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Self-compassion flows from the desire to alleviate our suffering. Sometimes this requires tender acceptance—“being with” ourselves in all our glorious imperfection. But self-compassion isn’t always soft and yielding. Sometimes we need to be fierce, stand up for ourselves, or find the courage to forge a new path. This workshop will provide skills for responding in a compassionate way whenever we suffer. We will explore the role of tender and fierce self-compassion in our lives, understanding how to soothe and comfort ourselves so we can handle difficult emotions with greater ease, but also to draw boundaries, fight against injustice, or motivate change. Through lecture, discussion, meditation, and experiential exercises, you will gain concrete tools to put self-compassion into practice in your daily life. This course is relevant for the general public as well as to mental health professionals.

Participants of this workshop will be taught over two days (in three hour sessions) online via zoom. June 12-13, 2021 from (10am-1pm PT). It is relevant for the general public as well as to practicing mental health professionals.

Sponsored by Spirit Rock

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This online workshop is taught by Kristin Neff and Chris Germer, and is a fundraiser for the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion. Participants will be taught over four days (in three hour sessions) online via zoom. July 21, 23, 28 and 29, 4am-7pm Pacific time. Offering the highlights of the 8-week full MSC program, the workshop is designed to cultivate self-compassion using meditation, daily life practices, lecture, group exercises and discussion. You will be provided with essential tools for treating yourself in a kind, compassionate way whenever you suffer, fail, or feel inadequate. This workshop is relevant for the general public as well as practicing mental health professionals.

Unique to this training, participants will also be able to participate in small group sessions, including Self-Compassion Mentoring and Affinity Groups, to more deeply explore course content.

Self-Compassion Mentoring: Engage with highly trained and experienced mentors for on-the-spot learning and application of self-compassion skills and teachings. Optimize learning by attending additional interactive practice sessions between the four half-day training sessions.

Affinity Groups: Join a group of Core Skills training participants who self-identify with a particular social-cultural identity. Participants from underrepresented populations will have an opportunity to create community and discuss the course experiences and learning with others like them.

Sponsored by the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion

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Since the publication of the ground-breaking book Self-Compassion, there has been a surge of interest in the science and practice of self-compassion, particularly in clinical settings. But that has often focused on the tender, nurturing aspect of self-compassion, which involves being with ourselves with warm acceptance. But self-compassion can be fierce as well as tender.

Fierce self-compassion involves taking action in the world to protect, provide and motivate ourselves to alleviate our suffering. It means saying no to others who are hurting us - drawing our boundaries firmly. It means giving ourselves what we genuinely need - mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually - without subordinating our needs to those of others, so we can be authentic and fulfilled. And it means motivating ourselves to reach our goals or make needed changes in our lives.

This unique three hour masterclass will teach skills of fierce and tender self-compassion, helping us to find healthy balance in our lives. There will be a satisfying mix of experiential learning and science-based insights.

Sponsored by London Mindful

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This advanced workshop is focused on an aspect of self-compassion most people aren't familiar with - its fierce side. Whereas tender self-compassion involves “being with” ourselves in a compassionate way, fierce self-compassion involves taking action in the world to protect, provide and motivate ourselves. It means saying “no” to others who are hurting us, drawing our boundaries firmly; giving ourselves what we need to be fulfilled mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually; and motivating ourselves to reach our goals or make needed changes. This program will teach theory, research, and concrete practices from the empirically-supported Mindful Self-Compassion program, as well as new practices developed specifically to engender fierce self-compassion such as working with anger.

This course will be taught on zoom in two 3-hour sessions (Sept. 18 and 25, 2021 from 9am - 12 pm CT). It is relevant for the general public and practicing mental health professionals. Prior experience with Mindful Self-Compassion training is required. The 2.5 hour recorded Self-Compassion Primer workshop fulfills this requirement.

Sponsored by the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion

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Self-compassion involves treating ourselves kindly, like we would a good friend we care about. Rather than continually judging and evaluating ourselves, self-compassion involves generating kindness toward ourselves as imperfect humans and learning to be present with the inevitable struggles of life with greater ease. It motivates us to make needed changes in our lives not because we’re worthless or inadequate, but because we care about ourselves and want to lessen our suffering.

Participants of this three hour online workshop will learn some of the core skills of the 8-week Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC)* program developed by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer. MSC is an empirically supported and internationally recognized program designed to cultivate self-compassion by teaching skills for responding in a kind, compassionate way whenever we are experiencing painful emotions. We all want to avoid pain, but letting it in and responding compassionately to our own imperfections without harsh self-condemnation are essential steps toward living happier, more fulfilling lives. Through discussion and experiential exercises, you will gain practical skills to help bring self-compassion into your daily life and the lives of your clients. You will learn tools to help you and your clients to stop being so hard on ourselves; to handle difficult emotions with greater ease; and to motivate yourself with kindness rather than criticism.

Sponsored by Mission Empowerment

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Since the publication of Kristin Neff's ground-breaking book Self-Compassion, there has been a surge of interest in the science and practice of self-compassion, particularly in clinical settings. This has generally focused on the gentle version of self-compassion, which involves “being with” ourselves in a compassionate way. But self-compassion can be fierce as well as tender.

Fierce self-compassion involves taking action in the world to protect, provide and motivate ourselves to alleviate our suffering. It means saying “no” to others who are hurting us - drawing our boundaries firmly. It means giving ourselves what we genuinely need - mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually - without subordinating our needs to those of others, so we can be authentic and fulfilled.

This unique workshop will teach skills developed by Dr. Neff for her new book Fierce Self-Compassion (appropriate for men and women, clinicians and the general public). You will learn tools to help you draw needed boundaries, and learn how to care for others without being overwhelmed. The program will include a satisfying mix of experiential learning and science-based insights.

Throughout the program, Dr. Neff will reveal how, in order to be truly self-compassionate, we need to balance fierce action with tender self-acceptance. Like a tree with a solid trunk and flexible branches, we need to stand strong while still embracing others as part of an interdependent whole. We need love in our hearts so we don’t perpetuate harm, but we need fierceness in our belly to stand up to harm.

Sponsored by Mission Empowerment

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Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer are pioneers in the scientific development of self-compassion. They have brought their respective experience together in the empirically-supported Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program. This Core Skills Workshop allows an opportunity for people to immerse themselves in some of the key practices and exercises of the full 8-week program in an intensive four-session format.

Sponsored by InsightLA