Hello and welcome to 2018!
Here at CMA we had a busy past year, this is what we have been up to...
Our website is now fully up and running, thanks to Amy Finlay-Jones and Rebecca Penrose. All of our content has now been transferred across. We appreciate your patience throughout this process. If you haven't already, head over to https://www.compassionatemind.org.au/ to check it out. Our research and resources team are working hard to continue updating what we have on offer, but we'd love your input. If you'd like to see something on the site, but we don't have it, please drop us an email at info@compassionatemind.org.au.
We had a great time meeting you and enjoying the fantastic Paul Gilbert workshop series over November and December, across Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales. It is always a delight to have Paul on our shores. We were able to get some feedback from participants about how CMA can be of more benefit to you. The biggest area of need identified was for CMA to assist in developing a series of peer support networks across Australia, so that we can continue to develop the compassion focused skill base here in Aus. As a result, there are some local networks starting in South Australia, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sunshine Coast, Sydney and Northern Rivers. We are also looking into facilitating an online group for rural and remote people, and an email will be sent out to those who nominated for this soon. If you would like to be involved please send us an email or make contact through the website. Supporting these networks will be the focus of CMA over the next few months.
Finally - if you haven't already, please head over to our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CompassionateMindAus/ and like us to keep updated with new research, resources, events and news related to compassion focused approaches. We hope to see you there!
Until next time,
Tiegan Holtham
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Being our own best friend
Can you remember the last time you made a mistake? What went through your mind? What did you say to yourself and what was the tone of your inner voice? What feelings arose in your body? It’s not uncommon for us to berate ourselves when we have made a mistake or to feel worried, anxious, and upset. But now imagine a friend made the same mistake and you said to them what you said to yourself, in the same tone of voice. What would that be like for them? And what implications might that have for your relationship?
There is a growing body of evidence to indicate that spending even a small amount of time being more compassionate with ourselves can be enormously beneficial and especially helpful when we’re going through difficult times. Below is an exercise called the Self-Compassion Break that you might like to try next time you face hardship, make a mistake or are struggling.
Think of a situation in your life that is difficult, that is causing you stress. Call the situation to mind, and see if you can actually feel the stress and emotional discomfort in your body. Now, say to yourself:
1. This is a moment of suffering
That’s mindfulness. Other options include:
- This hurts.
- Ouch.
- This is stress.
2. Suffering is a part of life
That’s common humanity. Other options include:
- Other people feel this way.
- I’m not alone.
- We all struggle in our lives.
Now, put your hands over your heart, feel the warmth of your hands and the gentle touch of your hands on your chest (or adopting a soothing touch that feels right for you). Say to yourself:
3. May I be kind to myself
You can also ask yourself, “What do I need to hear right now to express kindness to myself?” Is there a phrase that speaks to you in your particular situation, such as:
- May I give myself the compassion that I need
- May I learn to accept myself as I am
- May I forgive myself
- May I be strong.
- May I be patient
The self-compassion break exercise guidelines have been taken from www.self-compassion.org where you will find other related practices that you might like to try.
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6th International Compassion Conference (Compassion: Integrating Therapies) – Birmingham 2017
Remember what you were doing in October last year? For a fortunate few we did the long haul flight to the UK to attend the 6th International Compassion Conference. From all accounts pre-conference workshops, keynote speakers, symposiums, and the conference address were overflowing with an abundance of relevant therapeutic information and impressive research results. Refreshment times and the dinner were a good place to network and meet other compassion focused international folk.
For many the conference was not long enough. The wealth of information and strong evidence for compassionate practice was inspiring. The example below is a reflective highlight of the research presented as experienced by Queensland’s Dr Stan Steindl:
“Compassion takes a lot of practice. And practice is helpful in terms of outcomes. But what has been found to be even more helpful is the ability to embody compassion and self-compassion when you need it most. Dr Marcela Matos (a compassion researcher from Portugal) presented a wonderful summary of her research into Compassionate Mind Training and the findings she and her colleagues found around embodiment. As she said, “Perceiving compassion cultivation practices as helpful and being able to embody the CS (compassionate self) in everyday life is key to fostering self-compassion and the experience of receiving compassion from others, as well as promoting feelings of safeness, contentment, and calmness”.”
More on this research can be found in Matos’ research article – How One Experiences and Embodies Compassion (The abstract can be viewed here https://goo.gl/9Xw8aK).
This embodiment takes time. As Dr Deborah Lee (Consultant Clinical Psychologist at Berkshire Traumatic Stress Service) stated in her Compassion Focused Therapy for Trauma workshop “You are developing a new relationship with yourself…it is like going to the gym, you cannot go once and end up with a sculptured body”. Dr Lee is an engaging presenter, and if you missed out on Birmingham there will be an opportunity to see her in September at the University of Queensland’s Compassion Symposium.
Back to Birmingham, and these engaging Keynote presenters provided a deeper understanding in their fields of expertise. Martin Bohus MD presented research findings, and described how DBT, supported by compassionate mindfulness, had been successful in the treatment of PTSD resulting from childhood sexual abuse. Eleanor Longden and Charles Heriot-Maitland described the compassionate approach to working with voices in psychosis - - these two fantastic speakers will be facilitating a workshop here in Australia in March - check out the details below! A great Youtube clip on Compassion for Voices can be found here [https://goo.gl/MPTseH]. Deirdre Fay provided information on her compassion and body focused approach to working with trauma and attachment issues. All information was of great benefit and encouraging for our clinical practice.
Symposiums covered topics of: gender identity, diversity, integrating psychotherapy process, group approaches in compassion, and innovation in Compassion Focused Therapy. While discussing LGBTIQ issues, Nicola Petrocchi (Founder and President of Compassionate Mind ITALIA) reminded us of the difficulty parents can experience when their children openly identify as LGBTIQ. This message was a reminder that in any situation we should consider the impact on all individuals involved. Also noteworthy was Dr James Kirby’s (Lecturer and Clinical Psychologist – University of Queensland) presentation of motivational conflicts that children experience. Dr Kirby has been supervising a number of students at UQ, supporting their compassion-focused research and is a member of the CMA Executive Committee.
If you have never attended the conference and are undecided about professional development for 2018; perhaps planning a trip to Europe, make sure you attend the 7th International Compassion Conference. It is a conference where you will feel fulfilled and motivated to enhance your current professional practice.
- Melanie Zimmerman, Compassionate Mind Australia
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Two-day workshop: Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) for psychosis
Monday 19 March – Tuesday 20 March 2018
Abbotsford Convent (Community Room)
1 St Heliers Street
Abbotsford
VIC
This 2-day workshop is designed for mental health practitioners who are interested in learning about the CFT model of compassion, how to apply this model to support clients with psychosis related difficulties, and the developing evidence base for this approach. It is suitable for practitioners with or without prior training in CFT. This workshop represents a special opportunity for Australian mental health practitioners to gain a strong foundation in CFT for psychosis from two international leaders in this field, Dr Eleanor Longden and Dr Charles Heriot-Maitland.
COSTS:
Early Bird - $650 (31st Jan)
HHC - $550
Standard Fee - $695 (1st March)
Last Minute - $730 (16th March)
For more information and to register -
https://goo.gl/3szdrj
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