CFT Compassion Focused Therapy Session 2

Housekeeping Collect measures

Today’s Agenda Learn about old brain and new brain Learn about and practice soothing

rhythm breathing to cope Learn about our ways of coping, what

needs are met and unintended consequences

How Evolution has shaped our brains: Goal of CFT: to shift the relationship with

our internal experience from judgement and shame to understanding and compassion

Many aspects of our experiences are not our fault

We can still take responsibility without blaming ourselves

“We are not responsible for falling down but we are responsible for getting back up….”

Compassion begins with understanding the mind

Old brains … Old brain = emotional brain

Kept our ancestors alive Threat and reward, fight, flight

Automatic, fast, strong…. Powerful, but not polished….. Can’t tell the differences between

mental images and reality Can activate our bodies (anger, sex, food)

New Brain…. Thinking, reasoning, self-control Problem solving, mental- imagery, self-

awareness… Less powerful but more polished Deep thinking, thinking about the future More evolved, makes us human

Old brain, New Brain, Tricky Brain

One of the scariest thoughts…

There’s a reason we call it a vicious cycle… Self criticism keeps the threat response

activated, as if there were a real intruder

The brain can’t tell external (intruder) threats from internal (self-criticism) threats

CFT helps us to move away from threatening self criticism to feelings of understanding, compassion, soothing and safeness….

How Shame affects the body and mind: Making contact with the experience of

shame pg 31 green book

Soothing Rhythm Breathing Purposely slowing down the breath to

slow the body’s response to threat The effect is built over time… Let’s try it together now

Coping Strategies What we intend and what actually

happens are two different things (trying to get someone to listen during a “fight”)

Self-compassion is about understanding that every behavior is an attempt to meet a need or solve a problem

See worksheet 3 pg 59 of the Power of Compassion

Wrap up and Homework: Practice SRB twice per day for 30

seconds What will we link it to so we will

practice? TV commercial Red Light After or during the bath/shower Set timer on phone Wake and Bed