October 28 – December 16, 2022
Fridays: 9:00am – 12:00 pm ET
Silent Retreat: Saturday, Nov. 19, 9:00am – 12:00pm ET
“Self-Compassion is simply giving the same kindness to ourselves that we would give to others.” Chris Germer
TOTAL COST: $695 CAD
This program is being offered online via Zoom video conferencing. In order to register and participate in the program, you will need:
- An email account to receive an invitation link for each session
- A computer/tablet/smart phone with access to stable internet connectivity
- A quiet and confidential location
Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) is an empirically supported, 8-week training program designed to cultivate the skill of self-compassion. Based on the groundbreaking research of Kristin Neff and the clinical expertise of Christopher Germer, MSC teaches core principles and practices that enable participants to respond to difficult moments in their lives with kindness, care and understanding.
The three key components of self-compassion are self-kindness, a sense of common humanity, and balanced, mindful awareness. Kindness opens our hearts to suffering, so we can give ourselves what we need. Common humanity opens us to our essential interrelatedness, so that we know we aren’t alone. Mindfulness opens us to the present moment, so we can accept our experience with greater ease.
Self-compassion provides emotional strength and resilience and can be learned by anyone. Rapidly expanding research demonstrates that self-compassion is strongly associated with emotional wellbeing, less anxiety, depression and stress, maintenance of healthy habits such as diet and exercise, and satisfying personal relationships.
WHAT TO EXPECT
MSC is a skill-based program offered in a group format. Program activities include meditation, short talks, experiential exercises, group discussion, and home practices. MSC is a skills group rather than a retreat. The goal is for participants to directly experience self-compassion and learn practices that evoke self-compassion in daily life.
MSC is primarily a compassion training program rather than mindfulness training, although mindfulness is the foundation of self-compassion. The emphasis in MSC is on building emotional resources. Compassion is a positive, energizing emotion, however, while learning self-compassion, some difficult emotions may arise. MSC is not focused on working through old injuries, instead the focus will be on developing the skills and resources to be with ourselves in a kinder, more compassionate way, which results in beneficial change. The facilitators are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for this process to unfold, and to making the journey enjoyable for everyone.
MSC includes 8 weekly online sessions of 3 hours each, in addition to a 3-hour online silent retreat. Prior to registering, participants should plan to attend every session and practice mindfulness and self-compassion at least 30 minutes per day throughout the program.
PREREQUISITES
No previous experience with mindfulness or meditation is required to attend MSC. To ensure safety, participants are asked to provide background information when they register for the program. The following books are recommended as companions to the MSC program:
- The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer
- Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself, by Kristen Neff
- The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion, by Christopher Germer
This program fulfills one of the prerequisites for becoming an MSC teacher. For more information on MSC and MSC Teacher Training, please visit www.centerformsc.org
In addition, this program is a prerequisite for the Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy (SCIP) Certificate Program. For more information, please visit https://scipprogram.com/
THE MSC PROGRAM OFFERS SKILLS FOR LEARNING TO:
- Practice self-compassion in daily life
- Understand the empirically-supported benefits of self-compassion
- Motivate yourself with kindness rather than criticism
- Handle difficult emotions with greater ease
- Transform challenging relationships, old and new
- Manage caregiver fatigue
