Wednesdays, October 7 – December 9, 2020, 9:00am – 11:00am

Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) is a well researched and effective 8-week program developed by Drs. Chris Germer and Kristin Neff. This class helps participants develop the habits of being kinder to ourselves, and others, and living with more ease and well-being in our daily life. Mindful self-compassion is a first step in emotional healing. We learn to be-friend oneself, and acknowledge our difficult thoughts and feelings with a spirit of openness, curiosity and love, rather than self-judgment, or self-criticism.

In the weekly program, participants will learn through activities such as meditation, experiential exercises, short presentations, group discussion, and home practices. Learning is mostly experiential and includes current theory and research on self-compassion.

Research has shown that self-compassion greatly enhances emotional wellbeing. It boosts resilience, happiness, reduces anxiety and depression, and can even help maintain healthy lifestyle habits such as healthy eating and exercise.  MSC can be learned by anyone. It’s the practice of recognizing moments of difficulty, and repeatedly evoking good will toward ourselves. It extends cultivation of that same desire beyond ourselves to all living beings to live happily and free from suffering.

Perhaps most importantly, cultivating self-compassion allows one to honor and accept our humanness. Things will not always go the way we want them to. We often encounter frustrations and losses. We make mistakes and bump up against our limitations, or fall short of our ideals. This is the human condition, a reality shared by us all. The more we open our heart to this reality instead of constantly fighting against it, the more we will be able to feel compassion for ourselves and all our fellow humans.

This program has been approved for 24 CEUs by the NASW Washington State Chapter. Licensed Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Mental Health Counselors are eligible. Provider number is #1975-449.

Date & Time:
Wednesdays, October 7th – December 9th, 2020, 9:00am – 11:00am*
*Half-day retreat will take place November 18 and run 9am-12pm.

Cost:
This event will be offered at three rate options to support meaningful access at different economic levels. If you are able to invest in social justice work and support our efforts to make this series and others events accessible, please consider the SUPPORTING rate. If you need financial support to access this offering, purchase at the SUPPORTED rate. Otherwise, SUSTAINING is the market value rate that includes consideration for the instructor’s compensation and hosting expenses.
✓ $325 – Supported
✓ $375 – Sustaining
✓ $425 – Supporting
Registration will open by September 1, 2020

Note: Our series require a minimum of five registered participants, by five days before the start date; if you are considering joining please register early.

Cancellation Policy: Refunds of 90% up to five days prior to start of series. No refunds allowable after that time.

About the instructors:

Joel Grow, PhD
I am a Seattle-based clinical psychologist and mindfulnes facilitator and trainer. My work includes individual psychotherapy, group classes such as Mindful Self-Compassion and Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention, and training. I offer evidence-supported treatment that incorporates self-compassion, mindfulness, and acceptance-based approaches.
My approach aims at helping people lead a full and meaningful life, by clarifying what is deeply important for each person and practicing skills for working effectively with the pain and stress that life inevitably brings.
I am a member of the Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) development and research team, and co-author of the upcoming 2nd Edition of MBRP for Addictive Behaviors. I lead MBRP groups, professional training, and consulting. I also lead Mindful Self-Compassion groups, both in-person and online. I also developed and lead Emotional Agility classes, both for men and for mixed gender classes.
My background includes providing behavioral health care and trainings/workshops in community agencies, VA and private hospitals, specialized medical settings, corporations, and government agencies. Before graduate school, I spent 6 years as a software engineer and in-house trainer/instructor at Amazon.com. I also co-developed and served as lead instructor for a 9-month University of Washington certificate program for 9 years, and was awarded the UW “Award for teaching excellence.”