Chris Germer – Mindful Self-Compassion

Chris Germer has had a private practice in mindfulness-and compassion-based psychotherapy since 1985 and he is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion. He is the author of five books, including the The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion. Together with Kristin Neff he co-developed Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC), an empirically-supported, 8-week training program for the general public. The Center for Mindful Self-Compassion was established in 2012 and since then tens of thousands of people have learned MSC from over 1,000 teachers worldwide. Chris speaks about how his public speaking anxiety led him to self-compassion. Chris elaborates on the difference between the two best friends, compassion and mindfulness. We speak about that one of the most compassionate things we can do is not to take our thoughts too seriously. That self-compassion is the antidote to shame and that shame comes from the wish to be loved. That the critical voice has our best interest in mind. To remember to ask oneself the question, what do I need? And that the practice is about being a compassionate mess. Chris ends our conversation by guiding a self-compassion meditation.

For more information about Chris, visit chrisgermer.com.

Read the transcript of our conversation with Chris here.