Transform Healthcare with Self-Compassion

Healthcare professionals give so much, often at the cost of their own well-being. The Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities (SCHC) Facilitator Training equips you to bring practical, evidence-based self-compassion skills to your colleagues, helping them reduce burnout, build resilience, and reconnect with the heart of caregiving.

7 weeks of experiential training → Eligible to teach the 6-hour SCHC course → Create meaningful impact in your healthcare community.

Apply Now (Free Application)see prerequisites listed below

Bring the healing power of self-compassion to your healthcare community.

Healthcare is meaningful work and we know it’s also demanding, fast-paced, and emotionally challenging. Many healthcare professionals experience burnout, compassion fatigue, or a sense of disconnection. Evidence shows that self-compassion supports resilience, reduces burnout, and strengthens the capacity to care for others.

The Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities (SCHC) Facilitator Training prepares you to teach the SCHC curriculum — a 6-hour, evidence-based adaptation of Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) designed specifically for healthcare professionals.

Why Apply?

By joining this program, you will:

  • Enhance resilience and reduce burnout with practical, research-backed strategies.
  • Bring self-compassion into healthcare settings through a structured 6-hour program that’s accessible for busy providers.
  • Expand your professional toolkit with evidence-based facilitation skills.
  • Strengthen your own practice as the foundation for guiding others.
  • Join a global network of healthcare leaders humanizing medicine through compassion.

Core Competencies You’ll Gain

By completing the SCHC Facilitator Training, you will:

  • Confidently deliver the 6-hour SCHC program in hospitals, clinics, universities, and healthcare communities.
  • Apply trauma-informed teaching methods tailored for healthcare professionals.
  • Facilitate safe, supportive learning spaces for groups of providers.
  • Teach core self-compassion practices backed by science and adapted for the realities of healthcare.
  • Understand and communicate the research on self-compassion, resilience, and well-being.
  • Integrate your personal mindfulness and self-compassion practice into your professional role.

Program Structure

The Facilitator Training is a 7-session experiential program with a mix of didactic learning, small- and large-group exercises, and practice teaching. You’ll learn both the theory and practical skills needed to guide others through the SCHC curriculum.

Upon successful completion, you will be eligible to teach the Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities (SCHC) 6-hour program, a trauma-informed, therapeutic mindfulness and self-compassion-based intervention developed by Dr. Kristin Neff (UT Austin) and Dr. Chris Germer (Harvard Medical School).

Do we have you interested in teaching the SCHC curriculum?

There are several prerequisites (listed below) to meet before being accepted into the facilitator training and you are encouraged to carefully consider whether you meet these prerequisites before you apply.

Once accepted, you will be welcomed into the 7-week training and eligible to teach the standard Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities 6-week course upon completion.

Step 1: Complete the Prerequisites

Before applying for facilitaor training, all applicants must complete the following foundational experiences:

1. Completion of a foundational MSC course

Choose one of these approved formats:

  • 8-Week MSC Course: The classic format, taught by Trained MSC Teachers in person or online (not offered by CMSC).
  • 10-Week Live Online MSC (LOMSC): Offered through CMSC. Includes all MSC content in an adapted online format.
  • 5-Day MSC Intensive: A deep-dive immersion into MSC content, taught in a retreat-style format.

2. Minimum two years’ experience in healthcare as a licensed clinician, health educator, or health care resident and/or learner

3. Experience teaching or facilitating programs for healthcare/caregiving professionals

4. At least two years of a consistent personal mindfulness, self-compassion, or contemplative practice

This time allows for:

  • Deepening your self-compassion practice
  • Reflecting on your readiness to teach
  • Ensuring alignment with the time and financial investment of the program

Step 2: Apply and Get Accepted

Cost: FREE

Once your prerequisites are complete, you’re ready to apply for SCHC Facilitator Training.

  • Your application will be carefully reviewed by CMSC’s team.
  • Acceptance decisions are made with care to ensure participants are well-prepared and the training space remains safe, supportive, and effective for everyone involved.

Please ensure you have completed all prerequisites before applying! No refunds will be done for course cost due to application issues.

