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Jennifer Scott

June 16, 2026 by Kyla O'Neil

Senior Director of Operations

As the Senior Director of Operations, Jennifer Scott oversees operations for CCARE including, strategic planning, program development, financial management, and human resource management to ensure the resources and infrastructure are in place to fulfill our mission of developing compassion through programming and research.

Prior to CCARE, Jennifer was with the University of Washington School of Dentistry RIDE program, focused on training dentists for practice in rural and underserved communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. She also has extensive management experience as the Director of Merchandising for Starbucks Coffee Company.

Jennifer received her BA in Social Welfare/Psychology with an emphasis in Public Health from the University of California Berkeley.

Bornali Basu, PhD

June 4, 2026 by Kyla O'Neil

Dr. Bornali Basu, PhD is a psychologist and Clinical Instructor at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry. She specializes in the treatment of depression and anxiety, working primarily with healthcare professionals navigating work and life transitions, as well as college students to help ease adjustment related distress.

Dr. Basu completed her internship and post-doctoral fellowship at the NYU School of Medicine and previously was a Senior Psychologist at Bellevue Hospital where she founded and was the director of the integrative Mind-Body Program for people living with chronic medical issues. She is a CCARE certified instructor particularly interested in promoting wellbeing among clinicians, has presented at national conferences on the topic and has facilitated compassion-based programs to reduce burnout at multiple healthcare systems in New York. She is on the senior faculty at the Center for Compassionate Leadership.

Bornali is delighted to be part of CCARE’s healthcare team and looks forward to collaborating and connecting with our community.

Sara Owens Woodard, PhD

June 4, 2026 by Kyla O'Neil

Sara Owens Woodard, PhD is a retired psychologist whose area of expertise is treating young children with complex trauma and attachment system dysfunction. This work includes training extended family and larger systems serving these young children.

Dr. Woodard provided reflective supervision and training to first responders in underserved communities. These responders included child protection workers, infant home-visitors, indigenous community leaders, teachers, nurses, physicians, therapists, and psychologists.

Dr. Woodard has also developed and delivered short, accessible forms of loving-kindness and compassion training as part of a comprehensive personal development program for physician leaders and operational leaders in a Fortune 100 healthcare organization. These trainings focused on developing skills for emotion regulation, building healthy, collaborative relationships, increasing resilience, and preventing burnout. She delivered similar programs to physicians and professionals in smaller organizations serving children and families in under-resourced communities.

Sara is a Buddhist practitioner with almost forty years of formal meditation training. She is excited to be a part of CCARE’s healthcare team.

Choose Your Own Adventure

On Saturday and Sunday afternoon, Immersion participants will have an opportunity to “choose your own adventure” from a selection of 2-hour mini-workshops led by guest speakers, who are experts in their fields and have unique perspectives to offer to the compassion community.

Compassion as a Way of Life

with Neelama Eyres & Robert Cusick

This deeply experiential workshop explores compassion not simply as a feeling or concept, but as a skillful way of relating to suffering in ourselves, others, and the world. Drawing from contemplative wisdom traditions and modern compassion science, participants will engage in guided reflection, meditation, writing exercises, and relational dialogue to explore three core dimensions of compassion: recognizing suffering, meeting suffering skillfully, and discerning compassionate action in real-life situations. Through both inner inquiry and interactive practices, participants will deepen awareness of their habitual responses to life’s difficulties, while cultivating a more grounded, skillful, and sustainable orientation toward compassion as a way of life.

Applied Compassion Mindset: A Practical Approach to Purpose, Self-Kindness, and Nutrition

with Maryam Makowski, PhD

An experiential session exploring how self-compassion can transform our relationship with food, nourishment, and well-being within busy, high-demand lives. Participants will explore practical and realistic approaches to healthy eating, recognizing that sustainable nourishment may look different for each person. The session will also examine common barriers to self-care in high-performance environments and how compassionate awareness can support more sustainable, energizing habits without perfectionism, shame, or guilt.

Mindsets, Contemplative Practices, and Embodied Awareness

with Kris Evans, PhD(c)

This experiential session explores the science of mindsets. The first half of the session will introduce recent research on how our beliefs influence attention, emotion, physiology, and behavior. Participants will learn about the power of mindsets and the psychological processes that help us recognize, work with, and intentionally shift them.

