SCIP Certification Pathway: Finding a Supervisor

Becoming a Certified Self-Compassion-Based Psychotherapist (SCIP-C) includes working closely with a CMSC-approved supervisor who will support your development as a teacher. This supervising process is a vital part of the certification pathway and is designed to help you grow in skill, confidence, and authenticity as you continue sharing MSC.

Furthermore, all CMSC Teacher Trainers, Supervisors, and Teacher Training Consultants are required to be Certified as well. Thus, those who hope to potentially serve in those roles must obtain certification in order to be considered for these positions.

This is step 2 of the pathway:

After registering with CMSC Professional Training (step 1), candidates enter the SCIP Certification Pathway, beginning with a three-session Collaborative Assessment to establish goals and assess competencies. They then complete at least five supervision sessions focused on integrating self-compassion into clinical practice, followed by a portfolio review and exit interview. Supervisors provide developmental feedback throughout and offer the final certification recommendation. (Additional sessions may be required, at the mentor’s discretion, to assure a high standard of teaching competence.) Review supervisor details below.

We have intentionally assembled a diverse and skilled group of SCIP supervisors—each carefully selected for their depth of experience, commitment to the curriculum, and ability to support mental health professionals in becoming their most authentic, effective selves.

All SCIP Certification Steps

  • Who is Eligible to Begin?

    Before entering the SCIP-C certification process, you must have:

    • Completed SCIP Level A (Learning Cohort)
    • Completed SCIP Level B (Consultation Groups)
    • Delivered at least 24 client sessions where self-compassion was explicitly integrated
    • Participated in a 3–5-day silent MSC retreat (online or in person)

  • Why Supervision Matters:

    This process is designed to:

    • Strengthen clinical skills through sustained reflective practice
    • Deepen embodiment of self-compassion principles in therapeutic work
    • Ensure competence and confidence in integrating self-compassion into diverse clinical settings
    • Provide personalized guidance as you refine your therapeutic presence

  • CMSC defines SCIP supervision as:

    “A structured, contractual arrangement between a supervisor and supervisee that focuses on the supervisee’s integration of self-compassion principles into clinical practice. The purpose of this arrangement is to promote clinical competency, ethical and attuned therapeutic presence, and best-practice skills for applying self-compassion in psychotherapy. Supervision also supports the ongoing development of the supervisee’s personal practice, recognizing that the therapist’s own self-compassion is integral to their clinical effectiveness."

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All SCIP Certification Steps

The Supervisors

Take the time to consider each of the supervisors listed below and reach out to any that seem like a good fit. You will be spending a significant amount of time in contact with your supervisor (over the phone, online or in person) and you should choose carefully before proceeding.

Anna Friis

Anna Friis, PhD, is a certified Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) teacher and a psychologist in private practice in Auckland, New Zealand. She specializes in mindfulness and compassion-based therapy.

Anna was one of the first people to be trained as a teacher of MSC by Drs Neff and Germer and continues to be closely involved with the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion’s (CMSC) mission to cultivate a kinder world.

She is a senior teacher, teacher trainer and mentor on the CMSC’s global training team. She is also a facilitator and teacher of the Self-Compassion in
Psychotherapy (SCiP) training program, an initiative that trains mental health
professionals from around the world in how to integrate the science and practice of self-compassion into their clinical work.

She has had a corporate career specializing in crisis management, a challenging environment that provided the inspiration for a Master’s degree investigating the effects of stress and meditation on the autonomic nervous system. A subsequent PhD contributed to the scientific understanding of the mind-body effects of self-compassion and its contribution to improved health and well-being.

She is a devoted yogini with three adult children, one husband, and two utterly adorable small grandchildren.

Contact Anna: anna@annafriis.com

Gaila Tyano Ronen

Galia Tyano Ronen, M.A. LCP, is a licensed clinical psychologist, practicing for over thirty years. She maintains a private practice in upper Galilee, Israel, specializing in mind-body- spirit mindfulness based psychotherapy. Galia is also a certified focusing-oriented therapist, mindfulness for children and adolescents' teacher by Eline Snell and a certified self-compassion teacher in the Mindful Self-Compassion program. She is the program developer and former director of the Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy Certificate Program (SCIP) at the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion. Galia is a certified mindfulness teacher by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield MMTCP continuous and a mindfulness teachers mentor and part of the cloud sangha. She is a practitioner and teacher of Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness. She teaches and gives supervision in the Mindfulness Body- Mind based psychotherapy in Shiluv center, affiliated with the University of Haifa. Galia co-created with Mirjam Luthe and Lotta adelstal in 2023 the “IDG Empathy and Compassion Hub”.

