Developing a Compassionate Internal Supervisor: Compassion‐Focused Therapy for Trainee Therapists

Bell, Tobyn; Dixon, Alison; Kolts, Russell L.

doi:10.1002/cpp.2031

Cited by 24 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Our findings are aligned with previous research that has recently demonstrated the usefulness of compassion‐focused training for health‐care professionals (Beaumont & Hollins‐Martin, ; Beaumont, Rayner, Durkin, & Bowling, ; Bell, Dixon, & Kolts, ; Bibeau et al, ; Lown, ). The Mindful Self‐Compassion programme, of course, does not exhaust all the available options to train clinical and health psychologists' competencies.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Effects of the Mindful Self‐Compassion programme on clinical and health psychology trainees' well‐being: A pilot study

Bernabé

Gómez-Martínez

Crego

et al. 2020

Clinical Psychologist

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Background Clinical and health psychologists are often exposed to occupational hazards, such as burnout and compassion fatigue, which originate from emotional demands at work. Mindful Self‐Compassion (MSC) training has been demonstrated to be useful in increasing well‐being and enhancing mental health. Although the use of the MSC programme in educational contexts has been suggested, an evaluation of its efficacy as a method to improve the competencies of trainees in clinical psychology has yet to be performed. Methods Our study used a sample of 61 adults (88.5% women) attending postgraduate courses in clinical and health psychology who participated in an 8‐week MSC programme. Their levels of self‐compassion, mindfulness, well‐being, anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed before and after the intervention. Based on the participants' adherence to the MSC programme, two groups were created, that is, high (n = 30) versus low (n = 31) adherence. Results The participants in the high‐adherence group benefitted from the MSC programme because they increased their self‐compassion, mindfulness and psychological well‐being scores. The extent to which the participants reported to have been committed to the MSC practice was associated with changes in self‐compassion, mindfulness and psychological well‐being. Furthermore, the changes in self‐compassion were significantly correlated with changes in mindfulness and psychological well‐being. Conclusion The MSC programme offers a promising way to develop professional competencies and enhance the well‐being of trainees in clinical psychology.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Effects of the Mindful Self‐Compassion programme on clinical and health psychology trainees' well‐being: A pilot study

Bernabé

Gómez-Martínez

Crego

et al. 2020

Clinical Psychologist

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“…The qualitative methodology of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was chosen for its emphasis on lived experience and related meaning-making (Smith et al, 2009), and for the precedence of its use in client accounts of CFT (e.g. Bell et al, 2017).…”

Section: Aims and Emphasis On Depressionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple emotions, multiple selves: compassion focused therapy chairwork

Bell

Montague

Elander

et al. 2021

tCBT

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Compassion focused therapy (CFT) is rooted in an evolutionary view of the human mind as formed of a multitude of contrasting, and often conflicting, motivations, emotions and competencies. A core aim of the therapy is to help clients understand the nature of their mind in a way that is de-pathologizing and de-shaming. The approach is also focused on the cultivation of compassion to work with these difficult aspects of mind. CFT includes the ‘multiple-selves’ intervention which involves the differentiation of threat-based emotion and an exploration of their conflict. Compassion is then applied to the client’s affective world to aid regulation and integration. This paper focuses on clients’ experiences of a chairwork version of multiple-selves, wherein clients personify their emotions in separate chairs. Nine participants with depression were interviewed directly following the intervention and the resulting data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three interconnecting themes were identified: appreciating emotional complexity; the role of chairwork process; and compassionate integration. The results highlight the importance of emotional differentiation in understanding internal multiplicity and conflict in depression, and the role of compassion in creating a sense of personal coherence. The embodied and enactive nature of chairwork was found to be of benefit in identifying and separating emotion, and in developing new forms of self-relating. The paper discusses the clinical implications of such findings for the treatment of depression. Key learning aims As a result of reading this paper, readers should: (1) Learn about the ‘multiple-selves’ framework for working with threat emotions. (2) Appreciate the complexity of emotions in depression. (3) Understand how chairwork processes can be used to access, differentiate and address emotional material. (4) Develop insight into how compassion can be used to regulate emotions and integrate aversive experiences.

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“…This in turn may lead to self-critical judgement and students may feel overwhelmed, fearful or incompetent (Reeves & Mintz, 2001;. It is therefore essential that therapists strive to provide quality care for clients, whilst at the same time, take care of themselves Bell, Dixon & Kolts, 2016). Rønnestad and Skovholt (2003) carried out a longitudinal study looking at the development of 100 counsellors and therapists and propose that counsellors and therapists move through six phases; the lay helper, the beginning student, the advanced student, the novice professional, the experienced professional, and the senior professional.…”

Section: Psychotherapy Training Demandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of compassionate mind training on student psychotherapists

Beaumont

Rayner

Durkin

et al. 2017

JMHTEP

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine pre and post outcome measures following a course of Compassionate Mind Training (CMT). Participants were students enrolled on a Post Graduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy (CBP). The aim of the research was to explore whether CMT would increase self-compassion, compassion for others, dispositional empathy and reduce self-critical judgement. Design/methodology/approach In total, 21 participants who had enrolled on the CBP programme took part in the study. Data were collected using the self-compassion scale, interpersonal reactivity index, and the compassion for others scale. Findings Results reveal an overall statistically significant increase in self-compassion scores and statistically significant reduction in self-critical judgement scores post training. There was no statistically significant difference post training on the interpersonal reactivity index or the compassion for others scale. Research limitations/implications CMT training may help students develop healthy coping strategies, which they can use to balance their affect regulation systems when faced with organisational, placement, client, academic, personal and supervision demands. Further research and longitudinal studies, using larger sample sizes are needed to explore if cultivating compassion whilst on psychotherapy training helps students build resilience and provide a barrier against empathic distress fatigue, compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout. Practical implications Incorporating CMT into a CBP programme may bring changes in student levels of self-compassion and self-critical judgement. Originality/value This inaugural study examines whether incorporating CMT into a CBP programme impacts on students levels of compassion, dispositional empathy and self-critical judgement. The findings from this preliminary study suggest the potential benefits of training students in compassion focused practices.

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Developing a Compassionate Internal Supervisor: Compassion‐Focused Therapy for Trainee Therapists

Cited by 24 publications

References 41 publications

Effects of the Mindful Self‐Compassion programme on clinical and health psychology trainees' well‐being: A pilot study

Effects of the Mindful Self‐Compassion programme on clinical and health psychology trainees' well‐being: A pilot study

Multiple emotions, multiple selves: compassion focused therapy chairwork

The effects of compassionate mind training on student psychotherapists

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