About This Event

Many clients—and counsellors themselves—report feeling guilt, discomfort, or even anxiety when encouraged to practice self-compassion. This one-hour practical session explores the psychological and cultural roots of this resistance, drawing on research from Professor Paul Gilbert, Kristin Neff and related clinical insights from Compassion-Focused Therapy. Through discussion, brief experiential exercises, and case examples, participants will examine common fears and misconceptions about self-compassion (e.g. “it’s selfish,” “it will make me weak or lazy”) and learn how to address guilt-based blocks compassionately and effectively in therapeutic work.

By the end of this one-hour session, participants will be able to:

• Explain common psychological, developmental, and cultural reasons why individuals experience guilt when practicing self-compassion

• Identify typical fears, beliefs, and misconceptions that underpin resistance to self-compassion (e.g. fears of selfishness, complacency, or loss of standards)

• Recognise how guilt and shame-based learning histories influence clients’ responses to compassionate interventions

• Apply practical, compassion-informed strategies to work with guilt and resistance in counselling sessions

• Support clients to reframe self-compassion as a resource for responsibility, motivation, and emotional resilience rather than a moral failing