Compassion-focused therapy

CFT Psychologist in Guildford

Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) was developed to treat shame, self-loathing, and self-attack (self-criticism). CFT is useful for working with conditions such as depression, anxiety, trauma, and relationship issues. It is a psychological therapy which aims to help reduce distress and psychological difficulties, as well as increasing happiness, wellbeing and flourishing.  CFT does this by helping people to cultivate their compassionate minds, which in turn, allows them to engage with the difficulties they are facing in a wise and helpful way. Ultimately, CFT helps people to become more compassionate in three directions:

• to others

• from others

• to themselves (self-compassion).

  CFT draws upon the science of human nature, evolution, and attachment.. There are often misconceptions about what compassion is.  Compassion, as used in CFT, involves becoming sensitive to our own or other people’s distress, and learning how to skilfully alleviate this.  In CFT people are helped to develop self-compassion;  at the heart of this is learning how we can treat ourselves in a way that we would a good friend, or family member.