Avoiding the emotions that naturally arise from life’s many challenges is an instinct that feels natural and is easily succumbed to. However, this avoidance actually increases the distress associated with the situation.
The first step toward a more balanced approach to coping with life’s difficulties is acceptance: recognizing that emotions, even negative ones, are natural mechanisms our brains use to process change. This can be achieved through the practice of mindfulness. The second step is self-compassion: bringing loving awareness to ourselves and nurturing a state of warm, connected presence during difficult moments.
As such, it is an important inner resource that increases resilience, self-esteem and the sense of internal strength. It involves the capacity to comfort and soothe oneself, and to motivate oneself with encouragement when struggling, failing, or feeling inadequate. Thousands of studies show that self-compassion is strongly associated with emotional wellbeing, better coping, healthy habits, more satisfying relationships and lower levels of anxiety and depression.
In a clinical context, self-compassion enables us to maintain emotional balance in the midst of challenging clinical work, to enjoy our clients’ presence and to prevent caregiver fatigue.
In this in-depth training provided by Drs Christopher K. Germer and Shari Geller, you will learn about the theory and research of self-compassion in psychotherapy. You will discover strategies to enhance the therapeutic relationship through compassion.
You will also explore the fascinating role of shame in psychotherapy and learn how to implement self-compassion techniques to alleviate it. Additionally, you will teach clients how to cultivate and practice self-compassion at home, between sessions.
