Compassionate Mind Foundation USA - Kicking Off in 2024!

An Invitation to an Inaugural, One-Day Workshop on Compassion Focused Therapy, with CE credits available! Pay whatever you wish, or nothing at all, to attend!

Join us as we launch the Compassionate Mind Foundation - USA in 2024! Together, we can advance the science of compassion!

Our first online event is a "pay what you wish" donation-based training, with free APA approved CE credits available! We will meet at 9 AM EST on 2/24/2024 for a 6 1/2 hour training. Feel free to register below. The training will include your working with acknowledged experts in compassion psychology, and all of our trainers are donating their time for this program.  

The one-day workshop’s theme is “The Full Spectrum of Compassion Focused Psychotherapy.” We will review a wide range ofapplications of CFT from working with complex PTSD to therapists’ self-care. 

The training will be led by Dennis Tirch and Laura Silberstein-Tirch, and the team from The Center for Compassion Focused Therapy in New York,including Talya Vogel, Lauren Todd, Troy DuFrene, Amanda Etienne and Nicholas Dynan. We will be focusing on how CFT principles can be used acrossreal-life clinical situations, such as integration with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Anxiety, compassion focused approaches in working withtrauma, CFT work with adolescents, integrating CFT with clinical hypnosis, and how to build your pathway to mastering CFT. Continuing educationcredit for psychologists will be available for psychologists in the USA, regardless of the amount of donation paid. We want this experiential training toget into the right hands, so that we can further our aim of the alleviation of psychological suffering, as much as we can.

To register for this event, please click here: https://compassionatemindfoundationusa.regfox.com/cmfusa-kick-off

The registration link should allow you to register with a donation as low as a US dollar. If you choose to contribute less than a dollar, just email Dr. Tirch at drdennistirch@mindfulcompassion.com and we will add you to our registration, with no explanation needed and no questions asked. May you be well! Here is our schedule:

Schedule:

Saturday, February 24th (times listed are Eastern Standard Time):

9:00 AM - 10:30 AM - Introducing CFT and Compassion Focused ACT (CFACT) for Anxiety Disorder Treatment, Dennis Tirch PhD and Laura Silberstein-Tirch PsyD

10:30 AM - 11:45 AM - Integrating Compassion-Focused Therapy in Treatment with Adolescents, Lauren Todd PhD

11:45 AM -12:45 PM - Lunch

12:45 PM -2:15 PM - Introduction to Triphasic CFACT for Trauma, Talya Vogel PsyD

2:15 PM - 3:00 PM - Learning and Integrating CFT and ACT, Amanda Etienne PsyD and Nick Dynan MA

3:00 PM - 4:30 PM - Enhancing Compassion-Imagery Work With Techniques from Contemporary Clinical Hypnosis, Troy DuFrene, PhD

Detailed information can be found below, including abstracts and learning objectives for our presentations.

Introducing CFT and Compassion Focused ACT (CFACT) for Anxiety Disorder Treatment, Dennis Tirch PhD and Laura Silberstein-Tirch PsyD

Our discussion will orient our work towards treating anxiety disorders by cultivating compassion and psychological flexibility. We will introduce CFT from a Contextual Behavioral Science (CBS) perspective, outlining a pathway towards mastering Compassion Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (CFACT). Research demonstrates that the presence of compassion in your life will affect your well-being at every level; from heart rate variability and immune system functioning to levels of depression and anxiety. Participants will learn how compassion is more than being kind and is not a soft option, but a powerful tool for overcoming anxiety and developing courage. Cultivating compassion involves developing mindfulness, and psychological flexibility, which are essential for facing life's challenges, embracing opportunities, and getting free from the tyranny of our threat based processing.

Learning Objectives - At the conclusion of the training, attendees will be better able to:

1. Apply Compassion in Clinical Practice: Learn to integrate compassion as a significant, active process in psychotherapy for addressing a variety of clinical issues.

2. Discuss the Evolutionary Model of Compassionate Flexibility: Examine a new model combining CFT, ACT, and evolutionary psychology grounded in contemporary psychological research.

