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VIDEO: Moving Forward When Treatment Seems to Make a Problem Worse
Chris Germer on shifting the focus from fixing a problem to embracing it with compassion
Chris Germer on shifting the focus from fixing a problem to embracing it with compassion
What someone resists persists.
It’s a paradoxical dynamic that you’ve probably seen in the course of your own clinical work. A hyper-focus on anxiety can lead to a panic attack or a single-minded approach to eliminating resentment unfolds into anger.
Now the mindfulness practice of moment-by-moment noticing is a great therapeutic tool for easing this dynamic because it allows clients to recognize and explore an issue without rushing to fix it. But sometimes holding a behavior in awareness does not open the door to healing.
Why?
According to Chris Germer—a pioneer of compassion-based psychotherapy—there’s often a tenacious underlying issue such as shame. And nothing is more effective at addressing these tough issues than self-compassion.
In this video, Chris explains how “fixing” approaches can backfire and then he shares an example from his own life of self-compassion’s ability to soften resistance and heal a deep, persistent issue.
I think you’ll find this video clinically helpful and personally inspiring
Christopher Germer, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist specializing in mindfulness and compassion-based psychotherapy. He is a founding member of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy, a clinical instructor in psychology at Harvard Medical School, and author of The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion.
Want to Know More?
Check out our new video course The Transforming Power of Self-Compassion: A New Paradigm for Deeper Healing and Lasting Change. This course is only available for a limited time.Mindfulness has profoundly enhanced our practice of therapy, but many therapists are discovering that moment-to-moment awareness has its limits—especially for clients who are overwhelmed by fear, shame, or other intense emotions. What helps clients experience deep transformational healing is self-compassion. Learn more about mindfulness, self-compassion, and how they work together with these resources.
Free Resources
If you like this video, check out all our free videos here.Online Learning with CEs
Do you learn by listening? Check out these related audio courses.Do you learn by watching? Check out our current on-demand video courses here.
From our Friends at PESI
Want to learn more about using self-compassion in therapy? Check out Kristin Neff’s comprehensive course.Do you have kid or teen clients who could benefit from Mindfulness, Self-compassion, and Yoga practce? Learn 115 mindfulness and yoga skills to teach your young clients for trauma, self regulation, special needs and anxiety in this book.
Topic: Anxiety/Depression | Mindfulness | Trauma
Tags: clinical psychologist | learning | meditation | mindful | panic attack | psychologist | psychology | psychotherapy | resistance | self-compassion | therapists | therapy | yoga | Chris Germer
