Self-Compassion Series

The concept of self compassion is new to psychology (first article published in 2003), but it is easily understandable by most.  Disclaimer: Just because this is easy to understand does not mean it is easy to do. Most Americans are not taught to be self-compassionate, but rather self-critical, which means the transition to becoming more self-compassionate can be difficult, but it is completely worth it in the end.

Kristin Neff is essentially the "creator" or founder of the term self-compassion, so she is an expert on this subject. She is a pioneer in Eastern psychology, such that she took several philosophical principles from Buddhism (East) and applied it to psychology (West). She speaks about self compassion in a four part series on youtube.  

These videos are short and very informative.  I also love that she makes mistakes and fumbles in the videos, but keeps going with a smile, which is the very essence of self-compassion. She breaks down each of the three components of self-compassion in a way that is very easy to understand and immediately applicable to your daily life. 

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By Dr. Stephanie Voigt, Psy.D.

Dr. Voigt is a Clinical Psychologist who specializes in family therapy, behavior problems with children, and psychological evaluation for children under 12.

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – Dalai Lama XIV

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