Participation fee: 50 NIS

Questions in advance for Paul Gilbert can be directed to: govrina.biu@gmail.com

Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) was developed by Paul Gilbert (2000) in response to the realization that many people, especially those who suffer from shame and self-criticism, have difficulty finding within themselves generous and supportive states of self even when treated with traditional therapy. Indeed, these patients were able to perform household chores in cognitive behavioral therapy, but the treatment outcomes were not good enough. Compassion-Focused Therapy is rooted in the Dalai Lama Buddhist tradition, which defines compassion as “sensitivity to suffering in oneself and others, with a commitment to try to alleviate and prevent suffering.”

Gilbert developed the method to help these patients create supportive feelings and develop a compassionate inner voice. Compassion-based therapy was based on a growing body of neuroscientific evidence that showed that positive motivations and emotions have a significant impact on the self and emotional regulation. Compassion-based therapy aims to help patients respond to self-criticism with self-kindness. A key part of this process is helping the person understand that many cognitive biases/distortions are built-in biological processes, constructed by genetics and the environment. Compassion-based therapy encourages working around these biases to make calming systems more accessible.

In this conversation, Aner Guvrin and Sharon Ziv-Beiman will discuss with Paul Gilbert what is unique about Compassion-Focused Therapy compared to other psychotherapies? What is Compassionate Mindset Training (CMT)? What theories, principles, and techniques from different schools of psychology are incorporated into Compassion-Focused Therapy? How can Compassion-Focused Therapy be helpful for depressed people? How can it be used to reduce shame and self-criticism, and how can people be trained to develop self-compassion and compassion for others?