References:

1. Kirby JN, Tellegen CL, Steindl SR. A Meta-Analysis of Compassion-Based Interventions: Current State of Knowledge and Future Directions. Behav Ther. 2017 Nov;48(6):778-792. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2017.06.003. Epub 2017 Jun 21. PMID: 29029675.

2. Hill, Mary & Schaefer, L. & Spencer, Samuel & Masuda, Akihiko. (2020). Compassion-focused acceptance and commitment therapy for women with restrictive eating and problematic body-checking: A multiple baseline across participants study. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science. 16. 10.1016/j.jcbs.2020.04.006.

3. Koryani, Reza & Nejad, Soodabeh & Honarmand, Mahnaz & Majdinasab, Nastaran. (2022). Effectiveness of Compassion Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Psychological Flexibility and Psychological Distress in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology. 28. 222-235. 10.32598/ijpcp.28.2.3747.1.

Integrating Compassion-Focused Therapy in Treatment with Adolescents, Lauren Todd PhD

Abstract: Adolescence is a stage marked by identity formation, desire to belong, and self-conscious awareness. While these characteristics are developmentally normal and evolutionarily based, they also serve as fertile ground for shame, self-criticism, and negative self-appraisal. Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), designed to alleviate shame and self-criticism, can therefore be beneficial in working with adolescents. CFT can help to mitigate the mental health challenges typically encountered during this phase, including generalized anxiety, social anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. This presentation will delve into the practical application of CFT in treatment with adolescents. It will outline effective strategies, techniques, and considerations to help adolescents turn towards their suffering with warmth, wisdom, and self-compassion. Participants will also learn to integrate compassionate mind training in therapy with adolescents.

Learning Objectives - At the conclusion of the training, attendees will be better able to:

1. Describe CFT-based techniques to target shame, self-criticism, and negative self-appraisal associated with adolescence.

References:

1. Bratt, A., Gralberg, I. M., Svensson, I., & Rusner, M. (2020). Gaining the courage to see and accept oneself: Group-based compassion-focussed therapy as experienced by adolescent girls. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 25(4), 909-921.

2. Carona, C., Rijo, D., Salvador, C., Castilho, P., & Gilbert, P. (2017). Compassion-focused therapy with children and adolescents. BJPsych Advances, 23(4), 240-252.

3. Kirby, J. N., Hoang, A., & Ramos, N. (2023). A brief compassion focused therapy intervention can help self‐critical parents and their children: A randomised controlled trial. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice.

Introduction to Triphasic CF-ACT (Compassion Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) for Trauma, Talya Vogel PsyD

Abstract: Grounded in Compassion Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (CFACT, Tirch, Schoendorf & Silberstein, 2015) and the tri-phasic treatment of trauma (Herman, 1992), this introductory mini-workshop provides an integrative and ACT-consistent framework for working with trauma. Participants will learn the foundations of a triphasic approach to trauma that integrates techniques from Compassion Focused Therapy (Gilbert, 2010), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (Hayes, Strosahl & Wilson, 2012), and Polyvagal Theory (Porges, 2011). This 90-minute workshop will introduce specific tools designed to help clients safely connect to the present, compassionately develop new relationships with the past, and meaningfully build a future, including elements of emotional exposure drawn from EMDR.

Learning Objectives - At the conclusion of the training, attendees will be better able to:

1. Describe how to integrate elements of CF-ACT into a triphasic approach for clients with PTSD/CPTSD 

2. Demonstrate bottom-up and top-down stabilization / grounding strategies for clients with PTSD/CPTSD

   
   
   

References 

1. Irons, C., & Lad, S. (2017). Using compassion focused therapy to work with shame and self-criticism in complex trauma. Australian Clinical Psychologist, 3(1), 1743.

2. Scoglio, A. A., Rudat, D. A., Garvert, D., Jarmolowski, M., Jackson, C., & Herman, J. L. (2018). Self-compassion and responses to trauma: The role of emotion regulation. Journal of interpersonal violence, 33(13), 2016-2036.

3. Staudenmeyer, A. H., Maxwell, S., Mohlenhoff, B., Yasser, J., Schmitz, M., Metzler, T., ... & Wolfe, W. (2022). Pretreatment stabilization increases completion of trauma-focused evidence-based psychotherapies. Psychological trauma: theory, research, practice, and policy.

