May 2015 Research Update

Every month, we scour the scientific literature for interesting studies that have practical implications for therapists working with shame, self-criticism, or compassion. Below are a few of our favorites for this month: Fear of Self-Compassion Linked to Increased PTSD Symptom Severity Given that self-compassion has been shown to be helpful for trauma survivors, this study … Read more

June 2015 Shame and Self-compassion Research Update

Every month, we scour the scientific literature for interesting studies that have practical implications for therapists working with shame, self-criticism, or compassion. Below are a few of our favorites for this month: Compassion Can Regulate Emotion without Decreasing Interpersonal Connection This study examined several seasoned meditators and looked at changes in different brain regions when … Read more

The Best of ACT with Compassion

ACT with Compassion is turning one year old! ACTwithcompassion.com is one year old and we decided to celebrate by sharing a short guide to the best material for therapists interested in using compassion in their work. Therapist Resources Homeworks Recommended books Recommended books and reading material for clients Audio recordings Case conceptualization   Research Updates … Read more

Case Conceptualization – Identifying key relationships or events that have contributed to the person’s current ability to experience warmth and compassion for themselves

Below is some guidance on case conceptualization using this month’s Tool of the Month – Exploring the Past – Warmth and Compassion. One of the first steps in case conceptualization with shame-prone and self-critical clients is to assess their relational history with shaming/criticizing and compassionate/caring others. As mentioned in our previous blog post, understanding clients’ … Read more

July 2015 Shame and Self-compassion Research Update

Every month, we scour the scientific literature for interesting studies that have practical implications for therapists working with shame, self-criticism, or compassion. Below are a few of our favorites for this month: Meta-Analysis of Gender Differences in Self-Compassion For this study, the authors looked at gender difference effect sizes in 71 journal articles and dissertations … Read more

August 2015 Compassion Tool of the Month – Effective Use of Self-Disclosure in ACT with Compassion

Each month we highlight some practical resources for therapists interested in compassion. Our aim here is to provide a brief overview and offer you a few resources where you can find out more information if these ideas are of interest to you. This Month’s Tool: Effective Use of Self-Disclosure in ACT with Compassion Here is a … Read more

Identifying key relationships or events that have contributed to the person’s current sense of shame, undeservingness, and self-criticism

We have written up some of our thinking to accompany last week’s Tool of the Month – Exploring the Past – Shame and Self-Criticism. One of the first steps in case conceptualization with shame-prone and self-critical clients is to assess their relational history with shaming/criticizing and compassionate/caring others. As mentioned in our previous blog post, … Read more

What an old dog teaches us

For many of us, there is something uniquely vulnerable in our love for our companion animals. These relationships can teach us about love, pain, values, and compassion in ways that are difficult to get from our relationships with other humans sometimes. Those of you who have been following this blog may remember Jason’s post about … Read more

June 2015 Compassion Tool of the Month – Part 1: Exploring the Past – Shame and Self-Criticism

Each month we highlight some practical resources for therapists interested in compassion. We don’t go into great depth about what we find, but encourage you to check them out if you think they’re interesting. This Month’s Find: Part 1: Exploring Past Contributors to Shame and Self-Criticism Here is a handout that is the first part … Read more

March 2015 Tool of the Month: The Self-Compassion Break

Each month we highlight some practical resources for therapists interested in compassion. We don’t go into great depth about what we find, but encourage you to check them out if you think they’re interesting. This month’s find: Self-Compassion Break from Kristin Neff. The self-compassion break exercise helps you and/or your client to develop a loving … Read more