LIVE ONLINE

8-WEEK MINDFUL SELF- COMPASSION COURSE

THURSDAYS, MArch 20TH  - MAy 8TH, 2025
5pm - 7:30pm PST

Foster emotional resilience, tame your inner critic, and cultivate self-worth.

We live in a society that encourages us to beat ourselves up in order to get ahead.

However, self-criticism is not effective long-term, and relying on external sources of validation only leads us to feel more anxious, insecure, and disconnected from ourselves and others.

Over a thousand research studies have demonstrated that people who are more self-compassionate experience less depression, anxiety, stress, and shame and more happiness, life satisfaction, self-confidence, and physical health.

IF ANY OF THIS SOUNDS FAMILIAR - YOU’RE IN THE RIGHT PLACE

  • You don’t feel good enough

  • You are your own worst critic

  • You rely on self-criticism to motivate yourself

  • When you fail at something, you feel consumed by feelings of inadequacy

  • You believe that other people are better than you

  • You feel inadequate and alone when you make a mistake

  • You tend to fixate on everything that’s wrong

  • You say mean things to yourself that you would never tell a friend

  • You believe that you’re inadequate

  • You have a hard time coping with difficult emotions

  • You experience burnout or caregiver fatigue

  • You understand conceptually that you are worthy of love and kindness but struggle to truly feel it

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

This 8-Week Mindful Self-Compassion Course is suitable for everyone, including the general public, mental health and healthcare professionals, meditation and mindfulness instructors, yoga teachers, wellness coaches, and educators at all levels.

Everyone is welcome, including people of all backgrounds and identities.

There are no prerequisites, and no previous experience with mindfulness or meditation is required to attend this course.

BENEFITS OF MINDFUL SELF-COMPASSION

Learn research-based practices and exercises to increase resilience, improve your overall well-being, and embrace yourself with kindness.

LESS:

  • struggle

  • depression

  • anxiety

  • perfectionism

  • stress

  • shame

MORE:

  • inner peace

  • self-acceptance

  • life satisfaction

  • self-confidence

  • emotional resilience

  • authentic connection with yourself and others

What, Exactly, is Self-Compassion?

According to pioneering researchers in the field of self-compassion, Kristen Neff, PhD and Christopher Germer, PhD, self-compassion is comprised of 3 core elements:

  • To be mindful means to intentionally pay attention to the present moment experience without judgment. When we are being mindful we allow thoughts, emotions, and sensations to come and go without resistance or fixation. It is a skill that can be honed and practiced.

    Mindfulness is the foundational component of self-compassion because it allows us to acknowledge our suffering and face the pain long enough to meet it with kindness. For most people, the natural tendency is to avoid and try to escape from pain and suffering. However, this doesn’t actually work when the pain is on the inside, it only leads to the difficult emotions building up and coming out in destructive ways that we don’t have much awareness or control over. In order to become less reactive and more responsive we need to learn to stay open to distress so that we can regulate it. We need to be present to respond in a new way.

  • When going through something difficult it is common to feel isolated and alone in the experience because of the mistaken belief that everyone else is somehow doing better and has things more figured out. This mistaken belief often leads to self-pity. The main difference between self-compassion and self-pity comes down to common humanity, a recognition that all human beings are imperfect, make mistakes, fail, and experience hardship. While the individual circumstances and degree of pain differ, the basic experience of human suffering is universal.

    Suffering it is not a sign that there is something wrong with you but that you are simply human. When we can remember that others are suffering in the same way that we are, we can tap into a feeling of interconnectedness. This sense of shared connection with others encourages us to meet ourselves with the same kindness, support, and understanding that we would show another person dealing with the same challenges that we are.

  • Too many of us compound our pain by beating ourselves up when things go wrong. Self-kindness teaches us to meet ourselves with the same kindness, support, and encouragement that we would show to a good friend. Instead of chastising ourselves for our shortcomings we can show ourselves acceptance and warmth. When we are being treated unfairly, self-compassion helps us gather the courage to do whatever we can to protect ourselves from harm. When our suffering is stemming from circumstances beyond our control, self-compassion enables us to soothe and comfort ourselves.

COURSE DETAILS:

When: 8 Thursdays, 5pm - 7:30pm PST, March 20th- May 8th, 2025

Where: Live online

Cost:

WHAT’S INCLUDED

  • 20+ Hours of MSC Instruction

    This program offers over 20 hours of comprehensive instruction in Mindful Self-Compassion, including a thoughtfully designed series of Self-Compassion exercises, guided meditations, reflective written exercises, engaging group discussions, and gentle compassionate movement practices

  • Retreat

    This bonus 3-hour Retreat provides a wonderful opportunity to deepen your understanding of Mindful Self-Compassion while engaging with others. During this enriching experience, you will have the chance to practice the skills you have learned throughout the course in a supportive and encouraging group setting.

  • Resources and Support

    Optional home practices, combined with access to a diverse array of meditation audio recordings, can significantly enhance your overall journey toward achieving improved well-being long after the MSC course officially ends. These practices can carry forward a deeper sense of peace and mindfulness into your daily life.

Weekly Course Overview

  • The first class starts with an introduction to Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) and its health benefits. You will learn about the science behind MSC, the three key components of self-compassion, and reflect on your goals for the course. We will discuss obstacles to self-compassion, how to monitor your emotional safety, and how to adjust your responses to your needs.

