Mindful Self-Compassion
Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) combines the skills of mindfulness and self-compassion, providing a powerful tool for emotional resilience.
Randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that MSC significantly increases self-compassion, compassion for others, mindfulness, and life satisfaction, as well as decreasing depression, anxiety and stress.
The Mindful Self-Compassion programme was developed by Kristin Neff, (who has extensively researched self-compassion ) and Chris Germer, (a psychotherapist and psychiatrist who lectures at Harvard Medical School). Using a research and an experience based approach, they developed an 8 week course, combining didactic and experiential learning to enable people to develop their skills in self compassion.
The course is delivered world-wide. Different versions of the course have developed specifically directed at certain populations and a 6 week course for health professionals was one of these. It is shorter, 1 hour to 90 minutes long to make it more accessible and the emphasis is on self care and self compassion related to carer fatigue, stress, and burn out. During Covid19 it was slightly adapted to be delivered online for a generic population.
The Facilitators
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| Cat McCaw | Stella Cloquet |
Cat McCaw and Stella Cloquet are bringing facilitated Mindful Self-Compassion Sessions here in P&K.
Cat McCaw has worked in healthcare as a mental health nurse and Stella Cloquet in social work for many years. Both have experienced the stress that goes along with this kind of work. They know how difficult it can be to bring self compassion into a busy life and they also know the difference it can make. Cat has taught mindfulness for the past 10 years and is currently involved in a new charity called 'The Mindful Partnership' who have received funding from the Perth and Kinross mental health and wellbeing fund to provide mindfulness in Perth and Kinross in the community and with 3rd sector organisations. Stella is currently training to become a relational integrative psychotherapist.
Both Stella and Cat are fully trained Mindful Self-Compassion teachers being fortunate enough to have been trained in person by Kristin Neff and Chris Germer. They have worked together prior to Covid19 and also during, providing the 6 week online training.
The course has received positive feedback from participants who included, social workers, counsellors, therapists, carers and also a course for students at Perth College organised by Rowan Consultancy.
| "It made me aware of the destruction of self-criticism." | "It made a big difference on how I can treat myself and how I can learn to treat myself." | "I feel much better and less anxious about things. I'm more in touch with how I'm feeling." |
| "I like how it felt like a safe space even if we did not know each other." | "Cat and Stella were amazing! I particularly liked the awareness raised around common humanity, made me re-think." |
MSC Learning Sessions
The MSC programme will runs as 6 sessions of 90 minutes online on MS Teams for anyone working in Social Care across Perth and Kinross.
Participants are requested to do some of the exercises they learn in the course at home The exercises are around 20 minutes and participants are encouraged to practice once a day if possible during the course.
The 90 minute sessions can be done weekly or fortnightly.
A pre-course questionnaire will be sent out to interested parties. In between sessions there is contact by email and provision of audio recordings of guided exercises for home practice.
Please see below the dates for 3 programmes from July and links to sign up for each
Dates: Monday morning 09:00 - 10:30
Group 1 31st July - 21st August 2023
28th August break
Return 4th September - 11th September 2023
Mindful Self-Compassion - Group 1 - 31.07.23 - 11.09.23
Group 2 2nd October - 6th November 2023
Mindful Self-Compassion - Group 2 - 02.10.23 - 06.11.23
Group 3 27th November - 18th December 2023
Christmas break
Return 8th January - 15th January 2024
Mindful Self-Compassion - Group 3 - 27.11.23 - 15.01.24
