Step 1: Care
Tired of being so hard on yourself? Ready to discover the power of kindness?
Most of us treat ourselves unkind, when we feel bad. This is not your fault but merely a side effect of the evolution of our brains: we are wired for survival and not for happiness. The good news is that we can change this default setting by training in self-compassion. Take the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) Programme for more contentment.
Self-compassion refers to a wise and kind way of relating to yourself, when you feel bad. You carry the source of compassion within your heart: your wise compassion Self can comfort, soothe, encourage, love and protect you exactly how you need it. Self-compassion helps us be more mature partners in love. Try it out now.
Self-compassion might feel gentle but it is a powerful medicine. It has been shown to make us more resilient against stress. It protects against burnout and strengthens our compassion. Self-compassion is central to any emotional transformation because it reduces shame, self-criticism and increases self-love.
Ready to be gentle with yourself?
- 7. April - 26. Mai 2026
- Live Online
- €550 inkl. MWSt.
How can I learn?
Many paths lead to self-compassion. There is no one size fits all. Guided meditations, group trainings, audio courses or psychotherapy are some of many options. If you are currently in therapy and noticing obstacles to letting in kindness, then consider gently warming up to the more focused practices by taking my course Self-Compassion Made Easy.
Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC)
Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) refers to a specific mindfulness-based group training programme created by Dr Kristin Neff and Dr Christopher Germer in 2012. The MSC programme was developed for mentally stable adults in the general population who want to train in self-compassion. MSC is neither a meditation retreat, nor group psychotherapy, nor clinical skills training.
I have been instrumental in shaping the MSC curriculum and teacher training from its early days in 2011 until 2019 because I had already been teaching and researching compassion-focused therapy in the UK since 2008 as a clinical psychologist and mindfulness teacher. I was one of the first MSC teachers and teacher trainers alongside the founders and have taught and supervised new teachers worldwide. I served as a Board Member of the Center for MSC for several years and helped to establish communities of MSC teachers – in particular in Europe – and to develop the growing international community of teachers. You can find all bona fide MSC teachers on www.centerformsc.org and the many national associations of teachers that have been set up since.
The MSC 8-week training programme consists of 8 sessions of about 3 hours each and a 4-hour retreat. Participants are guided to develop emotional resources to deal with stressful emotions in everyday life more easily. It consists of guided meditations and exercises, educational inputs, self-reflection, structured sharing in small groups and teacher-led inquiry in the large group plus home practices.
When practising self-compassion, difficult emotions that we have not had time to feel and integrate may show up, such as normal grief after a loss. Having the resources to tend to any such emotions is necessary to ensure that MSC supports you.
Other prerequisites are:
- To be able to explore your inner experience without being overwhelmed
- To be able to reflect on yourself
- To feel comfortable in groups
The dense format of the programme is usually unsuitable for people who are currently mentally ill or otherwise under a lot of emotional strain, as it requires a lot of focused concentration, self-led working with emotions and self-reflection.
In individual therapy the pace of learning can be adapted to the individual needs of the person, which is not possible in the context of an MSC course.