Dian Killian, Ph.D., is a Certified Trainer with the International Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC), founder and director of The Center for Collaborative Communication and co-author of Connecting Across Differences: A Guide to Compassionate, Nonviolent Communication and author of the graphic novel Urban Empathy.
Dr. Killian designs and leads transformative communications trainings in the US, Europe, and Asia for diverse organizations including large NGOs, multinationals, and Fortune 100 companies. Her clients include the UN Development Program, New York University, Merck Inc., HCL Technologies (India), and Maryknoll Missionaries. She also facilitates critically-needed trainings at non-profit organizations including Americorps, Planetree, the Good Shepherd Shelter and Support All Families.
Dian is widely known as a highly engaging, innovative and dynamic facilitator, bringing humor, warmth, and insight to her program design, coaching, and training. She facilitates retreats and in-depth workshops including CCC’s annual Women’s Retreat, bi-annual NVCQ retreat; she has also taught at the Omega Institute and co-led an International Intensive Training (IIT) with Marshall Rosenberg, the creator of the NVC model. She regularly teaches classes in New York City at the NY Open Center, Kripalu, the 92nd St. Y, The National Peace Academy, and Life Labs.
An executive coach, she is certified with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and teaches Collaborative Communication as a visiting faculty member in the Coaching for Transformation program.
In addition to her work with CCC, Dian’s poetry, fiction, essays, and articles have appeared in numerous publications including The Sun magazine, The Harvard Gay and Lesbian Review, F/M (Ireland), Lambda Book Report, Sojourner, Lesbian Short Fiction, and the Cleis Press anthology, Homestretch. She is also a singer/songwriter and Mid-East Mountain Dulcimer Champion and maintains “Brooklyn Farm,” a micro-farm inspired by the Transition Town movement that includes vegetables, herbs, and ten different kinds of fruit trees in a 600 square foot urban space.