Does Compassion-Focused Therapy Training for Health Care Educators and Providers Increase Self-Compassion and Reduce Self-Persecution and Self-Criticism?

Introduction: There is a growing body of evidence within the healthcare community which suggests that developing feelings of compassion can have a profound impact on physical and psychological health. This is an important area of work, and initial research with non-professional groups has found that practicing compassion through a variety of experiential practices and meditations can lead to higher levels of compassion for others, sensitivity to suffering, motivation to help, and altruism. This study examines outcome measures following a three day introductory workshop on Compassionate Focused Therapy provided for healthcare providers and educators. The aim of the research was to explore whether the training would increase self-compassion and reduce self-criticism and self-persecution. Method: Twenty-eight participants consisting of three groups ‘nurses/midwives’, ‘counsellors/psychotherapists’ and ‘other healthcare providers’ completed the Self-Compassion Scale and Functions of Self-Criticising/Attacking Scale pre and post-training. Results: Results reveal an overall statistically significant increase in self-compassion and statistically significant reduction in self-critical judgement post-training. There was no statistically significant reduction in self-persecution or self-correction scores post-training. Discussion: Developing self-compassion and compassionately responding to our own ‘self-critic’ may lead the way forward in the development of more compassionate care amongst healthcare professionals. Practical Implications: Training people in compassion based exercises may bring changes in levels of self-compassion and self-critical judgement. The findings are exciting in that they suggest the potential benefits of training healthcare providers and educators in compassion focused practices.