“Your workshop was absolutely splendid, with no pussyfooting round about the darker parts.”
—Sharon Oddie Brown, Roberts Creek Cohousing, Roberts Creek, B.C.
“This was the best facilitation our group ever had. I was impressed with your patience and perseverance!”
— Owen Jones, Mimbres Hot Springs Ranch, New Mexico
“You helped our group deal with a problem we've been grappling with for decades. We can't wait to have you back.”
— Wayne Mosteller, Mimbres Hot Springs Ranch, New Mexico
“The workshop was a great, multi-level experience. I came away with the feeling we have the power to change things that are no longer relevant to the community.”
— Lynne Gnaizda, Mimbres Hot Springs Ranch, New Mexico
“Your workshop was totally awesome! Thank you so much. The energizing boost to our community spirit is palpable.”
— Miriam Evers, Windsong Cohousing, B.C
“You saved us from disaster, and followed up with loving advice and mentoring after we totally changed course, based at least partially on your advice. We knew inside something was wrong, but you skillfully helped us find clarity in our purpose, and enabled us to stop expending our energy on what had become a dysfunctional process.”
— Jan Steinman, EcoReality Co-op, B.C.
“We called you for ’emergency resuscitation!’ We were struggling with the financial feasibility of creating the ecovillage, structural and equity conflicts, how to create a fair work-hours systems, and how to have more productive meetings. We didn't know if we could actually afford the workshop, but we also knew that if you didn’t come and give us a reality check, Source Farm Ecovillage would have dissolved. Your much-needed objective assessment and heart-to-heart talks with our group leaders got us out of our comfort zone. You asked the tough questions which allowed us to be honest with each other. You pointed out where we had structural conflict and offered the tools to fix it. By the end of the two days, the entire group was re-energized, focused, and equipped with a tool kit of resources that allowed us to move forward. Thank you, Diana; you saved our community!”
— Nicola Shirley, Source Farm Ecovillage, St. Thomas, Jamaica
“I especially appreciated the way you were able to help us locate our weak points without making us feel like a failing community. You kept lots of hope in the mix. Also, you obviously have much expertise in quickly perceiving underlying issues through a lot of numinous, cloudy stuff around them.”
— Ann Karp, Koinonia Partners, Georgia
“Not only was your workshop chock full of extremely valuable information for people who are into making a cohousing community successful, I believe the rest of the world (e.g. workplaces or families or any group of people that must function together) also could benefit from the concepts you taught. And your teaching style was marvelous. Crystal-clear, entertaining, consciousness-raising, brilliant, and memorable. I'll bet 10 years from now you could ask me about that workshop and I'd just have to call up my recollection of the drawings you made and the explanations and stories you told and it would all come back to me easily. You had me wriggling my toes with glee—the ideas were that right on.”
— John Chandler, Edmonton, Alberta
“You were a strong breath of fresh air for WindSong Cohousing. Your workshop was well-organized, jam-packed with value, and creatively delivered,often reminiscent of a stand-up comedy routine! You think on your feet and address the group's questions as you go along. There was no dozing off! You quickly identified the root causes of several of our challenges and conflicts—the lack of some important foundational agreements and structures that we didn't even realize we were missing. You also imparted clarity on the tension we were feeling between caring for individuals vs. caring for the community as a whole. It was definitely beneficial to have you articulate things that would have been difficult to hear from within our group. Many Windsong members said it was the best workshop they'd ever attended, and the valuable handouts you distributed are a lasting bonus! Our community is now abuzz with excitement, hope, new energy, and enthusiasm to re-create ourselves.”
“I don’t think I ever learned so much in such a short time. No fluff. All meat. You manage to present such a wealth of information in a way that keeps us fully engaged and entertained. We were able to happily stay focused for two days because there was always something happening that kept our interest. The workshop was fast-paced and never boring. I love the way you interspersed information with stories, humour, and even ‘street theatre’! You have a gift few other workshop presenters possess — you make is easy for all learning styles to stay focused. You are very animated physically and in your tone of voice, make silly drawings, give fascinating examples to illustrate points, and then leave us with a thick volume of written material to be enjoyed later. It was also great to know that you were so intuitive. You really helped us clarify the action steps to take on an issue that would have plagued us for a long time if we hadn't taken this workshop.”
“You approached our community with the rare gift of humility and mutual respect, while at the same time offering firmness and calling us out when we were being unclear. Our meetings have improved each week as we incorporate the things you taught us. I can feel a growing sense of empowerment among us, and a strengthening of relationships among community members. I cannot thank you enough, and it is my hope that we will have you back here to do training next year, and that you visit us if you ever have some time off.”
— Sarah Prendergast, Koinonia Partners, Georgia
“You were certainly a hit! Six shifts in our meeting process have occurred as a result of your consultation-workshop in October at Cranberry Commons:
More effective agenda coordination—we have changed the format and timing for including items on the agenda.
