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Dates: Saturdays, September 20 - October 25, 2025

Time: 9 -10:30 a.m. ET

Program Cost: $250* (*See below for discount rate.)

Delivery: Synchronous Virtual Classroom via Zoom

The Short Course in Mindful Self-Compassion (SC-MSC) is a 6-week adaptation of the full Mindful Self-Compassion program (8-week course) developed by Kristen Neff, PhD and Christopher Germer, PhD along with colleagues through the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion. This short series was developed to allow participants to begin to learn a targeted set of MSC practices with less initial time commitment than a full 26-hour MSC program.

Most of us feel compassion for our close friends and clients when they are struggling. What would it be like to receive the same caring attention from yourself when you need it most? Fortunately, self-compassion can be learned in part by connecting with our innate compassion for others and including ourselves in that circle of compassion. The practice of self-compassion also helps to grow and sustain our compassion for others. 

The SC-MSC program draws on the skills of mindfulness and focuses on developing the resource of self-compassion to enhance our capacity for emotional wellbeing. Burgeoning research shows that self-compassion is strongly associated with emotional wellbeing, coping with life challenges, lower levels of anxiety and depression, healthy habits such as diet and exercise, and more satisfying personal relationships. It is an inner strength that enables us to be more fully human—more fully ourselves. By integrating these strategies into clinical practice, social workers can effectively guide clients toward embracing mindful self-compassion, fostering greater well-being and resilience. 

Schedule

1. September 20: What is Self-Compassion? Definition, Science and Research of Self-Compassion
2. September 27: Practicing Self-Compassion: Physiology and Practice of Self-Compassion with Mindfulness
3. October 4: Discovering Your Compassionate Voice: Motivating Ourselves with Fierce Self-Compassion
4. October 11: Self-Compassion, Resilience and Strategies for Meeting Difficult Emotions
5. October 18: Burnout: Self-Compassion for Caregiver Fatigue
6. October 25: Making it Count: Reconnecting to Core Values

Objectives

At the completion of this series participants will be able to: 

• Articulate the basic theoretical underpinnings and research findings related to self-compassion.
• Develop and apply self-compassion practices to motivate themselves with encouragement rather than self-criticism.
• Describe the key components of self-compassion and mindfulness and how they can be integrated into your role as a professional.
• Explain the difference between empathy and compassion and utilize strategies to avoid emotional exhaustion.
• Practice techniques to increase self-compassion at work and in everyday life.
• Practice at least one skill from each session to care for yourself emotionally while caring for others who are experiencing difficulty.

Program activities include short talks, experiential exercises, group discussion, and home practices. SC-MSC is an opportunity to explore how we typically respond when difficulties arise in our lives and to learn tools for becoming a warm and supportive companion to ourselves. 

This program is designed for all levels of professionals in caregiving professions and members of the general public, based on the values of equity, diversity, inclusiveness and belonging. Meditation experience is not necessary to participate in SC-MSC. All are welcome!

Instructor

Annie Allen, PhD, LSW is a psychotherapist, researcher, and committed student and teacher of mindfulness and compassion. As a psychotherapist, Annie works with adults and teens at GKSW/Crystal Group. As a researcher and educator, she has been studying teaching and learning in and out of schools for 25 years, with a focus on how classrooms and systems can be more humane and informed by expertise from research and community-based knowledge. She has taught on the faculty at the University of Rochester and the University of Colorado Boulder. For over 2 decades she has been exploring Buddhist psychology and meditation and is committed to sharing these transformative practices with others. She is a Certified Teacher of the Mindful Self-Compassion program, developed by Kristen Neff and Christopher Germer.

Cost | CEUs

Program Cost: $250 for the series. (Partial registration is not available for this program.)

*Discount Rate: $215 for the series. (*Discount available for BMC alumnae/i, faculty, staff, field instructors of current GSSWSR MSS students, current MSS students and Agency-funded groups of three or more.) 

CEUs: 9

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