Big Sure Test Template

MSC Objectives

At the completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Describe the theory and research supporting mindful self-compassion
• Develop and apply self-compassion practices to motivate themselves with encouragement rather than self-criticism
• Assess and manage difficult situations and emotions with greater moment-to-moment acceptance
• Develop and apply self-compassion practices to respond to feelings of failure or inadequacy with self-kindness
• Transform difficult relationships, old and new, through self-validation
• Utilize the art of savoring and self-appreciation to overcome negative attention bias
• Apply core mindfulness and self-compassion practices into daily life
• Demonstrate simple self-compassion practices to patients, students, or clients

• The MSC program is a journey—an adventure in self-discovery and self-kindness. Self compassion has the paradoxical effect of both soothing our emotional distress as well as opening us to the pain that we may have been unconsciously holding inside, often for many years. Therefore, difficult emotions are likely to surface during the program, including past traumas. MSC teachers are committed to helping participants feel safe and comfortable during the course. However, participants agree at the outset that they will take primary responsibility for their emotional wellbeing.
• MSC is therapeutic but it’s not therapy. The emphasis of the program is on building the resources of mindfulness and self-compassion. MSC is not a substitute for medical or mental health care.
• Participants should also be aware that MSC is mindfulness-based compassion training. Mindfulness and compassion go hand-in-hand, but our main purpose is compassion training.
• MSC is taught in a variety of formats and an Intensive is the most emotionally challenging format to learn MSC. This is because it is 5 days of full immersion in self-compassion and participants do not have as much time to digest the course material and they don’t have access to their usual social supports. The depth of the training also means that difficult emotions are more likely to surface. Nonetheless, the deep dive into self-compassion that happens at an Intensive is a unique opportunity to experience its transformative potential.
• To create an optimal learning experience, Intensives are only taught by Certified MSC Teachers (the highest level of training). All participants are encouraged to engage in the Intensive to the extent that they feel comfortable, and not more. However, participants should consider in advance whether they ready for this kind of learning experience or if a different MSC format might be preferable at this point in time. If you are unsure, please contact a teacher for further discussion.

Teachers

Steven Hickman, Psy.D., is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and an Associate Clinical Professor in the UC San Diego Departments of Psychiatry and Family Medicine & Public Health. As Executive Director of the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion, Dr Hickman’s role is to provide oversight, vision, direction and focus for the development and expansion of CMSC around the world.

Michelle Becker is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice in San Diego, utilizing mindfulness and compassion based approaches to psychotherapy. In addition she is a certified teacher of Mindful Self-Compassion, Compassion Cultivation Training, and The Daring Way™ and Rising Strong™ programs.