Compassion-Focused Therapy
Core Mechanism
Activating the soothing/affiliative system through compassion practices counteracts threat-based shame and self-criticism
Ontology
Shame and self-criticism driven by overactive threat system and underdeveloped soothing/safeness system
Therapeutic Voice
"Imagine your compassionate self — wise, strong, warm. What would that self say to you right now?"
View of the Person
A being with an overactive threat system and underdeveloped soothing system — shame is the core problem, compassion the antidote
Evidence
Not yet in major guidelines
10+ RCTs
Kirby et al. (2017)
Growing evidence. Moderate effects on self-compassion, depression, anxiety.
Conditions
Epistemology
Blind Spots
Compassion imagery can paradoxically increase distress in highly shame-prone individuals initially; limited outside depression/shame
Contraindications
Active psychosis, clients for whom compassion activates intense shame or fear (requires careful titration rather than full contraindication), severe dissociation, situations requiring immediate behavioral crisis intervention
Training
CFT workshops + supervised practice. Foundation 2-3 days. Builds on CBT + evolutionary psychology
Compassionate Mind Foundation
Foundation: 16-24 hrs; advanced additional
$500-2K
Equity & Cultural Adaptations
Philosophical Roots
Buddhist compassion practices (Dalai Lama, Shantideva); evolutionary psychology (Gilbert — three emotion regulation systems); attachment theory; Neff (self-compassion research)
Related Modalities
Clinical Vignettes
See how Compassion-Focused Therapy formulates these cases:
Test Yourself
CFT's three emotion systems?
Show answer
Threat, drive, soothing. Many clients: overdeveloped threat, underdeveloped soothing.