The workshop has empowered facilitators and the community at large to evaluate a red card for validity and consider disallowing the block if it is not valid. We are currently formulating agreements on Guidelines for Blocking.
We are in the process of developing a list of behaviours that are not acceptable at meetings and have empowered our facilitators to interrupt and stop them. For example: complaining about decisions already made and speaking for people who are absent are considered unacceptable behaviours.
One of the members is developing a proposal for the community to pay for facilitator training—this has already been agreed to in principal.
We have added a line item to our yearly strata budget for "community development" to allow for ongoing training.
We have a proposal in place which defines guidelines for prioritizing decisions and determining who has authority to make what kinds of decisions.”
—Ronaye Matthews, Cranberry Commons Cohousing, B.C.; Founder/Director, Canadian Cohousing Network
“I loved your no-nonsense approach and that you refused to be highjacked by group members. What you said was what we needed to hear!”
—Alison Etter, Roberts Creek Cohousing, Roberts Creek, B.C.
“We are still basking in the experience of the workshop you led here — the glow of inspiration has not faded! You inspired this community and gave us practical tools with which to go forward. We are as excited today as we were the afternoon you left us. We are putting into practice what you taught us, and it is propelling us onward in most positive ways. Thank you, Diana. We can’t wait to have you back.”
—Bren DuBay, Director, Koinonia Partners, Georgia
“I was impressed with your demeanor when we were on the verge of being out of control. I appreciated your directness and honesty and your ability to draw out what people were really trying to say.”
— Bob Marlowe, Mimbres Hot Springs Ranch, New Mexico
“Your insight and experiences into topics we are (and will be) facing was priceless. It has helped to re-focus the group and clarify our goals. Personally it has given me more insight on the concept of community, how it works and doesn't work.”
— Dwight Shirley, Source Farm Ecovillage, St. Thomas, Jamaica
“Wow! Thanks so much for helping us get refocused on important issues. You covered the areas you knew we needed, as well as our own areas of interest. There was never a time in the two-day training that wasn't helpful. Your energy and style were great. Keep up your amazing work and we hope to bring you back again as we progress through this amazing journey”
— Nomi Altschuler, Source Farm Ecovillage, St. Thomas, Jamaica
“Thank you so much for a powerful and transformational workshop. You brought clarity and a new energy to our group which will only enable us to move forward. The presentation was very professional, well-structured, yet comfortable and relaxed. . . . I found myself referring to the material with other associates. Your workshop is a ‘must’ for any group or individual who is serious about intentional living. By the way, I am now hooked on consensus decision-making.”
— Angela Walker, Source Farm Ecovillage, St. Thomas, Jamaica
“I have been a teacher for most of my adult life, although my students are very young, and I have worked with many teachers over the years. What I can tell you is that it is a joy to watch a good teacher in action, and you are a great teacher. I applaud you, Diana, and please come back to us again.”
— Judy Miller, Mimbres Hot Springs Ranch, New Mexico
“I found your piece on 'Power, Authority, Hierarchy, & Authoritarianism,' to be quite powerful; it helped me understand the tendency to be confused and resentful about power issues.”
— Susan Binneweg, Mimbres Hot Springs Ranch, New Mexico
“Your consultation was invaluable in helping our group clarify some critical issues—including helping us understand that our vision and mission was ours and not something that we would morph as newcomers seek to join the group. You were highly prepared, brought great expertise with a strong but gentle presence, and offered exceptional facilitation. We highly recommend you to any cohousing community needing support (and a great many really do)/”
— Craig Ragland, Project Manager/Member, New Earth Song Cohousing, Bothell, Washington; Director, Coho/US
“The workshop you did for our ecovillage group has had a very positive impact. It is certainly a powerful framework for looking at conflict.”
— Michael Hale, Yarrow Ecovillage, B.C.
“The love, support, clarity, and wisdom you gave our community were felt and noticed deeply. I truly appreciate the work you did for us.”
— Margaret Hecht, Olohouna Project, Kipahulu, Maui
About Diana's Workshops
The workshop completely surpassed my expectations; it will be incredibly valuable to our future community. Diana is a wonderful teacher — knowledgeable, engaging, and thoughtful. Her personal stories were really helpful. It was so important to hear concrete experiences rather than ideological notions about the consensus process. It was enormously helpful to learn about the different possible legal structures we could choose from, along with the pros and cons of each. I highly recommend this workshop!
—Brooke Lehman, Bluestockings Bookstore Co-op, New York (Two-day workshop, New York City, June, 2008)
Definitely a “10” for me. What a privilege to benefit from your experience and in-depth understanding of what it means and what it takes to build a community! I found especially helpful your specific examples about legal structures — what worked and didn’t work, how they’re connected, and the critical analysis of why.