The second half of the session will move from theory to embodied practice through contemplative practices using yoga, breathwork, reflection, and guided awareness exercises. Participants will cultivate the presence, awareness, and flexibility needed to notice internal narratives, regulate unhelpful mindsets, and choose ways of relating to stress, challenge, themselves, and others that support health, resilience, compassion, and aligned action.

Compassion Training for Healthcare Workers

with Diana Adams, EdD, Sara Owens Woodard, PhD, and Bornali Basu, PhD

When Dr. Diana Adams initially mentioned teaching a class on compassion, many MDs and psychologists responded, “I don’t need to become more compassionate, I need to learn to be less compassionate”. What they were saying is that, “I am overwhelmed by the suffering I see and experience”. They are describing empathic distress–the absorbing of suffering. This causes our brains to light up our centers for pain and our viscera/gut. We are not meant to experience this and hold on to it. Rather, by learning the formal 8-week compassion cultivation practice, we can learn a different way of relating to suffering. We can breathe in the suffering and transform it within us and breathe out compassion. When we do this, we quiet the pain and visceral centers in our brains and now engage our self/other distinction areas of the brain. Our motivation center tells us to approach and help, and our reward center lights up. This transformation is healing and nourishes us. It counteracts what is commonly thought of as compassion fatigue and burnout.

During the Immersion, Dr. Adams will be joined by Dr. Sara Owens Woodard and Dr. Bornali Basu to lead a session focused on one aspect of her 8-week Compassion Training for Health Care Workers program: cultivating loving-kindness toward oneself.

Human Capacity, Self-Compassion, and Sustainable Performance

with Sarah Deane & Al’ai Alvarez, MD

High-demand environments don’t just challenge us; they drain the energy we rely on to think clearly, regulate emotions, stay compassionate, and show up well for ourselves and others. In this interactive session, participants will learn how self-compassion and intentional energy management can help them sustain their capacity in the moments that demand the most from them. Energy management means understanding what drains and restores your mental, emotional, and physical capacity, then making practical choices that protect, renew, and direct that energy toward what matters most. Drawing on MEvolution’s energy framework and compassion research, participants will leave with greater awareness of their own energy patterns, simple strategies for interrupting perfectionism and depletion, and healthier rhythms that support resilience, recovery, and sustainable performance at work and in life.

Compassion Quest: A Campus Adventure in Connection

Self-guided

A team-based experiential adventure across campus designed to cultivate connection, curiosity, reflection, and compassion through shared experiences. Participants will explore the campus in small groups of 4–5 while engaging in interactive challenges, reflective prompts, and collaborative activities centered on empathy, mindfulness, gratitude, and human connection. Blending movement, conversation, and playful exploration, this experience invites participants to slow down, engage more intentionally with one another, and discover moments of compassion in unexpected places.

Registered participants will have an opportunity to select from the workshops listed above after registration. Space for each workshop is limited and not guaranteed.

Scott Gauvin

June 2, 2026 by

Co-Founder & CEO, Macresco

Los Angeles, CA

"My capstone project, the Respect for People Roadmap, was created to help compassion move from intention to action in the workplace. It gives people a practical path to examine how they see others, how they show up in everyday interactions, and how small, consistent behaviors can build cultures where people feel valued, supported, and able to contribute their best."

Capstone Project

The Respect for People Roadmap

Welcome, Tristan Brennan, CCARE’s New Research Assistant

May 28, 2026 by CCARE

Written By CCARE

May 28, 2026 | CCARE People, Program

We are thrilled to welcome Tristan Brennan to CCARE as a Research Assistant, supported by the Project Compassion Fund and the Claire Roscow Fellowship. The fellowship honors Claire Roscow, a Stanford student and early CCARE volunteer whose curiosity, service, and belief in the power of compassion science left a lasting mark on this community. Read more about Claire here.

