Compassion Focused Therapy

“When people hear the word compassion, they tend to think of kindness. But scientific study has found the core of compassion to be courage.”

— Professor Paul Gilbert, O.B.E., founder of Compassion Focused Therapy.

What is Compassion-Focused Therapy about?

Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) helps people build the capacity & skills to be compassionate toward themselves & others. It was developed to reduce the high levels of shame & self-criticism that often come hand-in-hand with emotional & mental-health difficulties. Since high levels of self-criticism can make talking therapies much less effective, it is often woven into other therapy approaches.

What is CFT based on?

It is an integrative therapy & incorporates techniques from:

What does CFT involve?

CFT aims to restore, or even introduce, ideas of safety, soothing, compassion & reassurance in individuals who may have grown up in critical, abusive or neglectful environments where these were lacking. It provides methods to grow & develop your compassion whilst also importantly helping to address the barriers to being compassionate that many of us face.

Who benefits from compassion-focused therapy?

  • Compassion-focused therapy may be highly useful for those who feel stuck by feelings of shame & self-criticism.

  • CFT has been shown to be helpful for many emotional problems including anxiety, post-traumatic stress & trauma difficulties & poor self-esteem.

  • It also tends to be useful for people who tend to strive & over-push themselves.

  • There is growing recognition of the role that CFT can play in helping people manage chronic pain & long-term health problems where shame & self-criticism are common.

  • Some people find that they can tell themselves positive things about themselves, but still struggle to believe in this & don’t feel different. CFT may give you the capacity to help you feel differently towards yourself.

Finding balance with CFT

In CFT we think about three systems in our brains that have evolved to organise our motivations, thoughts, emotions & actions:

 

01

Threat

When we feel under threat or in pain this natural survival system rapidly fires up:

  • We may experience fear, anxiety or anger.

  • We tend to assume the worst & jump to negative conclusions.

  • We may get into patterns of behaviour including ‘fight’, ‘flight’, ‘freeze’, ‘appeasing others’ or even feeling immobilised.

  • We may end up avoiding potentially risky situations. 

02

Drive

This system is the one that directs us towards our goals:

  • It is our ‘go-getting’ system helping us move forward towards things we want.

  • It gives us a sense of achievement and pleasure.

  • People stuck in their drive systems may be prone to ‘burnout’ & exhaustion, or get into patterns of excess activity followed by collapse.

03

Soothing/Social safety

This system is linked to feelings of safety, soothing & calm:

  • It is typically fostered by a sense of being connected & cared for.

  • This soothing system regulates the threat & drive systems

We often find ourselves in poor mental health when these three systems are out of balance. Perhaps we might find ourselves veering between being in ‘over-drive’ one minute & than having little drive at all the next. We might spend most of our time in ‘threat’ mode & virtually none in a state of soothing/safety. The goal of compassion-focused therapy is to achieve a healthy interplay between the three systems. Using CFT develops the Soothing system. This reduces the influence of the Threat system. It also supports a healthy Drive system which allows us to move towards goals in a more sustainable way.

 
 
 
 

The key ingredients of CFT:

The main therapeutic technique in CFT is Compassionate Mind Training:

  • Learning how our brains, nervous system & bodies have evolved & how this may help to make sense of your difficulties.

  • Learning how our problems are ‘not our fault’, & how we can take responsibility for improving our health & wellbeing.

  • Learning about our three emotional systems.

  • Understanding the function of our inner critics.

  • Working with our resistance, blocks & fears of compassion.

  • Practicing ways of strengthening the soothing/connection/calming system including breathing exercises.

  • Finding ways of feeling safe & connected to your surroundings.

  • Compassion-focused imagery exercises, using guided memories and fantasies to alter your mental & physiological state.

  • Practicing compassion-focused imagery exercises & actions to develop a part of you that is your ‘compassionate self’

  • Learning to use your compassionate self to help you move towards your goals.

  • The professional therapeutic relationship is used throughout therapy to foster your feelings of acceptance, safety, & positive regard.

“Compassion is…

a sensitivity to suffering in self & others with a commitment to try to alleviate & prevent it.”

— Professor Paul Gilbert, O.B.E., founder of Compassion Focused Therapy.

FAQS

 

  • Yes, absolutely! Finding a balance where you can begin to look after your own needs alongside your compassion for others is just the kind of issue that CFT can help with.

  • While this will vary according to the severity of your difficulties, research suggests at least 12 one-to-one sessions are usually needed to lead to improvements in people’s symptoms.

  • Yes - I will soon be running Compassionate Mind Training groups. Contact me for more information.

  • The Compassionate Mind Foundation

Get Started

I offer a free no-obligation 15-minute telephone call to discuss your needs, & answer any questions you may have. It’s also a chance for us to see if we are a good ‘fit’ to work together. Please feel free to get in touch to arrange this.