Pan was born a Heyoka Empath. A Heyoka Empath is someone who works with people’s energy, helping them heal even if they don’t realize it’s happening. Empaths have an incredible ability to understand the feelings and emotions of others. And they don’t just see a person who is happy, sad, or angry. Empaths can put themselves in another’s shoes and take on that person’s feelings. They also have kind, caring natures. This ability is a tremendous asset in Pan’s work with NVC clients and students.
As a boy, Pan earned the rank of Eagle in the Boy Scouts and was editor of a school newspaper while living in Germany. At age 16, he spent a school year at Mungret College near Limerick, Ireland. Pan enjoyed participating in The National Forensic League in high school, which aims to empower students to become effective communicators, ethical individuals, critical thinkers, and leaders in a democratic society.
After high school, Pan decided to become a Jesuit priest, that is, until he realized he could not live without the company of women.
In 1970 Pan moved to Washington State, joining an alternative culture in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains with his wife and two children. While there, he worked with Cascadian Farms (huge now; then it was a small, early organic farm) and helped organize a coop preschool and a food coop while fighting forest fires and planting trees. He discovered the joys of nature, collaboration, and team building.
In 1987 Pan began a career in Information Technology. He worked as an Information Systems supervisor at a British Petroleum refinery in Northwest Washington. His primary task was to streamline workflow and provide systems to avoid duplicate efforts, eliminate drudgery, and maximize production. These experiences later contributed to Pan’s skills as an NVC trainer/facilitator.
He helps teams overcome resistance to change and develop the trust required for a collaborative environment. Pan uses these skills today, with great benefit to all with whom he works.
In 1998, Pan attended a workshop given by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg, Ph.D., the creator of Nonviolent Communication and founder of the Center of Nonviolent Communication. Pan recognized that Marshall had the same spiritual beliefs as he held. Further, Pan realized the way he spoke rarely reflected those beliefs and was immediately convinced that Marshall’s communication method was a powerful tool for peace, as well as a powerful process for developing self-awareness, enhancing intimate relationships, conflict resolution, and general peace-making.
Pan volunteered with the Puget Sound Network of Compassionate Communication, including serving on the Coordinating Committee and later the Core Team. Thousands of hours of meetings on the Coordinating Counsel for The Puget Sound Network of Compassionate Communications honed his NVC skills.
Through all the trainings, Pan gained more leadership experience as a Core Team member. He provided hands-on pieces of training, reflecting and refining his understanding and practice of NVC. This led PSNCC to become a Teal Organization in the Spiral Dynamics schema. The group increased its communication ease and efficiency. Meetings that had extended all day into the evening with few results became meetings of only an hour or two. With needs-based communication, teams can adjust complex plans quickly, and results were measurably increased.
In 2004, Pan started teaching NVC and is deeply gratified as NVC is the most meaningful work he has ever done.
Certified as an NVC Trainer in 2004 by the Puget Sound Network for Compassionate Communication, Pan held workshops from Portland, Oregon, to Bellingham, Washington, and New England. Pan completed T. Harv Eker’s Train the Trainer Program to increase his effectiveness as a facilitator.
In 2007, Pan moved from Seattle to Vermont, where he taught NVC throughout New England until July 2016. While there, he developed six additional prepared workshops and held a number of advanced workshops.
In 2008, Pan Vera became the IT Coordinator for the Center for Nonviolent Communications (CNVC.org). There he created twenty-two software applications to support a worldwide NVC network over ten years. Best of all, he got to know and support hundreds of NVC trainers around the world.
In July 2016, he moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to work in the Headquarters Office. Pan is now working as an NVC trainer under his brand, LifeServing™.
Pan’s company provides training and counseling using Nonviolent Communication. Rather than running your life with fear, guilt, blame, or shame, we can learn new ways of thinking by taking full responsibility for your life experiences using a new way of thinking and a language that emphasizes and improves the quality of relationships is a primary outcome.
Pan supports people in gently perceiving the core of any unworkable communication habits. Workshops and private sessions begin with establishing a tone of respect and care. Unique healing dynamics arise spontaneously in the presence of a supportive, heartfelt group process.
Listening without judgment or criticism, Pan guides clients and students to understand their unique communication needs and barriers to their fulfillment. People are able to learn new tools for preventing conflict and disconnection. Time, opportunity, and motivation open up to explore the depths of their own needs and the depth of their compassion.
Now my life is all about contributing to peace by practicing, promoting, and sharing
LifeServing Communication™ experiencing fun, fulfillment, and joy.