Monday, June 23, 2014

Self-Compassion: The New Most Important Theme In Therapy

 I've been involved with contemplative and devotional practices for most of my life. Various kinds of prayer and meditation are central to how I live, so it's no surprise that I'd be drawn to any psycho-therapeutic modality that is rooted in these kinds of activities. Combining this with my17 years of professional experience, and my personal journey of healing over the last few decades, brings  me to the most exciting confirmation of my inclinations and efforts.

Dr. Kristin Neff, PhD, is a research psychologist and Assistant Professor at the University of Texas in Austin.
She has been actively spearheading the field of self-compassion research since around the turn of the century, and has written or co-written many articles, chapters and books on the subject, including the one that I'm most familiar with and excited about. It's an audio course (or alternately, a hard copy book) called Self Compassion Step By Step: The Proven Power Of Being Kind To Yourself.

She covers a lot of ground in this 6.5 hour audio course, including many guided meditations, along with her speaking about the various elements and attributes of self compassion, myth correcting, research proven beneficial effects, and overall desirability of this generally radical kind of relating with oneself. One of the most important points to be made, and one of the perhaps newest old ways of thinking about healing, is that there is far more benefit to be gained by changing the WAY we relate with ourselves, rather than becoming fixated on trying to change the WHAT of our experience. And the way that is clearly proving itself to be the most beneficial all around is the way of self compassion.

I'm strongly recommending that you buy the audio course - I favor this over the book because of the guided experiential exercises it contains - and spend the time listening to it and working it. It has been available from
Amazon for $11.49 as a digital download in their MP3 music section. I feel safe in saying categorically that this may be the best eleven dollars you will ever spend.

 http://www.mdavid-lpcc.com

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