Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) is an empirically supported 9-week experiential training programme designed to cultivate the skill of self-compassion. MSC is not therapy or a form of group therapy. It is not a substitute for medical or mental health treatment.
MSC focuses on building emotional resources. Beneficial change occurs naturally as we develop the capacity to be with ourselves in a kinder, more compassionate way. MSC is primarily self-compassion training, not mindfulness training. This is based on the groundbreaking research of Kristen Neff and the clinical expertise of Christopher Germer and teaches core principles and practices that enable participants to respond to difficult moments in their lives with kindness, care, and understanding.
What is Self-Compassion?
Self-Compassion is like having compassion for others, the feelings and experiences are the same, except we include ourselves in the humble art of giving compassion to ourselves, being our own best friend. What would that be like for you?
Training in self-compassion also enables us to love others while retaining a sense of self, ensuring healthy boundaries.
What is the difference between Mindfulness and Self-Compassion?
One way to understand mindfulness is to be aware of the experience of the present moment, with acceptance. We cannot respond with compassion to our own suffering until we turn toward it with mindfulness. So, mindfulness focuses on the experience of the present moment. Self-Compassion focuses on the person having the experience.
This Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) training programme will focus on:
- Establishing group boundaries and confidentiality. This means that participants engage in as much or as little as they feel comfortable doing.
- Providing a safe, supportive, and encouraging atmosphere to gently explore how we generally respond or react when challenging emotions arise and to provide tools for becoming a warm companion to ourselves.
- There is a short talk on the week’s topic, meditation, small (Zoom break out rooms with optional participation), and large group sharing. The session also includes experiential exercises and suggested home practice.
- The intention of this training is for you to directly experience self-compassion and learn practices that evoke self-compassion in your daily life.
- This is primarily a practical group learning MSC programme so that we experience self-compassion in action in a safe and supportive community at your own unique pace, and not just talk about self-compassion.
- Nurturing MSC in our lives is an ongoing daily process, an adventure rather than a destination. We go slowly at our own pace and take small steps.
- Compassion is a positive, energizing emotion. However, it is said that “love reveals everything unlike itself” therefore, while learning self-compassion some difficult and perhaps challenging emotions may arise. Your teachers Carmen and Jim are competent, trained, and committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for the process to unfold, and to making the adventure as enjoyable as possible for everyone.
What to expect each week in this MSC programme?
This training programme follows a comprehensive and safe 9-week structure, each week’s topic (2.30 hours) builds on the previous week. So, it is important as far as practical to attend every week to gain the full benefit of the programme.
- Week 1: Introduction to Mindful Self-Compassion
- Week 2: Practicing Mindfulness
- Week 3: Practicing Kindness
- Week 4: Discovering Your Compassionate Voice
- Week 5: Living Deeply
- Week 6: Retreat
- Week 7: Meeting Difficult Emotions
- Week 8: Exploring Challenging Relationships
- Week 9: Embracing Your Life
During the 9-week Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) programme, you will learn to:
- Be your own best friend.
- Practice Self-Compassion in your daily life.
- Understand the empirically supported benefits of self-compassion.
- Motivate yourself with kindness rather than criticism.
- Handle difficult emotions with greater ease.
- Transform challenging relationships, old and new.
- Manage caregiving fatigue.
- Practice the art of savouring and self-appreciation.
Is this MSC training course for you?
Self-compassion can be learned by anyone – regardless your background, education, experience, or even if you feel uneasy when being good to yourself. It is a courageous attitude that stands up to harm, including the harm that we unwittingly inflict on ourselves through self-criticism, self-isolation, or self-absorption.
Self-compassion provides emotional strength and resilience, allowing us to admit our shortcomings, motivate ourselves with kindness, forgive ourselves when needed, relate wholeheartedly to others, and be more our true selves in our daily lives.
Expanding research indicates that self-compassion is strongly associated with emotional wellbeing, less anxiety, depression, and stress. It is also correlated with healthy habits, such as diet and exercise, and satisfying personal relationships.
MSC is not a quick fix for anything since no one is broken and needs “fixing”. However, it indicates a path in which we can relate to our wounding and since a lot of our wounding in life occurs in relationships (including relating to ourselves) healing can also take place in relationships in a safe, caring, and supportive MSC community. But most of all it is easier than you think!
You are still not sure? Why not have a chat? This is to help you explore if this is the optimum time for you to participate in this course, bearing in mind your safety and readiness for this kind of emotional work. It is an informal short chat (20 min) over Zoom with Carmen and/ or Jim. The information shared in this chat is confidential to the teachers. Scroll down and fill in the form and we’ll come back to you.
Meet your teachers – co-adventurers