Tristan is a Marine Corps veteran and undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, where he studies Data Analytics and Social Sciences. His path into research has been intentionally interdisciplinary. He currently coordinates data and study operations at Stanford’s Precision Neurotherapeutics Lab and at the National Center for PTSD at the VA Palo Alto, where his work spans EEG-guided neuromodulation, neuroimaging, and federal data archive pipelines. His earlier work in computational topology, single-cell genomics, and volunteering in Stanford’s Adult Emergency Department reflects a broader belief that some of the most meaningful science happens at the intersections between disciplines, methods, and the communities research is meant to serve.

At CCARE, Tristan brings intellectual curiosity, disciplined execution, and a deep interest in how rigorous science can support human flourishing in practical and deeply human ways. His arrival strengthens our capacity to advance the evidence base for compassion-centered programs and opens new possibilities for research collaboration.

Tristan’s position is a direct reflection of what donor investment makes possible: honoring those who came before, training the next generation of compassion scientists, and carrying the mission forward. We invite donors, collaborators, and community members to join us in welcoming him and to explore what we might build together.

Please join us in welcoming Tristan to the CCARE family.

Tristan Brennan

May 28, 2026 by CCARE

Research Assistant

Tristan Brennan is a Research Assistant at the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University. He brings intellectual curiosity, disciplined execution, and a deep interest in how rigorous science can support human flourishing in practical and deeply human ways to CCARE’s research initiatives.

Tristan’s role is supported by the Project Compassion Fund and the Claire Roscow Fellowship. The fellowship honors Claire Roscow, a Stanford student and early CCARE volunteer whose curiosity, service, and belief in the power of compassion science left a lasting mark on this community. Read more about Claire here.

Tristan’s arrival strengthens our capacity to advance the evidence base for compassion-centered programs and opens new possibilities for research collaboration.

Welcome, Kyla O’Neill, CCARE’s New Program and Research Manager

May 21, 2026 by CCARE

Written By CCARE

May 21, 2026 | CCARE People, Program

We are pleased to welcome Kyla O’Neill as CCARE’s Program and Research Manager and our first full-time staff member, a milestone that reflects the growing impact and momentum of our mission.

Driven by a deep commitment to mission-centered work that fosters learning, human connection, and well-being, Kyla brings expertise in program development, digital marketing, and operational systems to help CCARE’s programs reach the people seeking them.

In her role at CCARE, Kyla manages the day-to-day operations of our educational programs, overseeing participant experience, marketing and enrollment, event coordination, and data reporting. She also collaborates with the team on strategic initiatives to help grow and sustain the center’s mission.

Kyla holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Gender Studies from the College of the Holy Cross and an Elementary Teaching Credential from San Francisco State University. She spent a decade as an elementary educator and another decade running a small business. Most recently, Kyla led program operations for an online career school, enabling thousands of adult learners to successfully embark on a new career. Her varied background brings a diverse perspective to her work at CCARE.

Kyla’s personal and professional values are closely aligned with CCARE’s mission, and she is committed to building the systems and experiences that help compassion-centered programs flourish and grow.

This is an exciting moment for CCARE, and Kyla’s arrival opens new possibilities for collaboration, partnership, and growth. We invite donors, collaborators, and community members to join us in welcoming her and to explore what we might build together.

Please join us in welcoming Kyla to the CCARE family.

Kyla O’Neill

May 21, 2026 by Kyla O'Neil

Program and Research Manager

Kyla O’Neill is the Program and Research Manager at the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University. Driven by a deep commitment to mission-centered work that fosters learning, human connection, and well-being, Kyla brings expertise in program development, digital marketing, and operational systems to help CCARE’s programs reach the people seeking them.

In her role at CCARE, Kyla manages the day-to-day operations of CCARE’s educational programs — overseeing participant experience, marketing and enrollment, event coordination, and data reporting. She also collaborates with the team on strategic initiatives to help grow and sustain the center’s mission.

Kyla holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Gender Studies from the College of the Holy Cross and an Elementary Teaching Credential from San Francisco State University. Her background spans a decade as an elementary educator, another decade running a small business, and most recently leading program operations for an online career school, enabling thousands of adult learners to successfully embark on a new career. Her varied experience brings a diverse perspective to her work at CCARE.

