Compassion-Focused Therapy
Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)is an evidence-based therapeutic approach developed to help individuals build self-compassion and address issues like shame, low self-esteem, and emotional distress. CFT is particularly beneficial for those who struggle with self-criticism.
CFT is effective in treating a variety of issues, including depression, anxiety, trauma, and chronic emotional distress. It focuses on developing compassion for oneself and others, helping individuals break free from cycles of self-criticism and negative thought patterns.
The goal of CFT is to help you develop a more compassionate and kind relationship with yourself, which can lead to improved emotional regulation and greater psychological well-being. By understanding how past experiences influence how you relate to yourself and learning to respond to yourself with empathy and understanding, CFT helps reduce the impact of negative self-judgment and fosters emotional resilience.
In this approach, we will explore how your threat, drive and soothing systems interact, and restore balance between them through emotion regulation. I will help you notice self-critical thoughts and consciously work on these to develop a new self narrative.
CFT is particularly helpful for those who can rationalise and challenge difficult beliefs about themselves, but struggle to feel differently. CFT uses self-soothing techniques to encourage you to step into your ideal self-compassionate image, relate to yourself kindly whilst giving yourself the encouragement you need to move forward proactively.
Evidence Behind the Therapy
Paul Gilbert, the founder of CFT, explains: “The key to compassion-focused therapy is developing a compassionate mind to counteract the harshness of the critical voice and to cultivate emotional regulation.”
A study by Gilbert et al. (2010) found that “CFT significantly reduced depression and anxiety, particularly in individuals struggling with high levels of self-criticism.”
According to research by Leaviss & Uttley (2015): “CFT has been shown to be highly effective in improving emotional regulation, reducing feelings of shame, and increasing overall well-being.”
