Use of Materials

CMSC Policy for Use and Verification of MSC™ Materials

When using MSC materials in new, published works, the co-developers of MSC should be cited as "Christopher Germer & Kristin Neff" and one or both of the following published works should be cited:
- The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook (Neff & Germer, 2018).
- Teaching the Mindful Self-Compassion Program (Germer & Neff, 2019).

For verbatim use from published works, contact Guilford Press for permission: Guilford Permissions.

If you want to share MSC materials in printed form with students or workshop participants, but not publish them, you simply need to cite the source of the materials.
Permission is needed from CMSC to print or record and distribute more than 8 MSC practices in-person or online (e.g., classes, courses, websites, videos, social media).
Only Trained or Certified MSC Teachers will receive permission from CMSC to distribute more than 8 MSC practices.
Permission from CMSC is necessary for individuals or organizations to record and distribute courses with 8 or more MSC practices, especially courses with “MSC” in the title or subtitle.

Only Trained or Certified MSC Teachers are permitted to teach the full MSC curriculum and call it “MSC.”
No approval is required by MSC teachers to teach the full MSC curriculum to special populations.
If a Trained or Certified MSC Teacher applies the MSC curriculum to a special population, and the program retains 85% of the curriculum (and simply adds new material specific to the new population), they can call their program “MSC for Xxxx” and teach it without requiring permission from CMSC.
If a Trained or Certified MSC teacher would like their MSC application to receive official “approval” by CMSC, they can apply to CMSC for that status.

MSC Applications for Specialized Populations: “Applications” are MSC programs designed for specific contexts (e.g. healthcare) or populations (“MSC for Teens”) that retain 85% of MSC curriculum.
MSC Adaptations: “Adaptations” are programs derived from the MSC curriculum that use less than 85%.
Only Trained or Certified MSC Teachers can create applications or adaptations of MSC that bear the title “MSC.”

CMSC approval officially acknowledges that your adaptation or application meets certain standards. The steps are as follows:

Initial Review: Submission reviewed by the CMSC team for completeness and alignment with guidelines.
Final Determination: Made by Chris Germer and Kristin Neff.
Verification: Verified programs receive a CMSC stamp for public use, signifying adherence to CMSC standards.

To receive “approved” status by CIMC, the program must meet these standards:

Applications: Contain at least 85% of core MSC content, tailored to a specialized population or context.
Adaptations: Contain less than 85% of core MSC content, but retain the “look and feel” of MSC because the adaptation is based on the core principles and practices of MSC.
Research: Program has been verified by at least a pilot or randomized study, with findings published either in a dissertation or a peer-reviewed research journal.

"MSC™" is trademarked.
Use of “MSC” in URLs requires CMSC approval.
“MSC” can only be used in the main title of an “application” of MSC (e.g., “MSC for Lung Cancer”).
“MSC” can be used in the subtitle of an “adaptation” (e.g., “Strength with Heart: MSC for Men”)
Only Trained or Certified MSC teachers can teach a MSC program with MSC in the title or subtitle.

On rare occasions, CMSC is able to “sponsor” an application or adaptation of MSC. Sponsorship means that CMSC directly supports the dissemination of a particular program. Sponsored programs usually include a specialized training program for MSC teachers and have more extensive empirical support.

CMSC exclusively manages MSC teacher trainings through selected global partners.

Submit programs for verification here through this application form.