This talk presents theory and research on self-compassion, which empirical literature has shown to be powerfully associated with psychological well-being. Dr. Neff will distinguish self-compassion from self-esteem, self-pity and self-indulgence, and discuss research indicating that self-compassion is a more powerful and effective motivational tool than self-criticism. Data from a randomized controlled trial will also be presented on the Mindful Self-Compassion program, an eight-week course developed in conjunction with Chris Germer that is designed to teach self-compassion skills.

Learn more