Training Compassion for Mental Health
Overview
People and groups can’t truly thrive without compassion. Training Compassion for Mental Health delivers CBCT®, a program that trains you to strengthen attention, regulate emotions, and sustain compassion for themselves and others. It is research-based and applicable across cultures. Whether for personal healing, improved relationships, or a more just world, CBCT equips individuals with the tools to flourish.
How CBCT Works
Interested?
Each year, more mental health professionals – including therapists, social workers, and chaplains – are learning to support their clients by guiding them through this course on Compassion U. Ask your mental health provider if they are a certified CBCT teacher.
What You’ll Get
- Research-based strategies for emotion regulation
- Practices to foster greater self-compassion and self-agency
- Tools to better manage the ups and downs of daily life
- Methods to enhance understanding and connection with others
- Techniques to promote effective and compassionate action
A Program of Emory University
The Compassion U platform delivers Emory University’s CBCT® (Cognitively Based Compassion Training) program, ensuring high-quality, research-based learning. Upon completion, you will receive a digital certificate from Emory University that verifies your training in compassion.
Curriculum
IntroductionOverview
Begin the compassion training journey. In the Overview, we deepen our understanding of what compassion is, why it is valuable, and CBCT’s approach to training it. We explore the relationship between compassion and resilience and engage in practices to strengthen self-regulation skills.
Overview
Begin the compassion training journey. In the Overview, we deepen our understanding of what compassion is, why it is valuable, and CBCT’s approach to training it. We explore the relationship between compassion and resilience and engage in practices to strengthen self-regulation skills.
- Introduction
- Insight Activity 1: Setting Goals
- Insight Activity 2: Connecting to Compassion
- Storytelling
- Insight Activity 3: What Keeps us in Our Zone of Wellbeing
- Self-assessment & Formal Practice
- Informal Practice
- Wrap-up
Module 1 Connecting to a Moment of Nurturance
Build a strong foundation and strengthen motivation. In Module 1, we connect to nurturing moments to elicit feelings of safety and deepen our appreciation for compassion. This module is considered foundational to CBCT, as it supports both the resilience and the motivation to train compassion.
Connecting to a Moment of Nurturance
Build a strong foundation and strengthen motivation. In Module 1, we connect to nurturing moments to elicit feelings of safety and deepen our appreciation for compassion. This module is considered foundational to CBCT, as it supports both the resilience and the motivation to train compassion.
- Introduction
- Objective
- Insight Activity 1: Connecting to a Moment of Nurturance
- Storytelling
- Insight Activity 2: Making Visible the Value of Kindness
- Self-assessment & Formal Practice
- Informal Practice
- Wrap-up
Module 2 Developing Stable and Clear Attention
Learn practices to improve focus and resilience. In Module 2, we learn to hold our attention where we choose. We train the emotion regulation strategy of attention deployment, as we strengthen the ability to notice when attention is pulled, to redirect it, and to keep it where we want it to be.
Developing Stable and Clear Attention
Learn practices to improve focus and resilience. In Module 2, we learn to hold our attention where we choose. We train the emotion regulation strategy of attention deployment, as we strengthen the ability to notice when attention is pulled, to redirect it, and to keep it where we want it to be.
- Introduction
- Objective
- Insight Activity 1: What’s at Stake?
- Storytelling
- Insight Activity 2: Attention Deployment
- Self-assessment & Formal Practice
- Informal Practice
- Wrap-up
Module 3 Enhancing Self-Awareness
Develop the skill of non-judgmental awareness. In Module 3, we learn to refrain from projecting, cultivate greater insight into our mental and emotional habits and gain greater flexibility in how we respond to them. This emotion regulation strategy is sometimes called self-distancing.
Enhancing Self-Awareness
Develop the skill of non-judgmental awareness. In Module 3, we learn to refrain from projecting, cultivate greater insight into our mental and emotional habits and gain greater flexibility in how we respond to them. This emotion regulation strategy is sometimes called self-distancing.
- Introduction
- Objective
- Insight Activity 1: Catching the Spark
- Storytelling
- Insight Activity 2: Examining Our Emotional Scripts
- Insight Activity 3: Non-judgmental Awareness
- Insight Activity 4: Starting with Sensations
- Self-assessment & Formal Practice
- Informal Practice
- Wrap-up
Module 4 Cultivating Self-Compassion – Part 1
Respond to setbacks and vulnerabilities with understanding and kindness. In Module 4, we employ the emotion regulation strategy of cognitive reappraisal to uproot patterns of excessive self-critism and harsh self-blame and foster greater understanding and kindness toward ourselves.
Cultivating Self-Compassion – Part 1
Respond to setbacks and vulnerabilities with understanding and kindness. In Module 4, we employ the emotion regulation strategy of cognitive reappraisal to uproot patterns of excessive self-critism and harsh self-blame and foster greater understanding and kindness toward ourselves.
