cft session 2
TRANSCRIPT
CFT Compassion Focused Therapy Session 2
Housekeeping Collect measures
Today’s Agenda Learn about old brain and new brain Learn about and practice soothing
rhythm breathing to cope Learn about our ways of coping, what
needs are met and unintended consequences
How Evolution has shaped our brains: Goal of CFT: to shift the relationship with
our internal experience from judgement and shame to understanding and compassion
Many aspects of our experiences are not our fault
We can still take responsibility without blaming ourselves
“We are not responsible for falling down but we are responsible for getting back up….”
Compassion begins with understanding the mind
Old brains … Old brain = emotional brain
Kept our ancestors alive Threat and reward, fight, flight
Automatic, fast, strong…. Powerful, but not polished….. Can’t tell the differences between
mental images and reality Can activate our bodies (anger, sex, food)
New Brain…. Thinking, reasoning, self-control Problem solving, mental- imagery, self-
awareness… Less powerful but more polished Deep thinking, thinking about the future More evolved, makes us human
Old brain, New Brain, Tricky Brain
One of the scariest thoughts…
There’s a reason we call it a vicious cycle… Self criticism keeps the threat response
activated, as if there were a real intruder
The brain can’t tell external (intruder) threats from internal (self-criticism) threats
CFT helps us to move away from threatening self criticism to feelings of understanding, compassion, soothing and safeness….
How Shame affects the body and mind: Making contact with the experience of
shame pg 31 green book
Soothing Rhythm Breathing Purposely slowing down the breath to
slow the body’s response to threat The effect is built over time… Let’s try it together now
Coping Strategies What we intend and what actually
happens are two different things (trying to get someone to listen during a “fight”)
Self-compassion is about understanding that every behavior is an attempt to meet a need or solve a problem
See worksheet 3 pg 59 of the Power of Compassion
Wrap up and Homework: Practice SRB twice per day for 30
seconds What will we link it to so we will
practice? TV commercial Red Light After or during the bath/shower Set timer on phone Wake and Bed