health when we witness and/or experience harm. We are longing for meaningful connection and transformation, but also see the limits of our capacity and want to protect our fragile peace.
In this session, we’ll practice what it means to show up with authenticity, curiosity, and care… without abandoning ourselves to “empathy vampires” or taking the bait from trolls and bots.
Who this session is for:
- if you’ve ever felt drained by online conversations or unsure how to maintain your boundaries while still showing up with empathy
- if you've ever said "there's no point going online" or "why try connecting on social media, you aren't changing minds there" and need some help checking your ableism in that belief
- if you ever engaged with activating digital written communication like texts and emails (not just social media!)
What to expect:
Through the lens of Direct Compassionate Communication (rooted in the principles of Nonviolent Communication), we’ll focus on practices that support self-connection and empathetic (boundaried!) engagement online. You’ll gain tools to navigate social media with confidence, responding from a grounded place rather than reacting from stress, fear, and frustration.
We'll use real examples (this isn't just theory!) and interactive exercises to help you embody these practices, offering guidance on how to hold empathy and curiosity for yourself and others
You can c are deeply, show up online with integrity, and protect your mental health .
We are committed to keeping our programming accessible. No one is ever turned away for inability to pay because learning direct compassionate communication is not just for the financially privileged!
📣 To make that possible, we need your help:
To help those experiencing resource scarcity, consider making a contribution to our DCC scholarships!