CCARE Guest Teacher: Sarah Deane

May 14, 2026 by Kyla O'Neil

Sarah Deane is a researcher, teacher, and founder advancing the science of human energy and performance. As CEO of MEvolution, she has spent nearly a decade developing an evidence-based framework for understanding human energy as a measurable asset that directly shapes our capacity to execute. Her work has been applied across enterprise, leadership, youth, and healthcare settings, including a recent partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association BC to support caregivers and healthcare workers. Sarah teaches highly rated courses at Stanford Continuing Studies, has guest lectured at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and School of Medicine, and has presented at SXSW, Gartner, and The World Leaders in Data & AI Forum. She holds a Master of Engineering in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, previously led HP’s Worldwide Workplace Experience Program, authored The Wellness Formula, and has been featured in outlets including Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal, and Thrive Global.

Diana Adams, EdD

May 14, 2026 by Kyla O'Neil

Diana O. Adams, EdD is an Adjunct Professor in the Stanford Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Adams is a psychologist specializing in the management of chronic pain and medical conditions that affect mood and functioning. Her career has focused on hospital- and clinic-based care, with extensive experience working alongside physicians and other health care professionals.

Since joining Stanford in 1995, Dr. Adams has held numerous medical staff leadership roles. In a role uncommon for a psychologist, she was elected by the Community Medical Staff in Psychiatry to serve as Deputy Chief for Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences for five consecutive two-year terms. She also served for ten years as a voting member of Stanford’s Medical Executive Committee and contributed to several committees focused on medical staff conduct, physician well-being, and psychologist wellness.

Dr. Adams brings a distinctive perspective to health care leadership, informed by decades of clinical work and a deep understanding of the challenges faced by health care professionals.

CCARE Guest Teacher: Kris Evans, PhD(c)

May 14, 2026 by Kyla O'Neil

Kris Evans, PhD(c) is a social health psychologist at Stanford’s Mind & Body Lab, where he studies how mindsets shape health, well-being, and performance. His research focuses on how people recognize, work with, and regulate their mindsets, with publications in journals including Experimental Psychology, Education, JMIR, and Mindfulness. Blending scientific rigor with practical wisdom, Kris draws on his extensive experience in yoga and mindfulness to support individuals across athletic, educational, and organizational settings. He is driven by a commitment to helping people build healthier, more meaningful, and more fulfilling lives.

Compassion Showcase

The CCARE Immersion offers several ways to engage, share your work, and connect with others. Each format is designed to foster learning, reflection, and meaningful connection within a supportive community.

The Compassion Showcase takes place on Sunday morning and will be an opportunity for registered participants to share their compassion work with the community in an open exhibition format. The showcase is a unique opportunity to highlight your compassion initiatives, spark conversation, and connect with others who have shared interests.

Poster Presentations

All registered participants may apply to present in this category

Poster presentations are reserved for research-focused work, including completed studies, ongoing projects, or evidence-informed initiatives related to compassion, well-being, or aligned fields. This format emphasizes informal, interactive discussion rather than formal presentation. You can expect one-on-one and small group conversations where participants explore your methods, findings, and implications together. This is an opportunity to receive thoughtful feedback, exchange ideas, and contribute to a shared understanding of the science and practice of compassion.

CCARE Showcase Tables

CCARE alumni who are registered participants may apply to present in this category

CCARE Showcase Tables provide CCARE alumni with space to share their current work, programs, or initiatives and connect with others in the community. The focus is on relationship-building and dialogue rather than promotion. Participants can expect meaningful conversations, opportunities to exchange ideas, and the potential to spark collaborations grounded in shared interests.

Featured Talks

ACT graduates who are registered participants may apply to present in this category

These talks offer ACT graduates the opportunity to share insights, experiences, or applications of compassion-based work with the broader group. Presentations are concise and focused, with an emphasis on clear takeaways and real-world relevance. The environment is supportive and reflective, encouraging authenticity and shared learning rather than performance. Presenters will have a maximum of 7 minutes to present with 2 minutes for audience questions.

Across all formats, the emphasis is on connection, curiosity, and collective learning. You are encouraged to participate in ways that feel aligned with your interests and goals for the Immersion.

Spaces for the Compassion Showcase are limited and subject to review. Full application details will be provided after registration.

