Make an Appointment: 360-226-4827 | [email protected]

[email protected] | 360-226-4827
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    Compassion Course

    Compassionate Mind Training–CMT: An 8 Week Transformation

    Might you benefit from this course? 

    Do you compare yourself harshly with others and feel you’re not good enough? Are there things you say to yourself that you would never say to a friend? Is it difficult for you to care for yourself, especially when you’re struggling? If so, you might find this 8-week course in Compassionate Mind Training (CMT) helpful, even transformational.

    What is CMT? 

    Compassionate Mind Training (CMT) involves ideas and exercises that are scientifically proven to increase compassion for ourselves and others. Research conducted on this course found that it led to a number of positive benefits, including improvements in compassion, self-reassurance, emotional wellbeing and reductions in self-criticism. Read more about the research here.

    How is the Course Structured? 

    We’ll meet by Zoom for 8 weeks, each session is approximately 2 hours. Each week will there will be lecture, experiential exercises, and breakout groups to explore the content with other group members (if you register with family/friends/colleagues you may request to be in breakout groups together).

    In between sessions, you’ll have access to audio recordings of the compassion exercises done during class. These practices will strengthen and cultivate your compassionate mind.

    The content and practices of each week build on each other giving participants the felt-experience of reduced self-criticism, ability to tolerate and work through difficult emotions like anger, anxiety, and shame.

    Group members learn to be more compassionate with themselves, with others and less uncomfortable with accepting the compassionate acts of others toward themselves.

    Practices and Skills: 

    1. Mindfulness – The practice of being aware of what is happening in this exact moment, on purpose and without judgment. We’ll learn many ways of developing mindfulness in formal and informal practices.
    2. Somatics – We’ll practice various ways of focusing the breath to create an inner calm and emotional stability. We’ll also learn how body posture and voice tone can increase confidence to act courageously.
    3. Compassion Exercises– By way of imagery, invoking memory and imagination, method acting, and somatic exercises we cultivate our compassionate minds and intuitive wisdom.

    Is this therapy?

    No. The CMT course is offered to the general public and while people find therapeutic value from the course, it’s not therapy per se. It’s a lovely adjunct to your personal or couples counseling.

    If you live in Oregon or Washington and are interested in  compassion-focused therapy groups please follow the link below to the CFT groups offered weekly.

    All of my individual work and couples work is also grounded in CFT / CMT though less structured than the groups.

     

    CFT Group Therapy

    Research has shown that attending CMT Groups leads to changes in:

    Increased Capacity for:
    Self-Compassion;  Positive Emotions; and Wellbeing.  

    Decreased Experience of: 
    Self-Criticism; Psychological Distress; and Relationship Insecurities.

    This course includes:

    • 8 weekly sessions, approximately 2 hours long
    • Over 20 different compassion practices
    • Audio recordings of guided meditations to support your practice
    • Reading material to support your journey to developing your compassionate mind

    FAQs

    How does compassionate-mind training help?

    Mindfulness and compassion have been cultivated by various cultures and religions for thousands of years. An now there are thousands of research studies validating they’re helpfulness to increase happiness and overall wellbeing while decreasing self-criticism, shame, and social insecurities.

    Isn’t self-compassion weak and self-indulgent?

    People often associate compassion with being weak, letting yourself off the hook, or giving yourself a pass. However, compassion comes from strength, wisdom and a strong motivation to being helpful to yourself and to others. Research shows those who are more compassionate are more likely to accept accountability for their mistake.

    What do you mean imagery and guided practices?

    Some people fear imagery work is woo-woo, too new-age-y. We’re using our imaginations all the time. When we remember that car that cut us off on the freeway and get angry all over again–that’s imagery. In CMT we use imagery to intention cultivate wisdom and compassionate action.

    Others fear they’re not good at imagery saying, they’re not visual or they can’t ever concur up an image in their mind’s eye. The ‘images’ needn’t be vibrant, like-like representations to be helpful. For instance, if I ask you to think of VW Bug, you know what I mean even if you didn’t “see” perfect image of one in your mind.

    Is it possible to become more self-compassionate?

    Yes, absolutely! There are hundreds of published studies showing that it’s possible to increase our level of self-compassion, and many of the exercises in this course have been found to do just this.

    How long will I have access to the self-compassion course?

    The course is meets live on Zoom and will not be recorded. You will receive audio recordings of the weekly practices and these are yours to keep for your personal use only.

    Inspired by the work of Professor Paul Gilbert, the founder of Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT); this course was developed by Drs Chris Irons and Charlie Heriot-Maitland, clinical psychologists specializing in Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) and Compassionate Mind Training (CMT) and directors of Balanced Minds. CFT has been increasingly more instrumental in my work with clients since I first came learned of it in 2017. I earned a post-graduate certificate in CFT from its founder, Paul Gilbert, OBE, PhD at the University of Derby in the UK.

    Join Waitlist for Spring

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