Foundations of Compassion-Focused Therapy

Many of us have seen how mindfulness and self-compassion training can change people's lives, but how can we best bring the power of mindful compassion directly into our psychotherapy practice? How do we translate compassion-focused meditation and guided imagery methods into effective psychotherapy techniques, tailored to the individual client, moment by moment? Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) is a cutting-edge, evidence-based psychotherapy that takes the "third wave" of psychotherapy further, expanding the frontiers of contemplative psychotherapy by deliberate awakening our compassionate minds. For thousands of years, wisdom traditions have used mindfulness, acceptance and compassion based training as a platform to transform the mind. Developed by Dr. Paul Gilbert, CFT puts that process in your hands, drawing on rigorous behavioral psychology, neuroscience and evolutionary theory. This online workshop will take you on an experiential journey into the foundations of CFT. Through a structured program, participants will engage in the core Compassionate Mind Training practices found in CFT and learn how to move beyond basic theory, to implement CFT interventions for a range of problems. We will also explore how unlocking deeper training in mindfulness and compassion can empower our clinical work, creating new possibilities for us as people. Over the course of these interactive, webinar-style sessions, you'll see how the science of compassion can be used in and out of the therapy room. Participants will engage in readings, experiential self-practice, and a personal journey into the compassionate mind training that is a new frontier in engaged psychotherapy training in compassion. Grounded in CFT's evolutionary theory, this course will cover a range of topics including:

1. The role of mindfulness, compassion and acceptance in effective psychotherapy
2. How to use mindfulness and compassion techniques in the therapy relationship.
3. Techniques for using compassion training to enhance treatment of anxiety and mood disorders
4. Using CFT with other evidence-based therapy methods like ACT, CBT & DBT
5. Running Compassionate Mind Training groups
6. Using CFT to work with chronic shame and self-criticism

Through this work we will look at compassionate imagery and meditation practices from the inside out and learn how to apply them to practices like exposure and behavioral activation. These methods can complement and strengthen even a state-of-the-art therapeutic approach. This training is specifically designed to help practitioners of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and other behavior therapies deepen their understanding and practice of compassion focused treatment of anxiety and mood disorders. Through small group work and a series of experiential exercises you will build the foundation needed to advance your CFT skills base, and to grow as a clinician. And you'll get to have your questions and concerns addressed by the top trainers in compassion focused therapy, including the form's originator, Dr. Paul Gilbert, who will be joining us as a special guest for one of the sessions in this training. This 8-week course is Part I of a redesigned and reimagined 16-week immersive, online learning experience in CFT.