Speak Life: Family Connections
with Carol Ruiz
SPEAK LIFE and LOVE into your Family!
Tap into YOUR Human Genius with an
8-Week Thursday Night Workshop beginning May 22nd
Are you ready to discover the most EFFECTIVE and JOYFUL way to be in the world? Instead of feeling “stuck” in relationship patterns or the demands of parenting, come learn to care for yourself and your children, of any age, in a way that leads to an authentic, shared life!
In this Speak Life Workshop, you will learn the compassionate skills of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and be guided and supported through a powerful shift in vision and strategy which will allow you to discover your own inherent MAGIC (Your Human Genius), and increase your ability to respond to life’s problems with authenticity, wisdom, and love. This is the BEST gift for yourself and your family!
With these new skills, uncomfortable challenges of life which currently cause you to rush to solutions, or withdraw and distance yourself from others, will be transformed. When there is conflict with a partner, exhaustion when your baby isn’t sleeping, when you are handling tantrums with your toddler, or managing chores and behavior issues as your child grows, you’ll be equipped with a practical and logical approach that prioritizes connection, builds trust, and invites responsibility for everyone involved -- all while empowering your children for their own future.
Speak Life: Family Connections is an 8-week online workshop which provides a supportive and interactive learning environment. You’ll raise your awareness and learn to LEAD as a parent with small, purposeful actions aligned with your values.
Classes are offered evenings on Zoom (75 mins/week) and are recorded for flexibility. Each workshop includes in-class exercises, opportunities for practice and reflection at home, and private interaction with Carol through Google Classroom, tailored to YOUR specific challenges.
AND THERE’S MORE! Even after you complete the program, you can stay connected with a community of like-minded parents to refresh your perspective and receive individual coaching at FREE once-per-month Speak Life Conversation Events!
Workshop dates: (8:15-9:30pm) May 21, 28, June 4, 11, 18, 25, July 2, 9
Cost: TBD
To contact me, visit SpeakLifeWithCarol.com
Join 200+ participants who have experienced a Speak Life Workshop!
Comments from Speak Life Workshop Participants
--"This is the most useful workshop I have ever attended!"
--“Speak Life has been a revelation for me personally as well as for my parenting. I'm learning to understand myself better and how that affects how I am with my family. That, in turn, helps me be able to be present and empathize with my kids. Carol is an awesome teacher and her wisdom and guidance throughout the learning process are priceless."
--"This workshop has put me on the right track to increasing positive, empathetic communication with my family."
--"This program came into my life at just the right time, and it helped me get past a major roadblock in a key relationship. I really appreciate Carol's delivery of the material."
--"This was one of the most important courses I have ever taken. I wish I had taken it sooner - ideally when I was young."
--“I’ve taken the NVC course and watched Carol share and spread its concepts and practice in our school community. NVC has continued my personal journey into being a clearer, more grounded, compassionate, inclusionary person and continues to inspire me to be the best kind of human being. “
--”You will learn in a very supportive environment that is judgment-free and filled with real life examples with solutions. Both my husband and I found this to be the best thing that we did for ourselves and all our relationships.”

To contact me, visit SpeakLifeWithCarol.com
Nonviolent Communication (NVC): Brief Q&A
Q: Does this apply to me?
A: Yes, it applies to everyone-- with kids of all ages and even adult relationships.
Q: But my communication isn’t violent??
A: Maybe! Think about whether you use language that (perhaps accidentally) blames, shames, criticizes or demands in an effort to control outcome. Examples:
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“Clean up your room, or no party tonight.”
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“You’ll do that right now!”
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“Your brother gave you a cookie yesterday, can’t you be nice and share your treat from Grandma with him?”
According to the principles of NVC, this type of language stems from thought patterns which block compassion for both yourself, and your child -- and so contributes to separation and pain between you. This workshop offers ways to use more harmonious, and more effective, language which calls your child to cooperation, self-responsibility, and resilience.
Q: What do I gain?
Starting with the first class, this NVC workshop for parents aims to provide:
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A different lens to look at your everyday interactions
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A better understanding of your feelings, needs, wants
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A more effective way to make requests of others
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Personalized coaching on situations of your choice
Q: Eight weeks is a lot!
A: Yes. This is a commitment, but this workshop also aims to really change behavior. The many weeks provide time to practice - so you can use the material in your day to day life and experience the benefits first-hand. The workshop covers a lot of material, and tailors it to you each week.
This isn’t “yet another workshop” - practice and transform your behavior in situations that matter to you.
Q: Can I learn more about NVC?
A: This video (specifically 29s - 3:42m) covers the basics of NVC, not specific to parenting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INdKgBPEI-8&ab_channel=Sprouts
Q: Who teaches the course?
Carol Ruiz, an engineer-turned-parent educator since 2008, and the founder of Speak Life. She has 4 children, ages 12-28 and has volunteered with kids and parent communities in elementary and middle school since 2005. She has personally practiced Nonviolent Communication (NVC) in her role as parent for more than 15 years, with the full range of children (ages 0-adult), and has been teaching it in workshops since 2020.