  • In the second class, we learn that mindfulness is essential for self-compassion, helping us recognize and address our difficulties with kindness. We discuss the “wandering mind,” the concept of mindfulness, and its everyday applications. We'll explore what practicing self-compassion involves and what to expect. You’ll learn the informal practice “Soles of the Feet” and the core meditation “Affectionate Breathing.” A reflective exercise will help you understand how resistance may impact your suffering and how to manage difficult emotions with self-compassion.

  • In the third class, you'll learn the difference between compassion and loving-kindness, exploring the four aspects of goodwill: loving-kindness, self-kindness, compassion, and self-compassion. You will be guided through discussions, meditations, and exercises to come up with personalized loving-kindness phrases.

  • In the fourth class, you’ll refine your loving-kindness phrases and work on developing your compassionate voice. Through exercises, you’ll reflect on your MSC experience, explore progress stages, investigate your inner critic, and cultivate loving-kindness. We'll examine the link between self-criticism and safety and how to motivate behavioral change from a place of self-compassion.

  • In the fifth class, you’ll be introduced to the core meditation practice of “Giving and Receiving Compassion.” It focuses on identifying core values, recognizing imbalances, and examining internal and external obstacles. You will turn a core value into an aspiration, find a positive message in a past struggle, and practice deep, compassionate listening through an experiential exercise.

  • This optional 3-hour retreat, held on a separate day, offers a chance to deepen your Mindful Self-Compassion skills, such as presence, common humanity, and self-kindness. You will be guided through core practices, including walking meditation, savoring, gentle movement, and more!

  • The sixth class explores strategies for navigating difficult emotions. You'll learn about the five stages of acceptance and the three techniques for handling difficult emotions more effectively.

  • In class seven, we’ll discuss the difficulties that can arise in relationships, including feelings of hurt, disconnection, and emotional exhaustion. We’ll look more closely at anger and discover that it often hides softer feelings related to unmet needs. Through reflection, you’ll learn when anger is protective and when it can be harmful. You’ll also practice the “Self-Compassion Break” to help calm or reset difficult conversations.

  • In the final class, you'll practice savoring, gratitude, and self-appreciation to foster positive feelings and support your Self-Compassion journey. Reflective exercises will enhance the concepts you learned throughout the course and promote a cycle of positive emotions. You'll receive tips for sustaining your practice and reflect on key takeaways.

MEET YOUR INSTRUCTORS

Catarina Ahlvik-Garrison, PhD

Regina Lazarovich, PhD

Dr. Regina Lazarovich, PhD is a Clinical Psychologist and founder of the private practice Compass CBT, serving clients across California, New York, and Florida. Dr. Lazarovich has dedicated her fifteen-year career to helping individuals break free from generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, OCD, ADHD, binge eating disorder, emotional eating, and negative body image.

Dr. Lazarovich has a comprehensive background in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT), Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). She approaches clients with disordered eating and body image struggles from Health at Every Size® (HAES) and Intuitive Eating perspectives. Dr. Lazarovich is a Mindful Self-Compassion Teacher-in-Training and has completed Mindful Self-Compassion Teacher Training Levels 1 and 2 from the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion (CMSC).

FAQ and Important Information

  • Yes, this program fulfills one of the prerequisites for becoming an MSC teacher. For more information on MSC or MSC Teacher Training, please visit www.centerformsc.org

  • Continuing Education credits are not available for this course.

  • Refund Policy:

    Refund requests must be submitted via email to hello@compasscbt.com. 

    Refund Amount:

    1. The refund amount will be determined based on the date of the refund request and the progress made by the participant in the course. This determination will be made on a case-by-case basis (e.g., if a student is halfway through the course, they may receive half a refund).

    2. A full refund will be issued for cancellation requests received 14 days before the course start date.

    3. If a refund request is received 13 days or less before the course start date, a 10% cancellation fee will apply. 

    4. If the refund request is made after the course has started or a certain percentage of the course has been completed, the refund amount may be prorated based on the percentage of the course completed.

    Exceptions and Discretion:

    If a course participant is removed from the course based on a decision including but not limited to:

    • language that can be considered offensive or triggering

    • threatening, berating, verbal harassment and/or abuse to participants and/or instructor(s)

    The removed participant will still be subject to the full cost of tuition.

    Refund Process:

    1. Once a refund request is received it will be reviewed by the course instructors.

    2. The refund decision will be communicated to the participant via email within a reasonable timeframe.

    3. Approved refunds will be processed using the original payment method.

  • The 8-Week Mindful Self-Compassion Course is designed to teach participants the tools needed to develop and cultivate a mindfulness and self-compassion practice.

    It is not a substitute for mental health care, personal therapy, or medical treatment.


    Personal safety and emotional wellbeing are the foundation of self-compassion training, and you are primarily responsible for your own safety.

    Teachers and facilitators are not expected or able to provide medical and/or psychological care. Course experiences may bring up challenging memories or feelings.

    If you have a history of a serious mental health condition or other concerns you think may impact your ability to take this course, please get in touch with your healthcare professional to determine if this course is right for you.

    Your personal contact information may be used in the event the teacher or facilitator reasonably determines a need to call emergency services on your behalf.