- Introduction
- Objective
- Insight Activity 1: Talking to a Friend
- Deeper Dive
- Storytelling
- Insight Activity 2: I’m Not The Only One
- Insight Activity 3: Making Strengths Visible
- Insight Activity 4: What We Can (and Cannot) Control
- Self-assessment & Formal Practice
- Informal Practice
- Wrap-up
Module 5 Cultivating Self-Compassion – Part 2
Strengthen the ability to find meaning in challenges and vulnerabilities. In Module 5, we tap into self-agency by reappraising our setbacks, seeing them as opportunities for growth. In doing so, we offset feelings of helplessness and despair and foster a genuine sense of empowerment.
Cultivating Self-Compassion – Part 2
Strengthen the ability to find meaning in challenges and vulnerabilities. In Module 5, we tap into self-agency by reappraising our setbacks, seeing them as opportunities for growth. In doing so, we offset feelings of helplessness and despair and foster a genuine sense of empowerment.
- Introduction
- Objective
- Insight Activity 1: Opportunity for Growth
- Storytelling
- Insight Activity 2: Connecting to Our Values
- Insight Activity 3: Adversity as a Gateway to Empathy and Compassion
- Insight Activity 4: Making Self-agency Visible
- Self-assessment & Formal Practice
- Informal Practice
- Wrap-up
Module 6 Expanding Our Circle of Concern
Extend a sense of connection to a widening group of people. In Module 6, we use cognitive reappraisal to identify with others and soften the hard line between ingroup and outgroup. We turn our attention from self to other to foster healthier relationships and more meaningful connections.
Expanding Our Circle of Concern
Extend a sense of connection to a widening group of people. In Module 6, we use cognitive reappraisal to identify with others and soften the hard line between ingroup and outgroup. We turn our attention from self to other to foster healthier relationships and more meaningful connections.
- Introduction
- Objective
- Insight Activity 1: Step In, Step Out
- Storytelling
- Insight Activity 2: Connecting Through Our Shared Human Condition
- Insight Activity 3: Distinguishing the Act From the Actor
- Insight Activity 4: Appreciating Diversity
- Self-assessment & Formal Practice
- Informal Practice
- Wrap-up
Module 7 Deepening Gratitude and Tenderness
Expand warm-heartedness to include a widening circle of people. In Module 7, we deepen awareness of our interdependence with others to dramatically expand feelings of gratitude and tenderness. Reflecting on the benefits of other-oriented attitudes strengthens our capacity for genuine connection.
Deepening Gratitude and Tenderness
Expand warm-heartedness to include a widening circle of people. In Module 7, we deepen awareness of our interdependence with others to dramatically expand feelings of gratitude and tenderness. Reflecting on the benefits of other-oriented attitudes strengthens our capacity for genuine connection.
- Introduction
- Objective
- Insight Activity 1: Connecting to Feelings of Gratitude and Tenderness
- Storytelling
- Insight Activity 2: Seeing That We Depend on Others
- Insight Activity 3: The Web of Interdependence
- Insight Activity 4: Reducing Narrow Self-focus
- Self-assessment & Formal Practice
- Informal Practice
- Wrap-up
Module 8 Harnessing the Power of Compassion
Expand warm-heartedness to include a widening circle of people. In Module 7, we deepen awareness of our interdependence with others to dramatically expand feelings of gratitude and tenderness. Reflecting on the benefits of other-oriented attitudes strengthens our capacity for genuine connection.
Harnessing the Power of Compassion
Expand warm-heartedness to include a widening circle of people. In Module 7, we deepen awareness of our interdependence with others to dramatically expand feelings of gratitude and tenderness. Reflecting on the benefits of other-oriented attitudes strengthens our capacity for genuine connection.
- Introduction
- Objective
- Insight Activity 1: The Two Keys to Compassion
- Storytelling
- Insight Activity 2: What Are They Up Against
- Insight Activity 3: The Most Pressing Concern in You Community, Society or World
- Insight Activity 4: Creating a Ripple Effect
- Self-assessment & Formal Practice
- Informal Practice
- Wrap-up
Module 9 What’s Next
Continue the journey. In What’s Next, we review the progress we have made, reflect on the CBCT skills, perspectives, and practices that we have found helpful, and set the intention to carry them forward. We chart our own path to bring compassion into being and an uncover our best next steps.
What’s Next
Continue the journey. In What’s Next, we review the progress we have made, reflect on the CBCT skills, perspectives, and practices that we have found helpful, and set the intention to carry them forward. We chart our own path to bring compassion into being and an uncover our best next steps.
- Introduction
- Objective
- Review
- Insight Activity: Setting Intentions
- Self-assessment & Formal Practice
- Wrap-up
