Master Series in Clinical Practice

The Master Series affords the chance to spend a complete day with leaders in our field to consider the unique perspective each speaker brings to the challenging dilemmas in both theory and practice. We hope that you will consider joining us for the entire series at a reduced tuition or choose the programs most relevant to your own practice.

Christopher Germer, PhD, instructor

Self-compassion is a simple, yet remarkably elusive, state of mind. It entails being warm and understanding toward ourselves when we suffer, fail or feel inadequate, rather than ignoring our pain or flagellating ourselves with self-criticism. Self-compassion also means holding our difficulties in mindful awareness. It’s an antidote to relentless striving to “improve” or “fix” ourselves, which often exacerbates emotional difficulties. Clinicians often wonder how they can help their patients feel less vulnerable between sessions - how to make therapy “rub off”. The art of self-compassion is a portable, therapeutic relationship (self-to-self) that can be taught to clients. Therapists can also practice self-compassion themselves, to deepen therapeutic presence, to enjoy clinical work more thoroughly and for an overall sense of well-being. Self-compassion is a key element of mindfulness when we contact suffering.  Over the past few years, mindfulness has become mainstream in the general population and is being increasingly integrated into professional practice (e.g., mental health, medical care, education, business, law). As the demand grows, the demand for quality professional training in these practices and techniques is growing each year.  Self-compassion is a “trending health term” (Reader’s Digest, 2012) and an area of burgeoning research that is following in the wake of mindfulness.  However, misunderstandings about self-compassion abound, such as conceptual confusion with self-esteem, self-indulgence and existing notions of self-care.  Research has shown that self-compassion enhances emotional wellbeing, reduces anxiety and depression, helps to maintain healthy habits such as diet and exercise and is related to better personal relationships. A recent metanalysis of the research demonstrated that self-compassion is an important explanatory variable for understanding mental health and emotional resilience (MacBeth & Gumley, 2012).

Upon completion of the program, the student will be able to:

• Describe the theory and research supporting mindful self-compassion
• Respond to feelings of failure or inadequacy with self-kindness
• Transform difficult relationships, old and new, through self-validation
• Integrate core mindfulness and self-compassion exercises into daily life
• Demonstrate simple self-compassion practices to patients, students, or clients

Program Code: MS58
6 CE/CME Credits
Location: at MSPP, Newton

Christopher K. Germer, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist in private practice, specializing in mindfulness, acceptance, and compassion-based treatment. He has been integrating the principles and practices of meditation into psychother­apy since 1978. Dr. Germer is a Clinical Instructor in Psychology at Harvard Medical School and a founding mem­ber of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy. He lectures internation­ally on mindfulness and self-compas­sion, is a co-editor of Mindfulness and Psychotherapy, and Wisdom and Com­passion in Psychotherapy, and author of The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion.

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*Only for Master Series attendees who register for multiple dates at the same time.