Compassion Focused Therapy

What is CFT?

Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) is a therapeutic approach designed to cultivate compassion and alleviate suffering. CFT integrates elements of behavioural therapy with principles from evolutionary psychology, emphasizing the importance of self-compassion and understanding the role of the brain's soothing system.

CFT helps clients to explore and transform self-critical thoughts and behaviours, which can lead to feelings of safety and self-acceptance. By fostering a compassionate mindset, individuals can develop a kinder and more understanding relationship with themselves, leading to improved mental health and emotional well-being.

Through guided exercises and therapeutic interventions, individuals learn to harness the power of compassion to foster healing and personal growth.

Who can CFT help?

CFT is particularly effective in addressing issues such as:

• Shame

• Self-criticism

• Low self-esteem

• Early childhood experiences of abuse and/or neglect

• Depression

• Anxiety

• People Pleasing and Perfectionism

• Body image concerns

Early research suggests that CFT leads to improvements in self-reassurance, self-compassion, and fear of self-compassion and a reduction in self-criticism and depression.

“Unlike self-criticism, which asks if you’re good enough, self-compassion asks what’s good for you? Self-compassion taps into your inner desire to be healthy and happy. If you care about yourself, you’ll do what you need to do to in order to learn and grow. You’ll want to change unhelpful patterns of behaviour, even if that means giving up certain things you like for a while.”

Kristin Neff