Experience

The CCARE Immersion is built around four interconnected pillars, each shaped by what our compassion community has most requested. Together, they create an experience that moves beyond the typical conference format: one where you don’t just learn about compassion, but practice it, explore the science behind it, and build relationships that sustain it. Whether you’re a clinician, educator, researcher, or practitioner, each pillar offers a unique pathway into this essential work and the foundation to carry it forward.

1 | Compassion Practice

At the heart of the Immersion is the understanding that compassion is not just an idea—it is a trainable, embodied capacity. Through guided practices, real-time exercises, and meaningful group discussions, participants will move beyond insight into direct experience, strengthening the inner conditions that allow compassionate action to arise naturally in daily life.

2 | Featured CCARE Speakers

The Immersion brings together leading voices from within CCARE to offer diverse perspectives on compassion. Our featured CCARE speakers come from the fields of science, healthcare, compassion, and contemplative practice, and are actively applying compassion in high-impact, real-world contexts. Together, they reflect the extraordinary depth of talent within the CCARE community. Learn more about our speakers by clicking on the photos below:

3 | Compassion Research Discovery

The Immersion is grounded in a commitment to integrating compassion practice with cutting-edge research and lived application.

Participants will engage with emerging insights from neuroscience, psychology, and compassion science—exploring what actually supports (and inhibits) compassionate responding. By making research accessible and relevant, we aim to deepen understanding, strengthen credibility, and empower participants to apply evidence-based approaches in their personal and professional lives.

4 | Community Building & Connection

Compassion is not cultivated in isolation—it is strengthened in relationships. The Immersion is intentionally designed to foster a deep sense of connection across sectors, backgrounds, and lived experiences. Through structured exercises, shared practice, and intentional gatherings, participants will have the opportunity to build relationships rooted in authenticity and shared aspiration. The vision is more than an opportunity for connection over these three days—it’s also about fostering an ongoing CCARE Community of Compassion that continues to support and inspire well beyond the Immersion.

Registration

General Information

The CCARE Immersion is a 3-day in-person event taking place October 9-11, 2026 at Stanford University.

Registration is open!

2026 Immersion Fees

Early Registration

$995

$1,500

✕ Now Full

General Registration

$1,500

✓ Register Now – limited spaces!

Stanford faculty and staff: CCARE programs are STAP eligible upon approval

Scholarships: A limited number of partial scholarships are available to support access for participants who would otherwise be unable to attend. We expect and welcome people from different financial realities. Learn more about and apply for a scholarship here.

Travel & Accommodations

The CCARE Immersion takes place in-person at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. You can find travel information in the Visitor Resource Guide here.

If you will need overnight accommodations, CCARE has secured room blocks at the following locations:

Accommodation costs are not included in the registration fee. Participants are responsible for arranging and paying for their own accommodations.

More information about booking accommodations will be provided after you register. Please wait to book your room until you have completed your registration. A unique reservation code will be provided to take advantage of CCARE’s special rates.

Event Policies

Review the CCARE Immersion Event Policies here. You will be asked to acknowledge these policies during the registration process.

Questions?

First, please review the FAQs page.
If you still have questions, reach out to compassioneducation@stanford.edu.

CCARE Immersion

3-Day Compassion Immersion

In-Person at Stanford University: October 9-11, 2026

The CCARE Immersion is a 3-day in-person event at Stanford University, October 9–11, 2026 that brings together compassion research, experiential practice, and meaningful connection. It’s designed around four interconnected pillars — compassion practice, featured speakers, compassion research discovery and community building and connection.

A personal invitation from Neelama…

Key Event Dates

Event Details

Registration

Registration is now open!

Schedule

View the event schedule.

Learn more ›

Experience

What is the Immersion?

Learn more ›

Speakers

Get to know our CCARE speakers.

Learn more ›

Compassion Showcase

The Compassion Showcase takes place on Sunday morning as part of an open exhibition format. We invite registered participants to apply to share their compassion projects with the Stanford CCARE community. Spaces are limited and subject to a review process — full application details will be provided during registration.

