Are you tired of..

  • Coming home weary at the end of a long day with work still left to do at home?

  • Listening to your inner critical voice that relentlessly tells you that you aren't doing enough?

  • Going through your day feeling anxious and worried that someone is judging you?

  • Doubting your decisions and replaying them in your mind (maybe at 3 am)?

Imagine how it would feel to...

  • Set healthy boundaries with confidence and less guilt. Feel secure in your ability to be both kind and clear when making yourself heard.

  • Enjoy down-time at home either alone, with family or friends feeling peaceful. Be free of the jumpy anxious feeling like you “should be” doing something else.

  • Have unshakeable sense of trust in yourself no matter what. This means when you make a mistake or show up with imperfection you know without a doubt that you are still okay (loveable, safe, and worthy).

  • Make non-negotiable time for yourself that you enjoy without shame or guilt. Believe that this time is sacred and unselfish because it ultimately serves everyone you interact with.

Self-Compassion for Physicians

A Six Week Course

Self-Compassion for Physicians is a 6-hr evidence-based healthcare adaptation of Mindful Self-Compassion, the empirically supported program of Dr. Kristin Neff at UT Austin and Dr. Chris Germer at Harvard Medical School. This training aims to improve wellbeing and personal resilience in healthcare professionals by teaching mindful self-compassion skills to deal with distressing emotional situations as they occur at work and at home.
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Self-Compassion

What is it?

Self-compassion in a nutshell is treating ourselves like we would a friend.

Most of us treat others much better than we treat ourselves.  We tell ourselves things that we would never dream of saying to other people.  We show up for our friends in loving and encouraging ways but don't think about showing up for ourselves in the same kind way.

We are harsh with ourselves out of a few misguided beliefs and fears.  We are afraid that if we are kind towards ourselves we will:

  • Become weak and be unable to effectlively handle challenging or stressful situations
  • Wallow in self-pity instead of find solutions to our problems
  • Fall into complacency and be unmotivated to pursue our goals
  •  Be selfish--only concerned with fulfilling our own needs and disregard the true needs of others.
  • Turn into a self-absorbed and narcisstic person


In fact, the opposite is true!  Research shows that those that score high in self-compassionate are:

  • Stronger and more resilient in the face of challenges
  • Less likely to delve into rumination and dwell on unfortunate circumstances
  • More motivated and consistent when making positive changes in their lives
  • Able to sustain compassionate feelings towards others, making it less likely that they'll experience stress or burnout
  • Capable of seeing themselves accurately which makes it easier to hear feedback from others and take responsibility for the impact of their actions (both good and bad)

What is possible?

Self-Compassion is a game changer!

Stop and think about all the energy and time you spend being self-critical and the challenging emotions that result from that (self-doubt, resistance, worry, anxiety, stress). Now imagine instead that all that energy was freed up. Instead of pushing against yourself, what if you were your own best champion? What could you accomplish, feel, and experience if that criticism was transformed into an encouraging and positively motivating inner ally?
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How will self-compassion help me as a physician?

In research by Kristen Neff and colleagues, published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, this program was found to significantly:

Decrease:  

  • Depression
  • Stress
  • Secondary traumatic stress
  • Burnout


Increase:  

  • Self-compassion
  • Mindfulness
  • Compassion for others
  • Job satisfaction in healthcare professionals


In research by Babenko, O., Mosewich, A.D., Lee, A., & Doppula S.

Physicians who scored higher on assessments of self-compassion were shown to be better off than colleagues who scored lower in self-compassion.  In one analysis, self-compassionate physicians,  “experienced more positive work engagement, felt less emotionally, physically, and cognitively exhausted due to work demands, and were more satisfied with their professional life than physicians who exhibited less compassion toward themselves in uncertain and challenging times”.


Neff K. D., Knox M. C., Long P., Gregory K. (2020). Caring for others without losing yourself: an adaptation of the mindful self-compassion program for healthcare communities. J. Clin. Psychol. 76, 1543–1562. doi: 10.1002/jclp.23007, PMID: - DOI - PubMed

Babenko, O., Mosewich, A.D., Lee, A., & Koppula, S. (2019). Association of Physicians’ Self-Compassion with Work Engagement, Exhaustion, and Professional Life Satisfaction. Medical Scients, 7(2), 29.

Applicable Real Time Strategies

As opposed to other self-care techniques, self-compassion practices can be used on the spot while at work with patients and colleagues

Most touted self-care techniques require time and resources away from our busy day-to-day lives. Things like getting a massage, going on vacation, running a bath, or even calling a friend. Self-compassion practices offer tangible and easy strategies for support in the moment and that can used throughout the work day.
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What you can expect to take away from the course

As a participant of the program you can learn the following objectives:

  • Understand and Integrate

    Be able to describe the key components of self-compassion and mindfulness and experience how they can be integrated into your role as a healthcare professional.

