Upcoming Seminars

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Course Information

The Science of a Meaningful Life: Self-Compassion and Emotional Resilience (UCB-16)

This day-long seminar will offer strategies for cultivating self-compassion and reducing stress in yourself and others. It will be led by Dr. Kristin Neff, a pioneer in the study of self-compassion.

Self-compassion is a skill that can be learned by anyone. It involves generating feelings of kindness and care toward ourselves as imperfect human beings, and learning to be present with greater ease during life's inevitable struggles. It is an antidote to harsh self-criticism, making us feel connected to others when we suffer, rather than feeling isolated and alienated. Unlike self-esteem, the good feelings of self-compassion do not depend on being special and better than other people; instead, they come from caring about ourselves and embracing our commonalities.

A large and growing body of research, much of it conducted by Dr. Neff, suggests that self-compassion reduces anxiety, makes us more resilient in the face of challenges, and improves overall our mental health.

Drawing on a decade of her trailblazing research, Dr. Neff will provide simple tools for giving ourselves the support we need whenever we suffer, fail, or feel inadequate. She will provide an introductory overview of self-compassion, weaving together lecture, scientific research, video presentations, small group exercises, and discussion.

Her seminar will offer valuable resources for mental health professionals, but her emphasis on personal practice makes this seminar appropriate for the general public as well.

 

Presenter


Kristin Neff, PhD

As an undergraduate at UCLA, Dr. Kristin Neff studied communications, and as a graduate student at UC Berkeley she studied moral development. Her dissertation research on children’s moral reasoning was conducted in Mysore, India. As a post-doctoral researcher at Denver University, she studied issues of authenticity and self- concept development. Dr. Neff is currently an Associate Professor of Human Development and Culture at the University of Texas at Austin.

While doing her post-doctoral work she decided to conduct research on self-compassion – a central construct in Buddhist psychology and one that had not yet been examined empirically. She has a new book titled "Self-Compassion" published by William Morrow in 2011.

Dr. Neff lives in the countryside in Elgin, Texas with her husband Rupert Isaacson – an author and human rights activist – and with her young son Rowan. She and her family were recently featured in the documentary and book called The Horse Boy – www.horseboymovie.com

 

Workshop Summary

  • Self-compassion involves generating feelings of kindness and care toward ourselves
  • Self-compassion reduces anxiety, making us more resilient in the face of challenges
  • Self-compassion motivates us to make positive changes in our lives not out of self-judgment, self-criticism and comparison with others, but out of caring for ourselves as we would a loved one
  • Research suggests that self-compassion offers all the benefits of self-esteem without the drawbacks
  • Self-compassion can be acquired through simple tools to give ourselves the support we need whenever we suffer, fail, or feel inadequate
  • Research suggests that self-compassion is not a fixed trait; it’s a skill that can be learned by anyone and cultivated with practice
 

Agenda

8:30 - 9:00 a.m. Registration and check in
9:00 - 10:30 Self-compassion and well-being
10:30 - 10:45 Break
10:45 - 12:00 How to practice mindfulness, loving-kindness, and self-compassion
12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Lunch (on your own)
1:00 - 2:30 Using self-compassion for motivation and managing difficult emotions
2:30 - 2:45 Break
2:45 - 4:30 Self-compassion, positive emotions, and happiness

 

 

Learning Objectives

  1. Identify the three key components of self-compassion
  2. Understand the difference between self-compassion and self-esteem
  3. Practice techniques to increase self-compassion in oneself and others
  4. Find self-motivation using kindness rather than self-criticism
  5. Describe key research that supports the benefits of self-compassion
 

Continuing Education

Psychologists: R. Cassidy Seminars is approved by the American Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. R. Cassidy Seminars maintains responsibility for this program. (6) CE hours.

Social Workers CA: Course meets the qualifications for (6) hours of continuing education credit for MFTs and/or LCSWs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, Provider #PCE418.

Marriage and Family Therapists CA: Course meets the qualifications for (6) hours of continuing education credit for MFTs and/or LCSWs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, Provider #PCE418. This course provides 6 CE hours.

Occupational Therapists: Occupational therapists will receive a certificate of completion for (6) CE hours.

Nurses CA: Provider approved by the CA Board of Registered Nursing, Provider #CeP12224, for (6) contact hours.

Satisfactory Completion: Participants must have paid tuition fee, signed in, attended the entire seminar, completed an evaluation, and signed out in order to receive a certificate. Failure to sign in or out will result in forfeiture of credit for the entire course. No exceptions will be made. Partial credit is not available.

Cancellation Policy: Refund (minus $25 administrative fee) when canceling prior to 7 days before the workshop. No refund within 7 days of the seminar.

Disability Access: If you require ADA accommodations please contact our office 30 days or more before the event. We cannot ensure accommodations without adequate prior notification.

Please Note: Licensing Boards change regulations often and while we attempt to stay abreast of their most recent changes, if you have questions or concerns about this course meeting your specific board’s approval, we recommend you contact your board directly to obtain a ruling.