Modality Two: Compassion Focused Therapy

The second foundational component of this transformative work is to grow our capacity to practice compassion and to understand how to facilitate shifts out of the threat and the drive systems into the contentment system. We need to cultivate compassion because it helps prepare us for healing by creating a sense of safety, acceptance and readiness. For many of us, however, this is not easy because of self-criticism, feeling unworthy and a long history of internalizing negative and critical messages. There is a synergistic effect when we support Mindfulness with Compassion. Fortunately, Mindfulness becomes easier when it is held in a field of compassion because we are less likely to get caught in self-criticism, shame and other negative thinking patterns that pull more and more of our attention away from the present moment.