  • Avoid Emotional Exhausion

    Be able to explain the difference between empathy and compassion and utilize specific doable strategies to avoid emotional exhaustion.

  • Increase Self-Compassion

    Be able to practice accessible and concrete techniques to increase self-compassion at work and everyday life.

  • Tangible Skills

    Practice at least one skill from each session to care for yourself emotionally while caring for others who are experiencing difficulty.

Once you join the class you will receive

  • Exercises and practices for each lesson

  • Links to all the live Zoom classes

  • Audio tracks and videos for each lesson

Your Instructor

Life Coach and trained MSC teacher Jennifer Erwin

Jennifer Erwin is a professional coach and trained Mindful Self-Compassion teacher with expertise in serving physicians and health care professionals. She supports women in decreasing burnout and increasing well-being through an evidence based coaching model as well as through her online programs. She has a degree in psychology and masters in education as well as advanced training in NVC (non-violent communication), positive psychology, mindfulness and self-compassion. She is passionate about helping women grow their confidence and life satisfaction through taming the inner critic and developing an unshakeable sense of trust themselves.

"A moment of self-compassion can change your entire day. A string of such moments can change the course of your life. "

-Chris Germer, PhD
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FAQ

  • What if I miss a session?

    Participation in each live session is highly encouraged but it is understandable as a busy physician that sometimes you can't make a particular class. As a participant in the course you will have access to all the lesson materials in the class portal and you can catch up with pre-recorded video, slides, and exercises for each weeks session.

  • These dates don't work for me, will the course be running again?

    Yes, this course will likely run again in the summer months. Please reach out through email if you would like to stay updated on when the next course will be held.

  • I'm a busy physician, will these practices take a lot of time?

    Each class will last no longer than 60 minutes each week and the recommended practices outside of class can take anywhere from 5-15 minutes. This course has been specifically designed with busy healthcare professionals in mind and can be integrated into your busy work day.

  • Who will be attending these classes?

    This specific course is geared towards women physicians who identify as highly caring and also high achieving.

  • Can I get CME credit for this class?

    Unfortunately at this time the answer is no. However, I am working towards finding sustainable ways to make this a possibilty for future cohorts.

  • How long will I have access to the material?

    Once you sign up for the course you'll have access to all the pre-recorded materials, exercises, and audio throughout the scheduled length of the course. The material will be accessible for two weeks after the final live class (Session 6), after which participants will not have access to the class portal. Participants are welcome to download any of the audio or resources that were most useful before the course's end date.

Testimonials

What women are saying after a self-compassion class with Jennifer

Hayley H.

This class offered a wonderful space in which to explore the many folds and layers of mindful self compassion. Their approach is very gentle and supportive and they balance this very well with the educational aspect of the course, and sharing their knowledge and own experiences in a nurturing and encouraging environment.

Benjina H.

After taking the MSC course, I have become more in-tuned with my emotions, learning to trust my intuition more. I have experienced less anxiety and feeling low. I am able to pause when feeling distressed and let it in (Mindfulness) and analyse the issue instead of just brushing it off as I have done it in the past which it will only get worse by bottling it up in the long term. I am reminded to give myself self compassion when I am being self- critical. I am learning to not be so hard on myself. Applying mindfulness in different situations with COMPASSION has been life changing for me because it has allowed me to be more at peace with myself. I know there is a lot more to learn and it won't be an easy path but seeing these positive changes in myself has given me hope and motivation to go forward.

Emma G

This MSC was life changing for me. It really helped me to connect to difficult emotions, express them and give myself and others more compassion in daily life.

Heather K.

The MSC course went deeper than I expect. It covered numerous topics, some I had never considered in the text of compassion. In the end, my transformation is evidence to myself how effective this course was. I think the world would be a better place if everyone experienced this course. The guides were kind, generous with their teachings, and held a safe space for all of us to feel and grow.

Rachel P.

This was an incredible experience, a safe space to grow and be a part of community. I learned new techniques and the accountability to show up each week was key to ensure I incorporated practices.

Sorcha P.

I loved this course as it was based on research and highlighted the best practices in relation to mindfulness self-compassion. The passion shown by the guides week in week out was an inspiration. I highly recommend this course!

Jen M.

MSC has helped me to find and uncover incredibly powerful resources for compassion. For myself and for others. Thank you!

Class Enrollment Fee

Course Curriculum

  • Week 1: What is Self-Compassion

  • Week 2: Practicing Self-Compassion

  • Week 3: Self-Compassion and Burnout

  • Week 4: Discovering Your Compassionate Voice

  • Week 5: Self-Compassion and Resilience

  • Week 6: Making it Count