Mindful Self-Compassion Workshop

Mindful Self-Compassion or “MSC” is an empirically-supported training program developed by Drs. Chris Germer and Kristin Neff. It helps participants learn the process of infusing our moment-to-moment experience with kindness, especially when we feel frustrated, hurt, inadequate, or overwhelmed. Mindful self-compassion is the first step in emotional healing—being able to acknowledge our difficult thoughts and feelings with openness, curiosity, and love rather than self-judgment or self-criticism.

Empirical research consistently shows that self-compassion is strongly associated with emotional well-being, an ability to cope with life challenges, lower levels of anxiety and depression, healthy habits such as diet and exercise, and more satisfying personal relationships. It is an inner strength that allows us to acknowledge our shortcomings, learn from them, and make necessary changes with an attitude of kindness and self-respect. Fortunately, self-compassion can be learned by anyone.

Perhaps most importantly, cultivating self-compassion means that we honor and accept our humanness. Things in our lives do not go the way we want them to. We often encounter frustrations and losses. We make mistakes and bump up against our limitations, we fall short of our ideals. This is the human condition, a reality shared by all of us. The more we open our hearts to this reality instead of constantly fighting against it, the more we will be able to feel compassion for ourselves and all our fellow humans.

In this MSC training you’ll learn:

• The basic components of Mindful Self-Compassion

• The science and physiology of self-compassion

• Practical tools to practice self-compassion in daily life

• How to teach simple self-compassion skills to others

• How to use self-compassion to manage caregiver fatigue