Loving Others without Losing Ourselves

Chris Germer

Imagine if we spoke to ourselves in the same tone and with as much wisdom as we address clients. What if we ourselves stopped to regularly take a deep breath, the way we advise our clients to do? This workshop will teach you how to make self-compassion real in your own life through practices such as affectionate breathing, soothing touch, compassionate imagery, and random acts of self-kindness. You’ll discover how the art of self-compassion can enhance your well-being and deepen your work by exploring:

• The core meditations and informal practices of the empirically-supported, 8-week Mindful Self-Compassion program
• The key principles of self-compassion training that will enable you to guide yourself and others on the path of self-compassion
• Personal obstacles to self-compassion, such as fear of becoming selfish or weak
• Specific strategies to overcome personal obstacles to self-compassion

Chris Germer, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, a lecturer on psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and a founding faculty member of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy. He’s the author of The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion, editor of Mindfulness and Psychotherapy, and codeveloper of the Mindful Self-Compassion program.