These opportunities are available to registered participants only

Open to all

Poster Presentation

Submit a scientific abstract or practice-based project related to compassion for display during the open exhibition. Open to any registered participant.

⏱ Limited spaces available

CCARE alumni only

CCARE Showcase Table

Host a table in the center of the exhibition to share a compassion-based initiative with the broader community. Reserved for CCARE alumni.

⏱ Limited spaces available

ACT graduates only

Featured Talk

Deliver a 10-minute talk related to a compassion initiative or project you developed at CCARE. Reserved for Applied Compassion Training (ACT) graduates.

⏱ 8 slots available

Learn more about the Compassion Showcase ›

Questions?

View FAQs

Email Us

Conference Resources

Innovation and Partnerships

Where the Science of Compassion Meets Practice

CCARE partners with organizations to apply the science of compassion in real-world contexts. We translate research into measurable approaches that strengthen collaboration, decision-making, and wellbeing within complex systems.

What this offers you

Research-grounded methods that can be tested in real environments
An independent academic partnership that strengthens credibility and learning
Structured collaboration to pilot, evaluate, and refine applied work

Why it matters

Lasting change requires more than good intentions. Evidence-informed innovation enables organizations to move from insight to measurable, ethical, and sustainable action, with clear return on investment.

Who is it for

Institutions and leaders seeking science-based approaches to strengthen human systems at scale, across health care, education, technology, industry, sport, and public service.

Support this work

Philanthropic support makes applied research and real-world testing possible. Contributions help bring the science of compassion into practice where it can create lasting impact.

Support CCARE’s Research

Fellowships and Grants

Investing in the Next Generation of the Science of Compassion

CCARE supports researchers at pivotal career moments with funding, mentorship, and access to an interdisciplinary research community.

What this offers you

Time and support to cultivate creative, interdisciplinary ideas into fundable research.
Access to interdisciplinary expertise across neuroscience, healthcare, education, and leadership.
Opportunities to test and translate research into real-world settings, interventions, and systems.
Academic affiliation and access to a global network of collaborators.

Why it matters

Advancing the science of compassion requires early, flexible support that traditional funding rarely provides. These fellowships and seed grants accelerate rigorous research and applied experimentation, enabling promising ideas to mature into measurable, real-world impact.

Who it is for

Students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty, industry and practice experts, and collaborators seeking to build high-impact research in the science of compassion.

Support this work

We welcome philanthropic support to sustain and grow these fellowships and grants. Donations directly enable emerging researchers, collaborative projects, and the long-term advancement of the science of compassion.

Support CCARE’s Research

Welcome, Dr. Stephanie Balters, CCARE’s New Director of Research

January 27, 2026 by CCARE

Written By CCARE

January 27, 2026 | CCARE People, Research

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Stephanie Balters as CCARE’s new Director of Research. She brings exceptional scientific vision, multidisciplinary depth, and a rare combination of clarity, integrity, and deep human presence. These qualities make her the ideal leader to guide CCARE’s research mission forward.

Dr. Balters bridges neuroscience, engineering, and lived human experience, opening new pathways for discovery and real-world impact. Through her innovative work in single-brain and dual-brain neuroscience, she studies compassion as a dynamic process that unfolds between people in real interactions. This approach allows CCARE to better understand how compassion works in the brain, why it supports resilience and healing, and when it can be strengthened through intentional practice.

Under her leadership, CCARE will deepen the scientific foundation of its educational programs and compassion-based practices, linking lived experience with measurable brain science. Learn more about Dr. Balters’ from her CCARE Profile.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Balters to the CCARE community. We invite you to connect, share ideas, and explore opportunities for collaboration.

8-Week Compassion Course (Spring)

January 27, 2026 by

When

4:00 pm to 6:00 pm, Pacific Time
April 7, 2026 – May 26, 2026

We are sorry but registration for this event is now closed.

Cultivate a Compassionate Heart – Live/Online

Class Details

DAY | TUESDAYS, April 7 – May 26, 2026
TIME | 4 pm – 6 pm PDT | 7 pm – 9 pm EDT (check your time zone)
INSTRUCTOR | Britta Eskey
REGISTRATION FEE | $425
CE CREDITS | $175 (see below)

Cultivate a Compassionate Heart – Live/Online (CCH) is an eight-week journey to strengthen the essential qualities of the heart—compassion, kindness, gratitude, and presence—toward yourself and others. This course will help you develop or deepen your self awareness and your access to compassion, as well enhance the skills of emotional intelligence, self-reflection, meditation, compassionate listening and much more: skills that are anchored in evidence-based practices.