Galia has pioneered mindful self-compassion in Israel, mentoring Hebrew-speaking MSC teachers. She is responsible for the MSC program and its various translations to Hebrew in Israel, as well as representing her country in the MSC Europe Council.   She created a bilingual MSC course for Arabs and Jews titled Planting Seeds of Compassion. Galia translated, scientifically edited, and narrated the meditation for the book “Sitting Still Like a Frog” by Eline Snell. She contributed a chapter on self-compassion in psychotherapy in the book "Mind the body" (Pardes , 2024) . She contributed a chapter "The mindful lens: practicing mindfulness and self-compassion through taking photos as a way of building resilience during COVID-19 Pandemic Psychology" (Silberberg, 2023).

Galia is an artist who draws her inspiration from the diversity of connections. With her local community, she creates cultural festivals based on the generosity, togetherness, free will, spirit, and talent of citizens living in Kiryat-Tivon. She tries to give the place in which she lives a sense of united, loving community, including all people near and far using earth-honoring tradition.

Contact Galia: galia.gty@gmail.com 

Jorge Armesto

Jorge Armesto is a bilingual clinical psychologist, yoga therapist and mindfulness instructor in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, where he works with diverse communities. He is passionate about the intersection of psychology, mindfulness, spirituality, and body-focused practices. As a gay Cuban-American man, Jorge’s work seeks to understand how multiple sources of oppression and resiliency intersect and inform the lived experiences of individuals, groups, and communities. He is a Certified Mindful Self-Compassion teacher, Certified Yoga Therapist, and trained MBCT and MBSR Teacher. Jorge is section faculty at the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy Certificate Program, Senior Mindfulness Instructor at Cambridge Health Alliance Center for Mindfulness and Compassion, and Mindfulness Instructor at the Mindfulness and Health Institute. He is the former Educational Director for the Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy (SCIP) Certificate Program through the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion. Jorge practices in the Plum Village tradition founded by Thich Nhat Hanh and is a member of the Order of Interbeing.  

Contact Jorge: jorge@goslowly.com 

Shari Geller, PhD

Dr. Shari Geller is an author, clinical psychologist, certified Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) teacher and leader in the field of therapeutic presence. 

Shari offers training in therapeutic presence internationally as part of a longer-term vision for presence to be foundational in psychotherapy training across approaches. With over thirty years’ experience weaving psychology and mindfulness, she has several publications including seminal books Therapeutic Presence: A Mindful Approach to Effective Therapeutic Relationships (2nd Edition, 2022) with Leslie Greenberg and A Practical Guide to Cultivating Therapeutic Presence (2017). She is also co-editor of the book Grounding Psychotherapy in Self-Compassion. 

Shari serves on the teaching faculty in Health Psychology at York University and is Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto, in association with Music and Health Research Collaboratory (MaHRC). 

Shari is actively involved in various professional committees including the Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy (SCIP) certificate program and is the Chair for the Membership and Networking Committee for the International Society for Emotion Focused Therapy (isEFT). Shari is the founder and co-director of the Centre for MindBody Health, in Toronto, where she offers training, supervision and therapy in Emotion-Focused therapy (EFT) and Mindfulness and Self-Compassion modalities for individuals and couples. Shari enjoys playing the HandPan and djembe and founded the Therapeutic Rhythm and Mindfulness Program (TRM™). Her love of nature and her dogs, along with her 35-year personal meditation practice helps to keep her present in the moment.

Contact Shari: drsharigeller@gmail.com

Supervisor Fees for SCIP Certification

Supervising is a vital part of the SCIP Certification pathway, offering personalized guidance and support from experienced supervisors. While supervising is deeply relational, it is also a professional service—and as such, there are associated fees.

Financial Arrangements:

Your financial agreement is made directly between you and your supervisor. CMSC has requested that all approved supervisors follow a standard rate of $180 USD per session for supervisee based in the United States and other countries with comparable economies.

We ask that supervisee plan to pay for the Collaborative Assessment first (a total of three sessions at $540) and then the full set of 5 required sessions ($900) up front, unless you and your supervisee agree on a different arrangement. Lastly, the supervisee is expected to pay their supervisor directly for a portfolio review fee and exit interview (total $360 upfront for their time).

We understand that financial situations vary greatly across individuals and global regions. If the standard rate is a hardship for you, we encourage you to speak openly with potential supervisors. Many supervisors are willing to offer a sliding scale or alternative payment plan, depending on your circumstances

Please keep in mind: Supervisors are experienced teachers and trainers whose time and expertise reflect industry-standard rates for mindfulness-based education and supervision.

Review SCIP Certification Steps and Fees here.