Teaching Self-Compassion to Teens

Grounded in knowledge about the unique developmental challenges of adolescence, this book presents an innovative approach for teaching self-compassion to teens and young adults in clinical, educational, or community settings. Lorraine Hobbs and Niina Tamura provide guided practices, creative exercises, and teaching strategies adapted from Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer’s widely disseminated Mindful Self-Compassion program for adults. Case examples, sample dialogues, and scripts illustrate how to set up and run successful groups that address teen concerns such as self-criticism, self-esteem, social comparison, and strong emotions. The book offers guidelines for cultivating a personal practice and working with parents. Tips for providing a safe, effective learning environment are woven throughout; a special chapter covers trauma-sensitive teaching.

Lorraine Hobbs, MA, is Founding Director of the Youth, Family, and Education Programs at the Center for Mindfulness at the University of California, San Diego. Formerly a family therapist, Ms. Hobbs has combined her clinical experience with her mindfulness and self-compassion expertise to coauthor curricula including Making Friends with Yourself: A Mindful Self-Compassion Program for Teens and Young Adults, an adaptation of the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program for adults. She is codeveloper of the Making Friends with Yourself teacher training program, and provides trainings internationally. Ms. Hobbs is a certified teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, MSC, and Compassion Cultivation Training.
 
Niina Tamura, PhD, is a psychologist at the Psychological Institute of the University of Heidelberg, Germany, where she specializes in child and adolescent psychotherapy. She combines mindfulness- and compassion-based approaches with cognitive-behavioral therapy. Before turning to clinical practice, Dr. Tamura was a researcher in developmental psychology at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom. She is a trained teacher of Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) and of Making Friends with Yourself, the MSC adaptation for teens.
 

I. Self-Compassion and Adolescence
1. Adolescent Challenges and the Promise of Self-Compassion
2. The Inner Workings of Self-Compassion during Adolescence
3. The Landscape of Self-Compassion Training for Teens
II. Building a Personal Practice for Teaching from Within
4. Teacher Qualities
5. Deepening Your Personal Practice
III. Growing Your Craft as a Self-Compassion Teacher
6. The Essentials of Teaching Self-Compassion to Teens
7. The Art of Inquiry with Teens
8. Trauma-Sensitive Teaching
IV. Training Teens in Self-Compassion
9. An Introduction to Mindfulness and Self-Compassion
10. Mindfulness
11. The Wisdom of Loving-Kindness
12. Stress and the Adolescent Brain
13. Finding Our Compassionate Voice
14. Self-Compassion versus Self-Esteem
15. What Matters Most
16. The Challenge of Strong Emotions
17. A Step toward Gratitude
18. Parenting with Presence
References
Index