The course highlights the profound link between compassion and personal well-being. Research suggests that as we become more aware of being with ourselves in a compassionate way, we gradually begin to recognize and experience a more fully integrated sense of connection with our deeper core values and intentions. To directly embody and experience the benefits of cultivating and anchoring attention in our body and heart, however, necessitates learning to train and incline the mind towards a more compassionate, resilient, and authentic life. This requires a rebalancing of our over-developed habit of doing with one of being.

Participants in this 8-week course work with contemplative practices and guided exercises in each session. By actively engaging in the practices to cultivate greater awareness and hone new skills for emotional self-regulation, we learn how to connect to ourselves first and drop from our head into our heart. As an entry point, CCH integrates the “Alphabet of the Heart,” a mnemonic created by CCARE Founder Dr. James Doty.

At the end of the course, you will be able to:

Apply basic mindfulness skills and utilize mindfulness meditation to stay present and heartful to yourself and others
Apply learned compassion skills as a response to everyday needs and demands in personal and professional settings
Utilize compassion practice with oneself and others for emotional regulation in the face of distress
Utilize cognitive re-framing with oneself and others from the compassionate stance of common humanity
Describe the difference between compassion and empathetic distress, and how empathic distress leads to burnout
Utilize evidence-based self-compassion meditation practices in the context of personal and professional relationships
List three sources of resistance to the development of self-compassion
Explain three ways to recognize resistance to compassion for and from others
Describe physiological substrates of concentration and how this helps manage stress and anxiety
Describe current research studies on the effects and effectiveness of compassion practices

Continuing Education Credits (CECs) for Health Professionals

You may be eligible to earn 14 CE credits for successfully completing this course. Please read the information below and confirm with your state licensing board before enrolling if directed to. The processing fee for CE Credits is $175.

CE credits for psychologists are provided by the Spiritual Competency Academy (SCA) which is co-sponsoring this program. The Spiritual Competency Academy is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Spiritual Competency Academy maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

The California Board of Behavioral Sciences accepts CE credits for LCSW, LPCC, LEP, and LMFT license renewal for programs offered by approved sponsors of CE by the American Psychological Association.

LCSW, LPCC, LEP, and LMFTs, and other mental health professionals from states other than California need to check with their state licensing board as to whether or not they accept programs offered by approved sponsors of CE by the American Psychological Association.

SCA is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN Provider CEP16887) for licensed nurses in California. RNs must retain their certificate of attendance for 4 years after the course concludes.

For questions about your certificate or the content, logistics, or other support issues regarding this course, please contact compassioneducation@stanford.edu. For questions about whether APA CE is valid for you, contact your licensing board directly. For general questions about APA CE or to report a grievance, contact SCA at ce@spiritualcompetencyacademy.com.

Once enrolled, it is the sole responsibility of the participant to arrive within 15 minutes of the start of each class, to participate with their video (camera) on, and to submit a separate course evaluation form after the final class. No partial CE credit is available if more than one class is missed.

Testimonials

Hear from CCARE graduates about the impacts of compassion training on their personal and professional lives

Click on the menu icon in the top right of the video to view all videos or click the button below to go to YouTube.

Click here to view the full playlist on YouTube

Questions?

First, please review the FAQs page.
If you still have questions, reach out to ccarecompassionlab@stanford.edu.

CCARE Graduates Share about Personal Transformation through Compassion Training

November 11, 2025 by Kyla O'Neil

CCARE Graduate Stories: Transformation Through Compassion Training

Hear directly from Stanford CCARE graduates about how compassion training transformed their personal and professional lives.

In this testimonial series, discover the real-world impact of evidence-based compassion education – from healthcare professionals overcoming burnout to leaders creating compassionate organizational cultures, from educators finding resilience to executives calling it “the single best development experience” of their lives.

