Compassion Focused Therapy: Distinctive Features

Research into the beneficial effect of developing compassion has advanced enormously in the last ten years, with the development of inner compassion being an important therapeutic focus and goal. This book explains how Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) a process of developing compassion for the self and others to increase well-being and aid recovery varies from other forms of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Comprising 30 key points this book explores the founding principles of CFT and outlines the detailed aspects of compassion in the CFT approach. Divided into two parts Theory and Compassion Practice this concise book provides a clear guide to the distinctive characteristics of CFT. Compassion Focused Therapy will be a valuable source for students and professionals in training as well as practising therapists who want to learn more about the distinctive features of CFT.

Paul Gilbert is Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of Derby and has been actively involved in research and treating people with shame- based and mood disorders for over 30 years. He is a past President of the British Association for Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapy and a fellow of the British Psychological Society and has been developing CFT for twenty years.

Specific Focus on Shame and Self-Criticism as Pathological Processes. Function Analysis of Shame and Self-Criticism. Identifies These Processes As Target for Intervention and its Transdiagnostic. Utilises Evolutionary Models of Psychopathology and Psychotherapy. Pays Particular Attention to Early Attachment. Distinguishes Between Two Types of Positive Affect System. One Linked to Drive and Motivation, The Other Linked to Soothing and Contentment. Explores Shame Memory in Relationship to Trauma Memory. Suggests That In Addition To Being Threat Focused Shame Prone and Self-Critical People Have Great Difficulty In Accessing The Soothing and Contentment System. Formulation Does Not Focus Specifically on Schemas but Key Fears and Safety Strategies. Formulation is Designed to be Deshaming and to Help People Recognise Safety Behaviours as Focused in Self-Protection Rather Than as Pathologies. Focusing on Differences Between Blaming, Condemning and Taking Responsibility. Develops A Model Self-Soothing Based On Compassion. Compassion Is A Multi-Faceted Quality of Mind. Hence We Focus On Motivating Care For One's Wellbeing. Sensitivity to One's Distress and Needs. Sympathy as the Ability to be Emotionally Moved as Opposed to be Dissociated from One's Distress. Developing Distress Tolerance. Empathic Understanding for Distress. Non-Judgement Warmth. Warmth. CMT Focuses on Trying to Stimulate the Soothing System Through the Process of Imagery and Exercises. Two Imagery Exercised Include Compassionate Other and Compassionate Self. When Individuals Engage in Change Behaviours They Are Encouraged to practice a Compassionate/Warm Focus. CMT Suggests that People Cannot Feel Alternative Thoughts or Behaviours to be Helpful Unless the Emotion System that Underpins the Experience of Reassurance, Relief or Helpfulness is Active. CMT Focuses on Compassionate Attention, Thinking, Feeling and Behaviour. Compassionate Mind uses Compassionate Letter-Writing as a Way to Begin Certain Types of Inner Dialogues with The Self. CMT Focuses on Developing a Certain Type of Internal Self to Self Relating Which Acts as an Antidote to Self-Criticism. The Compassion Circle of Caring Motivation, Distress Sensitivity, Sympathy, Distress Tolerance, Empathy and Non-Judgement are Key for The Therapeutic Relationship. CMT is Based on Social Mentality Theory that Argues that Humans Co-Create certain Roles, such as for Attachment, Sex, Friendship, In-Group/Out-Group. It is The Mechanisms Underpinning these Co-Constructions that can be Problematic in Psychopathology. CMT Suggests that We Don't just have Negative Thoughts but we have Particular Types of Dialogue Within The Self.