Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) is a therapeutic approach that aims to help those who struggle with shame and self-criticism. CFT teaches clients to foster the skills of self-compassion and other-oriented compassion, which are thought to help regulate mood and lead to feelings of safety, self-acceptance, and comfort.
Research also suggest that it can be effective for the treatment of mood disorders and anxiety. CFT can also help people who are especially prone to self-criticism manage those behaviours.
This 1-day workshop will introduce delegates to the CFT approach which incorporates theories, principles, and techniques from various schools of psychology, treatment methods and Buddhist philosophy.
The primary therapeutic technique of CFT is compassionate mind training (CMT). CMT refers to the strategies typically used to help individuals experience compassion and foster different aspects of compassion for the self and others.
CFT can be helpful to people who find it challenging to understand, feel, or express compassion. This type of therapy can be effective at helping people manage distressing thoughts, behaviours, and feelings of any kind but may be particularly helpful when dealing with feelings associated with self-attack.
Through tutor led sessions, small and large group exercises, we will explore some of the techniques used in CMT including.
- Appreciation exercises, or activities emphasizing the things an individual enjoys.
- Mindfulness, or the ability to pay attention to the current moment in a non-judgmental manner.
- Compassion-focused imagery exercises, or the use of guided memories and fantasies to first stimulate the mind and then the physiological systems.
- Helping clients understand why they may be self-attacking. Here the therapist may choose to present a model of how the mind and emotions develop, and how an imbalance may lead to difficulty in experiencing compassion.
Working with case studies delegates will practice the kind of exercises, interventions and challenges they will face with potential clients.
The price
This course costs £125+VAT per person for a full 1 day course, however, if you are interested in booking a bespoke course for your company, we are very happy to discuss discounts. Please contact us at info@livewellsouthwesttrainingnetwork.co.uk