Mindful Self-Compassion Training

"The mission is to share the benefits of compassion and mindfulness; help alleviate suffering and to inspire the cultivation of joy.”

Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) is an empirically-supported 8-week course designed to cultivate the skill of self-compassion.

Mindfulness is the first step—turning with loving awareness toward difficult experience (thoughts, emotions, and sensations). Self-compassion comes next—bringing loving awareness to ourselves. Together, mindfulness and self-compassion comprise a state of warm, connected presence during difficult moments in our lives.

Self-compassion involves the capacity to soothe, comfort, and validate ourselves, as well as to protect, provide for and motivate ourselves, when things go wrong in our lives. It is learned, in part, by connecting with our natural compassion for others. Learning how to be self-compassionate also helps us sustain and expand our compassion for others.

Numerous research studies show that self-compassion is strongly associated with emotional wellbeing, coping 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 enables us to be more fully human—more fully ourselves.

My Qualifications

Attending MSC

Testimonies

WHAT: 8 week training program based on the ground-breaking work of Christopher Germer, Ph.D. and Kristin Neff, Ph.D.

The three key components of self-compassion are self-kindness, a sense of common humanity, and balanced, mindful awareness. Kindness opens our hearts to suffering, so we can give ourselves what we need. Common humanity opens us to our essential inter-relatedness, so that we know we aren't alone. Mindfulness opens us to thepresent moment, so we can accept our experience with greater ease.

“I have been teaching this group since Spring of 2014 and it is consistently one of my most gratifying and meaningful experiences. Participants report feeling more confident, less self-critical, less judgmental of others and more compassionate.”

“Now, when people cut me off as I’m driving, instead of getting angry, I let them in and have compassion.”

“I am so much more patient with my children, in fact, everyone. Life just feels more easeful and caring."

“I am able to be compassionate with myself in the midst of turmoil”

Self-compassion groups are not meant to treat psychological disorders. Participation in the course requires regular attendance and adhering to basic classroom policies. Please only register if you can attend at least 6 of the 8 classes. This is both for your benefit, since each week builds on the previous one, but also helps to maintain continuity of the learning community. Class size is limited.