Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT): A Powerful Tool for Addressing Shame and Self-Criticism in Mental Health.

“Compassion gives us the courage and wisdom to descend into our suffering.”
-Prof Paul Gilbert OBE

Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) is a form of psychotherapy that was developed to address high levels of shame and self-criticism.

Shame and self-criticism can often be deeply embedded in people’s mental health difficulties and can act as a barrier to therapeutic change. CFT aims to support people to develop tools and insights to help break down these barriers.

Compassion-focused therapy doesn’t have to be used by itself and is often used alongside other types of therapy, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). It is often described as a “third wave” CBT, which means that whilst it includes some CBT practice. CFT also incorporates other helpful therapy techniques, based on science and research. 

At the bottom of this article is a list of just a few of the My Therapist Online therapists who are trained in CFT, and interweave into their online therapy practice. Sarah Kenny, an experienced psychotherapist, also introduces CFT in a short and helpful video here. 

Self-compassion involves three main components:

Self-kindness involves being gentle and understanding with oneself, rather than being self-critical or judgmental.

Common humanity involves recognising that one's experiences and struggles are shared by all human beings, rather than feeling isolated or alone.

Mindfulness involves being aware of one's thoughts and feelings in the present moment, without judging or reacting to them.

CFT can have a powerfully positive impact on a person’s overall wellbeing and mental health.

Professor Paul Gilbert OBE, a UK-based clinical psychologist, developed CFT and his research has shown that self-criticism and shame have the potential to make talking therapies less effective. It is this barrier that motivated him to explore the powerfully positive outcomes that nurturing a compassionate mind can have. Research has demonstrated the importance of addressing shame and self-criticism, which are often the reason why people don’t seek help for their difficulties. 

With its foundations coming from evolutionary psychology and neuroscience, CFT helps us to understand how our brains have developed and work, and the challenges we face as humans as a result of this. CFT sports us to acknowledge the brain’s evolution and how our ‘tricky’ brain can be overcome by developing CFT tools and skills. 

Another key element of CFT is the development of a compassionate mind. This involves being able to show compassion to both ourselves and to others.

How does a CFT therapist help me develop more self compassion?

A trained therapist can help an individual develop more self-compassion by teaching them specific skills and techniques. These may include mindful awareness, self-soothing, and self-kindness practices, as well as guided imagery and visualisation exercises.

The therapist may also use techniques such as compassion-focused imagery or compassionate letter writing to help the individual connect with their compassionate self and develop a greater sense of empathy and understanding for themselves.

"Be kind to yourself. It's hard to be happy when someone is mean to you all the time."

This quote emphasises the importance of treating oneself with kindness and understanding, and the negative effects that self-criticism and judgment can have on one's happiness and well-being.

By providing a supportive and nonjudgmental environment, the therapist can help the individual explore and challenge their self-critical thoughts and behaviours, and develop more compassionate and understanding ways of relating to themselves.

Two particularly important aspects a CFT therapist will bring into your appointments:

1) Learning to let go of self-blame for having such negative thoughts. Nobody chooses to have a brain that creates angst. But our brains evolved to be reactionary, it’s simply the way they are designed.

2) Choice to develop new patterns. We can choose not just to learn new thought patterns, but also to generate different emotions that can help us, such as compassion. As well as protective emotions like anger and anxiety, the brain is also designed to create kindness and understanding.

If we focus on learning about and activating this compassionate part of our brain we can actually teach our mind to react in new ways. 

A CFT therapist will support you to develop a more compassionate mind. They help you to look at your threat system and support you to stimulate, what is called in CFT the ‘soothing system’. 

Home-based practice helps in CFT 

Like many therapeutic models, a CFT therapist will usually ask you to engage in some home-based practice between your online therapy appointments. Engaging in-between session practice often leads to better outcomes.

Who would benefit from CFT?

Compassion Focused Therapy can help people with all types of mental health problems. It is particularly helpful for those struggling with the below problems:

• Anxiety

• Anger

• Eating Disorders 

• Low mood (depression)

• Low self-esteem

• Panic

• Stress or trauma (PTSD or childhood trauma experiences, abuse, bullying, neglect)

• Self-critical 

• Relationships difficulties

• Difficulties showing compassion to yourselves and or others

• Struggle to receive care and compassion from others

Is CFT Effective?

Research as well as case analysis has found that focussing on developing compassion, can create positive effects on both our brains and our immune systems. 

When we are kinder to ourselves or others, researchers can observe changes in parts of our brains. Studies of evolution show we are biologically designed to respond well to being cared for and treated kindly.

Research also shows that compassion is something you don’t have to have naturally, but can train yourself to be better at.

What Is Involved in CFT sessions?

A CFT trained therapist works hard at developing their own compassion. The attributes of compassion include sensitivity, sympathy, non-judgment, empathy, well-being, self-care, and distress tolerance. They will create an environment that is safe, kind, and accepting.

They will support you to learn the skills of compassion so that you can start to feel warm, kind, and supportive to yourself and others. They will use a range of tools and techniques which may involve harnessing your attention, reasoning skills, feelings, and behaviours to make compassionate choices.

If you would like to book an initial free 15-minute consultation to see whether CFT might be the right approach for you, please click on the link below

My Therapist Online Compassion Focused Therapists

Wendy Turton, Matina Sotrilli Kevin Scott, Ian Scott, Dr. Graham Sloan, Dr. Deborah Walton, Bouchra Yassin, Annahita Nezami, Angelica Attard, Alice Kennedy, Susana Lara, Rebecca Shaw, Katarina Kovacova, Gabriel Cammarata, Dr. Sarah Gilbert, Dr. Neena Ramful, Christina Theodoridou, Alexandra Barnett, Sarah Kenny, Rachel Roberts, Mary Ion, Helen Joselyn-Gadd, Grainne Butler, Collette Sharbel-Merven, Becca Mackay, Baanu Baghbani-Irvine, Stephanie Harris, Rachel Kerr-Smith, Paulina Dabrowska, Katherine Burkinshaw, Gabby Kanyo, Doreen Mpofu, Debby Cranston, Clare Blissett, Monique Howie, Suzy King, Gabriella Clarke

Useful CFT Resources 

For more information and resources on Compassion Focused therapy visit the Compassionate Mind Foundation website here

Introducing Compassion-Focused Therapy by Paul Gilbert

Training Our Minds In, With, and For Compassion by Paul Gilbert et. al - Free Self Help Manual