Compassion-focused therapy: what it is, phases, and what it is for

Compassion-focused therapy CFT, is a therapy modality developed by Paul Gilbert aimed at generating compassionate motivation and emotions directed to care in patients, as well as to develop some kind of balance emotional.

In this article you will learn about the main characteristics of this form of psychotherapeutic intervention.

• Related article: "The 8 benefits of going to psychological therapy"

What is compassion-focused therapy?

In the Buddhist tradition, it is said that the bird of wisdom has two wings, one of them is mindfulness and the other is compassion.

It is interesting to clarify that compassion as understood in the field of Mindfulness and psychotherapy has nothing to do with pity or superiority, but rather is linked to openness and sensitivity to suffering (our own and that of others, and by ourselves we also understand that of psychologists) and motivation to reduce or prevent it.

According to Paul Gilbert, there are two aspects that follow from the definition that we have seen. On the one hand, the courage of

get closer to suffering, to accept those we don't like, accept our reactions... On the other, the ability to try to alleviate and prevent suffering (this also includes the acquisition of wisdom and skills necessary for this).

This model draws on several sources: evolutionary psychology, attachment theory, affective neuroscience, Mindfulness and deep psychology, and is aimed at people with high levels of shame and self-criticism. These two aspects are at the base of the suffering of the vast majority of people who come to therapy.

• You may be interested in: "Therapy to distance ourselves from suffering: a proposal"

The phases of this form of intervention

The therapy guiding scheme is a 4-layer model, taken from Russell L. Kolts, in which the phases of therapy appear staggered.

1. Therapeutic relationship

At this stage the challenge is provide a warm and safe environment in which the person who comes to therapy can recognize and experience the therapist as a person committed to their well-being.

2. Compassionate understanding

In this phase we will focus on help clients begin to understand their emotions and life events in a compassionate and blameless way. Here we will see how evolution has played a very important role in shaping our emotions, as well as our mind and our lives.

3. Mindfulness

In this third stage we will develop the consciousness of the experience in its different planes (physical, emotional, cognitive) as well as the cultivation of acceptance and non-judgment.

4. Compassion practices

In this phase, it will be possible for the patient to change his self-criticism for a kinder voice, the compassionate I will develop, that is, a kind and brave wise version of themselves to serve as a reference to gather enough courage to face the things that terrify us.

Emotional regulation systems

An aspect that is very important in therapy and that can help patients / clients understand many of their reactions are the emotional regulation systems, understood as different families of emotions that act in each of the U.S. There would be three types of emotional regulation systems.

1. Based on the threat

When this system is activated, our way of relating to the world is based on fear and alarm, and our responses are based on flight, fight or paralysis... The emotions belonging to this system are anger, anxiety or disgust.... His motto is “better safe than sorry”.

2. Based on achievement

This system is the one that has to do when we place ourselves in the mentality of seeking resources and activate the reward system in us, through the logic of the more successful I am, the better I feel. His motto would be: “let's get it done”.

3. Based on calm and satisfaction

This system allows us to bring a certain calm and balance to each of us. It has to do with the feeling of tranquility and security, and it is an easy system to identify when a child is in the company of her loved ones. Self-care, meditation, and being with people we appreciate make this system solid.

Work in therapy

The challenge is to introduce balance between the three systems that we have seen. Each of them has its function, but what happens in this type of society in which we live is that there is a predominance of the achievement system linked to the threat system: if we don't get what we want, we get frustrated ...

The ultimate goal of this therapy is none other than to get patients to move away from ways of be in the world focused on threats and bring them closer to a kind, wise and confident.

Compassion-focused therapy CFT has been applied to a growing list of problems, including depression, psychosis, compulsive eating, anxiety, anger, trauma, social anxiety and personality disorders.