A705 The Art and Science of Self-Compassion

Learn to practice metta, the Buddhist meditation practice of loving kindness, and teach it to your clients as a powerful source of self-soothing and self-compassion.

Christopher Germer, Ph.D.

CE Credits: 6
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Add 6 CE Credit Hours: $59

Discover metta or loving-kindness, a Buddhist meditation practice that can be a powerful source of self-soothing. Learn to practice metta and teach your clients to use it in and out of session. Explore the scientific evidence supporting the therapeutic use of self-compassion and loving-kindness and learn how to integrate the practice of self-compassion with different treatment approaches.

Meet The Instructor

Christopher Germer, Ph.D., is a clinical instructor in psychology at Harvard Medical School and is on the faculty of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy. He’s the coeditor of “Mindfulness and Psychotherapy” and author of the forthcoming “Mindful Path to Self-Compassion.”

Course Contents

Session 1: What’s Self-Compassion? • Explore the role of mindfulness as the foundation for self-compassion • Discussion of what self-compassion is and isn’t

Session 2: Being Good to Yourself • Five pathways to self-compassion • Discussion of the practice and perils of metta meditation

Session 3: Being Good to Others • Using metta meditation to transform our relationships with others, for our own good

Session 4: Special Clinical Challenges • Exploration of the use of metta meditation for treating trauma and couples in conflict

Session 5: Self-Compassion in the Therapeutic Relationship • Using metta meditation to maintain connection in disconnection

Session 6: Making Progress • How to measure progress and overcome obstacles along the way

Learning Objectives

1. Define self-compassion in the context of mindfulness-oriented psychotherapy.
2. Practice metta meditation effectively.
3. Describe how to teach self-compassion practice to clients to regulate difficult emotions like shame, anger, and fear.