“Be kind to yourself” is common advice – yet many clients, and many clinicians, don’t know how to do that in practice.
Self‑compassion interventions are increasingly recognised as evidence‑based strategies that can reduce shame, soften self‑criticism, and support emotion regulation across diagnoses. Training in compassion skills, including Compassion Focused Therapy and Mindful Self‑Compassion, has also been linked with benefits for helping professionals themselves.
In this 5‑minute video, Dr Chris Willard, psychologist, Harvard professor and author, explores:
- Why self‑compassion is often misunderstood as self‑indulgence
- How it can actually support high standards and accountability without a shame spiral
- The role of a more compassionate inner voice in helping clients recover more quickly from setbacks and stay engaged in the therapeutic process
Rather than adding another item to the to‑do list, these perspectives on self‑compassion can be woven into work you are already doing – such as debriefing a lapse, processing mistakes, or exploring entrenched perfectionism.
Want To Go Deeper?
If you’d like to delve deeper into practical skills and tools, you can learn more in Dr Chris Willard’s course Self‑Compassion in Psychotherapy.