—Michelle Johnson, Bronx, New York (Two-day workshop, New York City, June, 2008)
Diana was informed, passionate, sincere, and sensitive; the workshop made very clear the potential traps if we don’t put in the time and effort into forging the group before leaping into to purchase land. The examples and case studies were especially helpful, along with the mission and purpose and avoiding or anticipating structural conflicts. (And I wouldn’t want to sacrifice her drawing to illustrate her points, not one single one!)
—Gloria E. Quinones, New York (Two-day workshop, New York City, June, 2008)
Diana was interactive and personal and connected very well with the group. People seemed to really understood and resonate with her presentation of the importance of a well-functioning consensus process and a collectively determined mission/purpose. I especially enjoyed the powerful techniques in her presentations and workbooks, the skits, and the many breaks.
—Ashley Richards, New York (Two-day workshop, New York City, June, 2008)
I was blown away. I most enjoyed the participatory exercises and Diana’s enthusiasm and sense of humor. Learning about the need to create solid, straightforward community procedures brought me out of the fog of assumptionsinto much clearer skies.
—Ben Schwartz, Wassiac, NY (Two-day workshop, New York City, June, 2008)
“Your workshop was fantastic — chock full of concrete steps to address specific problems, with an enlightening perspective on underlying causes.”
“Lively, interactive, and quite inspiring, your workshop wrestled with all the potentially taboo subjects but in a humorous way, including dealing with accountability in community. Very valuable indeed!”
—Sarah Berger, Lawton Lodge Cohousing, Sussex, England; Program Director, UK Cohousing Network (Pre-Conference workshop, Annual Cohousing Conference, Boston, 2008)
“Truly astounding! Clear, concise, direct, informed, and fun. Your workshop powerfully distilled both what I have and have not learned from 20 years of exploring community.”
—Don St. Clair, Eugene, Oregon
“Worth six months of individual research on how to form a new community.”
—David Boddy, San Mateo, California
“Invaluable. Your workshop will save our forming community years of research.”
Absolutely fulfilled the conference description and more. Practical, specific, clear instruction delivered in a most entertaining fashion — time flew by!”
—Susan Smith, Vancouver, B.C.
“What a great presentation — humorous, active, energizing. Highly recommended for any cohousing group. I especially liked the role-playing and guerilla theater.”
—Jerry Rolls, Roberts Creek Cohousing, B.C.
“I got what I came for, even more. Your presentation was effective and I absorbed every point. I especially enjoyed the 'off-off-Broadway play' and how you 'played' each point with drawings on the whiteboard, complete with ad-libs. Like a perfectly written story or play, nothing in the workshop was superfluous—it was a 10!”
—Alegria Imperial, Vancouver, B.C.
“You have a real sense of the issues that arise in community and a way of communicating solutions and possibilities that is concise, lively, and engaging. I’d love for you to come to Windsong and present.”
“Diana is a joy to work with, always getting and giving the big picture of a group, yet never losing sight of the details. She is a sparkling trainer, with a unique ability to integrate the 'see-hear-do' learning modes so important to adult learning. Always fun and lively, my community was energized for a year with follow-up activities inspired by her workshop.”
—Lois Arkin, co-founder, Los Angeles Eco-Village
“Your workshop was fantastic — I got a great deal out of it, and it was very satisfying for me personally to finally get the quality of information I felt I missed during the permaculture course where you weren’t able to give your workshop. Thank you for being so friendly, passionate, and humorous — I really enjoyed you.”
—William Faith, Los Angeles
“Diana is amazing, and everything she covered was of paramount importance to me, especially getting a clearer picture of decision-making methods and consensus, how to deal with ‘structural conflict,’ and the ‘trust and connection’ exercise with the people in the middle of the circle.”
—Raquel Iturbe, Ashland, Oregon
“I am immensely grateful for your courage in presenting such an authentic workshop today. It was an answer to many of my prayers; i.e., it helped me to see clearly how I was showing up in a couple key circles I'm in and gave me tools to modify my behavior.”
“Diana's workshops have been outstanding. She has been very responsive to and has tailored her workshop to the specific needs of our participants. The workshop is very well planned out and organized. On a scale of 1 through 10, Diana's four-day section was consistently rated 9 or 10 and was one of the highest-rated sections overall in our 2-month program.”
—Marc Tobin, Coordinator, Ecovillage and Permaculture Program, Lost Valley Educational Center, Oregon
“We at Enright Ridge Eco-village have not come across anyone with the breadth and depth of knowledge that you offer. Your presentations are folksy, easy to follow, while being very insightful.”
“Diana’s years of research — made more interesting through a multitude of stories — make her one of the foremost authorities in ecovillage and intentional community development. She is grounded and realistic, has excellent command of your material, and exudes a level of genuine interest and enthusiasm that is quite contagious. New community builders as well as seasoned veterans will find rich content and value in her workshop.”
—Bill Becker, CEO Sunrise Credit Union, Loveland, Colorado
Diana Leafe Christian:
828-669-9702
1025 Camp Elliott Rd., Black Mountain, North Carolina, USA 28711
Ecovillages