Compassion focus therapy Flashcards
What is Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)?
A psychological approach developed by Paul Gilbert to address issues related to shame and self-criticism
What are the key components of self-compassion according to Neff (2003)?
- Self-kindness
- Common humanity
- Mindfulness
What are the three Emotion Regulation Systems identified by Gilbert (2014)?
- Threat System
- Drive System
- Soothing System
What does the Threat System focus on?
Detecting danger, such as fear, anxiety, and anger.
What is the purpose of the Drive System?
Motivates pursuit of rewards and achievements.
What does the Soothing System regulate?
Regulates stress and fosters calmness and connection.
What is Compassionate Mind Training (CMT)?
A method to help individuals develop compassion through guided exercises.
What are some techniques included in Compassionate Mind Training?
- Imagery
- Mindfulness
- Breathing techniques
In what conditions is CFT used for therapy?
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Trauma
- Personality disorders
True or False: Self-compassion can be difficult for some individuals due to deep-seated shame.
True
What are the two interconnected psychological processes that CFT defines for compassion?
- Engagement
- Alleviation
What does Engagement in compassion involve?
- Sensitivity
- Sympathy
- Care for well-being
- Empathy
- Non-judgment
- Distress Tolerance
What skills are involved in the Alleviation process?
- Imagery
- Attention
- Reasoning
- Behavior
- Sensory Awareness
What is an example of a barrier to self-compassion?
Shame often blocks self-compassion.
What does compassionate letter writing focus on?
- Expressing concern and care
- Tolerating distress and suffering
- Offering non-judgmental support
What are some emotional barriers that hinder self-compassion?
- People can easily offer compassion to others but struggle to receive it
- Fear of compassion
What psychological barriers may affect individuals’ ability to be self-compassionate?
- Attachment issues
- Beliefs about compassion
Fill in the blank: CFT helps individuals shift from _______ to self-kindness.
[self-attack]
What did Kirby et al. (2017) find about compassion-based interventions?
They significantly improved self-compassion, mindfulness, depression, and anxiety.
What is the Compassionate Self?
An ideal version of oneself that is wise, strong, and caring.
What activities can help develop the Compassionate Self?
- Imagery
- Acting
- Experiments
What can individuals do to overcome barriers to compassion?
- Use CBT techniques
- Practice self-kindness
- Develop exposure exercises
True or False: High expectations and perfectionism encourage self-kindness.
False
Explain the old brain in the new brain
In compassion focus therapy the new brain is imaginative thinking planning large prefrontal cortex
The old brain is avoidant competing fight flight response
Why is compassion hard?
What is easy it’s not always compassionate
It takes emotional effort
There may be social and cultural barriers such as the stiff upper lip mentality in the UK
What are the two psychology of compassion
First series engagement which Gilbert 2014 describes her six attributes such as sensitivity, sympathy, well-being, empathy, nonjudgement, and distress tolerance
Alleviation which means taking action to reduce suffering, including things like using imagery focusing on the compassionate response, reasoning that promotes self kindness, engaging in compassionate actions or using physical cues to promote calmness such as a candle
What are the three systems in compassion for therapy and can you explain how they work?
The threat system, the drive system and the soothing system
Often when it comes to mental illness takes over and the system can also take over in a positive negative way and it means the soothing system does not kick in
For example, the system might be fight or flight which needs to bodily sensations and changes in attention emotional experience and thinking just like the CBT cognitive model , this means that the drive system can go crazy anxiety driving away from the fret due to adrenaline or with depression that drive system does not work anymore. Finally, it means the safe system does not kick in such as the ability to calm the body or seek support from others for the ability to cope and be compassionate.
