Introduction to Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)

Presented by Dr. Yotam Heineberg, this professional training opportunity will also be accessible online via Zoom and offers CE/CEU credits.

It is well-known that shame and self-criticism can be difficult problems to treat in a range of psychological problems and may even prevent people from seeking help. Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) was specifically developed with and for individuals with these difficulties, in part by helping them develop a compassionate orientation to themselves and others by elaborating on cognitive behavioral strategies. CFT is an evolutionary and neuroscience-based approach to psychotherapy that articulates how the evolution of attachment and affiliative emotion regulates threat-processing and the emergence of our self-identities. CFT integrates evidence-based therapies with the basic insight that our emotions serve an evolutionary function, and that recognizing this can help de-shame and de-pathologize painful symptomatic experiences, towards greater engagement in therapy.

CFT has growing empirical evidence to support its efficacy in a broad range of complex cases, including trauma and rigid personality structures. This workshop will cover the basic concepts of CFT using PowerPoint presentations and experiential practices using emotion focused, cognitive behavioral and imagery practices. It will assist professionals in improving their clinical understanding of the best methods for treating shame and self-criticism. This workshop is targeted towards psychotherapists, marriage and family therapists, mental health clinicians, mental health therapists, clinical psychologists, and those mental health professionals who treat people with eating disorders, depression, mood disorders, and psychological disorders. Mental health professionals who work in criminal justice, security, health care, social service, education, and human resources settings can also benefit from this workshop intended for beginner, intermediate, and advanced level clinicians.