Application Form

Course Cost: 

Tuition (in USD):

  • Physicians: $1800
  • PA / Nursing / Allied Health: $1650
  • Psychologists / Social Workers: $1650
  • Learners / Residents: $1500

CE add-on $75 USD

SC for Healthcare Communities Facilitator Training Learning Objectives:

  • Be able to recite key components of self compassion theory and how it relates to well being.
  • Be able to identify empathy from compassion and demonstrate strategies to avoid emotional exhaustion.
  • Be able to demonstrate practices that can be applied in healthcare environments to increase self compassion while at work and in everyday life.
  • Discuss how self-compassion may reduce emotional distress and reconnect one to personal core values

Upcoming Facilitator Training:

2025 SCHC FT Pilot Course

  • Dates: Monday, November 3 - December 15, 2025 (7 weeks, 2.5 hour sessions)
  • Time: 4:00 - 6:30pm PT
  • Trainers: Natalie Bell and Lisa Baylis
Apply Here

More Information

Continuing Education Credits

This information pertains to Live Online SCHC Facilitator Training only.

In order to receive CE credits, you must apply for CE’s before the course starts, attend all the Facilitator Training Sessions. No credit is given for partial attendance. You will also need to fill out the online Evaluation after the training completes. CE Certificates will be emailed about a month after the program completes.

  • Psychologists: Continuing Education Credit for this program is provided by UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness. The UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This course offers 17.5 hours of credit.
  • California licensed MFTs, LPCCs, LEPs, LCSWs: Continuing Education Credit for this program is provided by UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness. The UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. 17.5 contact hours may be applied to your license renewal through the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. For those licensed outside California, please check with your local licensing board to determine if APA accreditation meets their requirements.
  • Nurses: UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP16351, for 21.0 contact hours.

Scholarships for Facilitator Training

Recognizing the societal importance of self-compassion training and the financial realities that many prospective participants, especially people from diverse and historically underserved communities may face, CMSC offers a very limited number of partial scholarships to attend the SCHC FT.

If you identify as a person of color, are a member of historically marginalized or underserved communities, or are actively serve these populations and communities, and would like to request a partial scholarship, please state this explicitly (and in some detail) on your application form and we will do our best to support you.

Scholarships for Live Online Facilitator Training can be requested directly on the application form. We would like to support you as best we can so please reach out if you have any questions about scholarships and discounts available.

Note: In order to be considered for a scholarship, applications are due one month prior to the course start date.

To apply for a scholarship, please complete our CMSC Scholarship Application form.

Refunds and Scholarships

If you have any questions about our refund or scholarship offerings please find those here.

Continuing Professional Development

If you are interested in furthering your professional training and skills in Self-Compassion, plus work as a licensed mental health professional or Psychotherapist, check out our Self Compassion in Psychotherapy (SCIP) program.

If you are interested in Teaching more MSC courses and/or becoming a Certified MSC Teacher in the future, please check out our MSC Teacher Training Pathway.

FAQs

Who is this training for?

Licensed healthcare professionals, health educators, and learners in the healthcare field with teaching or facilitation experience who want to share self-compassion practices with healthcare colleagues.

What will I be able to teach after this training?

You’ll be certified to facilitate the 6-hour Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities (SCHC) program, a short-course version of Mindful Self-Compassion designed specifically for healthcare environments.

Do I need to be an experienced meditation teacher?

No. You need a strong foundation in self-compassion and mindfulness practice, but you’ll be trained in the specific skills and methods needed to facilitate SCHC effectively.

What support will I receive after the training?

You’ll be connected to a global community of SCHC facilitators and have access to CMSC resources to support your teaching and professional growth.

How is this training different from MSC Teacher Training?

The SCHC facilitator training prepares you to teach the shorter 6-hour SCHC curriculum, specifically designed for healthcare settings. MSC Teacher Training prepares you to teach the full 8-week MSC program.

What is the time commitment?

The Facilitator Training is 7 weeks, with one session per week for 2.5 hours. Each session includes experiential learning, group discussion, and practice teaching.

What does it cost?

The Facilitator Training is currently being offered on three different payment levels according to your level of professional training.

Supporting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

The Center for Mindful Self-Compassion welcomes applications from people from diverse backgrounds and is committed to creating diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in all of its training programs. Learn more about our scholarships and how to apply on our policies page here.

 Please Note:

Before registering for any program components, we recommend reviewing CMSC’s Refund and Cancellation Policy for details on refunds, transfer options, and cancellation timelines. Policies vary by program and may impact your eligibility for reimbursement.

Have More Questions?