What Graduates Share:
✓ Professional breakthroughs and career advancement
✓ Personal transformation and renewed passion
✓ Enhanced leadership and communication skills
✓ Tools for navigating burnout and stress
✓ Ripple effects that benefit teams and organizations
✓ Practical applications across all life areas

Whether you’re a healthcare professional, educator, leader, therapist, coach, or anyone seeking to develop compassion skills for yourself and others – these stories offer a glimpse into what’s possible.

Explore CCARE’s compassion education programs

CCARE Graduates Share about Personal Transformation through Compassion Training

November 11, 2025 by Kyla O'Neil

CCARE Graduate Stories: Transformation Through Compassion Training

Hear directly from Stanford CCARE graduates about how compassion training transformed their personal and professional lives.

Explore CCARE’s compassion education programs

CCARE Graduates Share about Professional Growth through Compassion Training

November 11, 2025 by Kyla O'Neil

CCARE Graduate Stories: Transformation Through Compassion Training

Hear directly from Stanford CCARE graduates about how compassion training transformed their personal and professional lives.

Explore CCARE’s compassion education programs

Search Results for: n

Compassion as a Way of Life

Applied Compassion Mindset: A Practical Approach to Purpose, Self-Kindness, and Nutrition

Mindsets, Contemplative Practices, and Embodied Awareness

Compassion Training for Healthcare Workers

Human Capacity, Self-Compassion, and Sustainable Performance

Compassion Quest: A Campus Adventure in Connection

Registered participants will have an opportunity to select from the workshops listed above after registration. Space for each workshop is limited and not guaranteed.

Capstone Project

Poster Presentations

All registered participants may apply to present in this category

CCARE Showcase Tables

CCARE alumni who are registered participants may apply to present in this category

Featured Talks

ACT graduates who are registered participants may apply to present in this category

Across all formats, the emphasis is on connection, curiosity, and collective learning. You are encouraged to participate in ways that feel aligned with your interests and goals for the Immersion.

Spaces for the Compassion Showcase are limited and subject to review. Full application details will be provided after registration.

1 | Compassion Practice

2 | Featured CCARE Speakers

3 | Compassion Research Discovery

4 | Community Building & Connection

General Information

The CCARE Immersion is a 3-day in-person event taking place October 9-11, 2026 at Stanford University.

Registration is open!

2026 Immersion Fees

Stanford faculty and staff: CCARE programs are STAP eligible upon approval

Scholarships: A limited number of partial scholarships are available to support access for participants who would otherwise be unable to attend. We expect and welcome people from different financial realities. Learn more about and apply for a scholarship here.

Travel & Accommodations

More information about booking accommodations will be provided after you register. Please wait to book your room until you have completed your registration. A unique reservation code will be provided to take advantage of CCARE’s special rates.

Event Policies

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3-Day Compassion Immersion

In-Person at Stanford University: October 9-11, 2026

A personal invitation from Neelama…

Key Event Dates

Event Details

Registration

Schedule

Experience

Speakers

Compassion Showcase

Questions?

Compassion and Healthcare Conference

Science of Compassion Conference

Science of Compassion Summer Research Institute Conference

Compassion & Technology Conference

Compassion & Business Conference

Science of Compassion Conference

Defining Compassion Conference

Where the Science of Compassion Meets Practice

What this offers you

Why it matters

Who is it for

Support this work

Investing in the Next Generation of the Science of Compassion

What this offers you

Why it matters

Who it is for

Support this work

When

Cultivate a Compassionate Heart – Live/Online

Class Details

DAY | TUESDAYS, April 7 – May 26, 2026

TIME | 4 pm – 6 pm PDT | 7 pm – 9 pm EDT (check your time zone)

INSTRUCTOR | Britta Eskey

REGISTRATION FEE | $425

CE CREDITS | $175 (see below)

At the end of the course, you will be able to:

Continuing Education Credits (CECs) for Health Professionals

You may be eligible to earn 14 CE credits for successfully completing this course. Please read the information below and confirm with your state licensing board before enrolling if directed to. The processing fee for CE Credits is $175.

Hear from CCARE graduates about the impacts of compassion training on their personal and professional lives

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