Learning and Integrating CFT and ACT, Amanda Etienne PsyD and Nick Dynan MA

Abstract: Compassion Focused Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy approach suffering from a lens that invites the practitioner and client to broaden their perspective and consider the human experience from a place of groundedness in mindful compassion. While ACT focuses more on language-based cognition through RFT, CFT addresses suffering from a more somatic/evolutionary perspective. This presentation will delve into how CFACT integrates these therapies and its ability to support and enhance the whole person, including mind, body, and spirit. It will review the rationale for utilizing compassion-focused approaches in ACT work and present examples of how our presenters navigate this integration.

Learning Objectives - At the conclusion of the training, attendees will be better able to:

1. Describe rationale for integrating compassion-focused technique with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy through CFACT

References:

1. Trindade, I. A., Ferreira, C., & Pinto-Gouveia, J. (2020). Acceptability and preliminary test of efficacy of the mind programme in women with breast cancer: An acceptance, mindfulness, and compassion-based intervention. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 15, 162-171. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2019.12.005

2. Hill, M. L., Schaefer, L. W., Spencer, S. D., & Masuda, A. (2020). Compassion-focused acceptance and commitment therapy for women with restrictive eating and problematic body-checking: A multiple baseline across participants study. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 16, 144-152. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2020.04.006

3. Koryani, R., Nejad, S. B., Honarmand, M. M., & Majdinasab, N. (2022). Effectiveness of compassion focused acceptance and commitment therapy on psychological flexibility and psychological distress in patients with multiple sclerosis. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology. 28, 222-235. doi:https://doi.org/10.32598/ijpcp.28.2.3747.1

Enhancing Compassion-Imagery Work With Techniques from Contemporary Clinical Hypnosis, Troy DuFrene, PhD

Fostering compassion is an essential goal of compassion-focused therapy (CFT), and working with compassionate imagery, related to both self and other, are common and well-tolerated techniques used in CFT to this end. In addition to the content and intention of the compassionate imagery work we use in therapy, the suggestion structure and language used when doing this work can have a significant effect on its impact. This talk examines the suggestion properties of imagery using insight from the contemporary practice of clinical hypnosis. While generally outside the training of contemporary therapists, the practice of clinical hypnosis is alive, well, and–across a broad range of populations and presentations–supported by robust empirical evidence. Better still, most CFT practitioners are likely already using hypnotic techniques and eliciting hypnotic phenomena in their work without really trying–but also without the benefit of the nuances and insight brought to the work by skilled practitioners. This talk will briefly introduce clinical hypnosis, what it is and what it is not. We will cover some basics of the linguistic structure of suggestions and review a variety of ways to use hypnotic techniques to make compassionate imagery work more effective. 

Learning Objectives (one per hour)

1. Describe the nature of suggestion as it relates to imagery work and the five communication categories to consider when designing effective imagery suggestions

2. Demonstrate several ways to use techniques from contemporary clinical hypnosis to enhance guided imagery work

References:

1. Gilbert, P., & Irons, C. (2004). A pilot exploration of the use of compassionate images in a group of self‐critical people. Memory, 12(4), 507-516.

2. Naismith, I., Ferro, C. D., Ingram, G., & Leal, W. J. (2019). Compassion-focused imagery reduces shame and is moderated by shame, self-reassurance and multisensory imagery vividness. Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process, and Outcome, 22(1).

3. Sheehan, P. W., & Robertson, R. (2018). Imagery and hypnosis: Trends and patternings in effects. In Hypnosis and imagination (pp. 1-18). Routledge.

4. Yapko, M. (2018) Trancework: An Introduction to the Practice of Clinical Hypnosis (5th Edition). Routledge.
   
   

You can make a difference by donating today to CMFUSA. The Foundation has been established to promote well-being through the scientific understanding and application of compassion in the training of mental health professionals and members of the general public.
Your donation will be used to establish working resources for the CMFUSA to provide high quality training and research in Compassion Focused Therapy and the psychological science of compassion. This will include scholarships for trainees, program development and research support, among other initiatives.

The CMFUSA is 501(c)(3) public charity, and the full amount of your donation may be tax-deductible.

The CMFUSA is a separate entity from The Compassionate Mind Foundation in the UK, registered and based in the USA.