“Compassion is not weakness—it’s the courage to feel your pain and respond with kindness rather than judgment.”
Compassion-Focused Therapy helps you develop the inner sanctuary of self-compassion, transforming your relationship with yourself from critic to caring friend.
Understanding Your Emotional Brain
Your mind has three key emotional systems that evolved to help you survive and thrive. When they’re balanced, you feel safe, motivated, and content.
Threat System
Designed to keep you safe by detecting and responding to danger. When overactive, it creates anxiety, anger, and hypervigilance.
- Fight, flight, or freeze responses
- Scanning for threats and problems
- Protective but can become overwhelming
- Often triggered by shame and criticism
Drive System
Motivates you to seek resources, achieve goals, and experience pleasure. When balanced, it brings vitality and accomplishment.
- Seeking and achieving
- Excitement and motivation
- Resource acquisition and goal pursuit
- Can become addictive or overwhelming
Soothing System
Creates feelings of safety, contentment, and connection. This is where self-compassion lives—your source of inner peace and healing.
- Safety and contentment
- Connection and belonging
- Rest and restoration
- Foundation for self-compassion
Cultivating Your Compassionate Mind
Many of us have an underdeveloped soothing system. We know how to push ourselves (drive) and protect ourselves (threat), but we never learned how to comfort ourselves. Compassion-Focused Therapy teaches you this essential life skill.
Mindful Awareness
Notice your emotional patterns without judgment
Understanding Origins
Explore how your systems developed through life experiences
Compassionate Response
Learn to meet difficulties with kindness rather than criticism
Building Resilience
Strengthen your soothing system for lasting emotional balance
Compassion Practices
Practical techniques to develop your compassionate mind and create lasting change in how you relate to yourself and your experiences.
Compassionate Self-Talk
Transform your inner critic into a wise, caring friend who supports you through challenges.
- Recognizing self-critical patterns
- Developing kind, supportive inner dialogue
- Speaking to yourself as you would a dear friend
- Using compassionate language in difficult moments
Soothing Rhythm Breathing
Use your breath to activate your soothing system and create a sense of calm and safety.
- Specific breathing patterns for emotional regulation
- Activating your parasympathetic nervous system
- Creating moments of peace throughout your day
- Building a foundation for compassionate awareness
Compassionate Imagery
Visualize your ideal compassionate self—wise, strong, and unconditionally caring.
- Developing your compassionate self image
- Creating a safe space in your mind
- Accessing wisdom and strength in difficult times
- Building connection with your caring qualities
Three Circles Exercise
Map your emotional patterns and learn to balance your three emotional systems.
- Understanding your unique emotional patterns
- Identifying triggers for each system
- Learning to shift between systems consciously
- Creating emotional balance and flexibility
Transforming Your Inner World
See how compassion transforms the way you experience yourself and your struggles.
The Old Way: Self-Criticism
- “I’m not good enough”
- “I should be stronger/better/different”
- “Everyone else has it figured out”
- “I’m weak for feeling this way”
- “I need to push through and ignore my feelings”
- “If I’m kind to myself, I’ll become lazy”
The New Way: Self-Compassion
- “I’m human and doing my best”
- “Struggle is part of the human experience”
- “Everyone faces challenges and difficulties”
- “It takes courage to feel deeply”
- “I can acknowledge my feelings with kindness”
- “Self-compassion gives me strength to grow”