Compassion Focused Therapy For Dummies

Don't be so hard on yourself - use compassion focused therapy as your guide

It's often said that we're our own worst critics--and it's true. Compassion Focused Therapy For Dummies offers straightforward and practical advice that helps you view yourself through a more sympathetic lens. This motivating text covers the key principles of compassion focused therapy, which guide you in caring for your wellbeing, becoming sensitive to your needs, recognising when you are distressed, and extending warmth and understanding to yourself. This transformative resource provides you with metrics that you can use to monitor your progress, including sensitivity, sympathy, empathy, and overall wellbeing.

Initially developed to assist people experiencing high levels of shame and self-criticism, compassion focused therapy increases your awareness of the automatic reactions that you experience--and motivates you to combat negative reactions with kindness and affection. Used on its own or in combination with other therapeutic approaches, the value of compassion focused therapy is supported by strong neuropsychological evidence.

• Understand how to handle difficult emotions with greater ease--and less stress

• Transform difficult, potentially damaging relationships into positive aspects of your life

• Encourage and motivate yourself to continually meet your goals, rather than criticise yourself for perceived failures

• Stop being so hard on yourself, and appreciate yourself for who you are

Compassion Focused Therapy For Dummies is a wonderful resource if you are seeing--or thinking about seeing--a therapist who utilises compassion techniques, or if you would like to leverage the principles of compassion focused therapy to manage your own wellbeing.

Autorentext

Dr. Mary Welford, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, lives and works in the South West of England. She is a founding member of the Compassionate Mind Foundation, Chair to the charity from 2009–2015 and authored the Compassionate Mind Guide to Building Self Confidence.

Zusammenfassung
Don't be so hard on yourself use compassion focused therapy as your guide It's often said that we're our own worst criticsand it's true. Compassion Focused Therapy For Dummies offers straightforward and practical advice that helps you view yourself through a more sympathetic lens. This motivating text covers the key principles of compassion focused therapy, which guide you in caring for your wellbeing, becoming sensitive to your needs, recognising when you are distressed, and extending warmth and understanding to yourself. This transformative resource provides you with metrics that you can use to monitor your progress, including sensitivity, sympathy, empathy, and overall wellbeing. Initially developed to assist people experiencing high levels of shame and self-criticism, compassion focused therapy increases your awareness of the automatic reactions that you experienceand motivates you to combat negative reactions with kindness and affection. Used on its own or in combination with other therapeutic approaches, the value of compassion focused therapy is supported by strong neuropsychological evidence.

• Understand how to handle difficult emotions with greater easeand less stress
• Transform difficult, potentially damaging relationships into positive aspects of your life
• Encourage and motivate yourself to continually meet your goals, rather than criticise yourself for perceived failures
• Stop being so hard on yourself, and appreciate yourself for who you are Compassion Focused Therapy For Dummies is a wonderful resource if you are seeingor thinking about seeinga therapist who utilises compassion techniques, or if you would like to leverage the principles of compassion focused therapy to manage your own wellbeing.

Inhalt
Introduction 1

Part 1: Getting Started with Compassion Focused Therapy 5

Chapter 1: Introducing Compassion Focused Therapy 7

Chapter 2: Understanding Compassion 25

Chapter 3: Making Sense of Life's Challenges 39

Part 2: Understanding Ourselves 53

Chapter 4: Introducing the Three Circles 55

Chapter 5: Getting to Know Ourselves: Exploring Our Life Stories 73

Chapter 6: Considering Your Beliefs about Compassion 91

Chapter 7: Facing Barriers to Compassion 107

Part 3: Developing Our Compassionate Mind 119

Chapter 8: Directing Our Attention 121

Chapter 9: Preparing for Compassion 133

Chapter 10: Practising Compassion for Others 151

Chapter 11: Allowing Compassion In 165

Chapter 12: Delving Deeper into Self-Compassion 179

Part 4: Compassionate Practices 191

Chapter 13: Cultivating Compassionate Thoughts 193

Chapter 14: The Power of the Pen: Writing to Strengthen Your Compassionate Mind 213

Chapter 15: Taking Action! 231

Chapter 16: Expressing Yourself 251

Chapter 17: Understanding the Different Aspects of Yourself 265

Chapter 18: Placing Compassion at the Centre of Your Life 277

Part 5: The Part of Tens 285

Chapter 19: Ten Pointers for Seeking a Professional Therapist 287

Chapter 20: Ten Tips You May Want to Share 297

Chapter 21: Ten Ways to Change the World with Compassion 303

Appendix: Additional Resources 309

Index 313