
Self-Compassion for Caregivers 6-week Course.
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I will be offering this course starting on Sunday, March 9 at noon Eastern Time (time zone converter here). Each session lasts an hour, and I'll stay for an additional 15 minutes to discuss questions. If you know you want to register, you can do so at this link, or use the button below. For more info about the course, read on.
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Please note that this course is very similar to the 6-week Mindful Self-Compassion course I offer--if you have taken that course from me, there is not a lot of additional info here. The main difference is that there will be more people immersed in the difficulties in caregiving within the group at large. If you are new to self-compassion and are looking for an introductory course, you are welcome as well!
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[There won't be sessions on March 30 and April 20, so the course will run longer than the usual 6 weeks. There may be other dates that we need to skip as well due to my unpredictable schedule; I will keep you posted about that and thank you for your forbearance.]
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This course is designed for anyone that finds themselves in a stressful caregiving situation--whether it involves loved-ones, clients, patients or any of the myriad ways we are called on to care for other beings. Most people can sympathize with the hardships faced by those who have mental or physical difficulties, but often people don’t realize the stresses placed on the caregivers who are tasked with supporting them, yet also have to attend to their own needs and obligations. The caregiving experience is made more difficult because most of us tend to be very hard on ourselves--we judge and criticize ourselves when we most need to be supported in our caregiving efforts.
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Mindful Self-Compassion is a research-proven course that can help us include ourselves in our own circle of caring. We can become our own best friend and supporter in a way that has been shown to enhance well-being and lessen anxiety and stress. In particular, self-compassion can help protect caregivers from burnout and compassion fatigue and increase satisfaction with one's caregiving role.
This course is a research-proven shorter version of the longer 8-week Mindful Self-Compassion course. It will meet weekly for 6 weeks, with each session lasting an hour, although there will be an after session “café” where people can stay and discuss the topics in more detail.
Here is a breakdown of each session:
Session 1: Exploring what self-compassion is and seeing how it does or does not show up for us, and then looking at simple ways to cultivate it even in the middle of difficulties.
Session 2: Seeing how mindfulness plays a crucial role in cultivating self-compassion, and how it can be brought into your day even if you barely have time to go to the bathroom. We'll also look at common obstacles that arise when starting to practice this, and investigate misgivings that surround self-compassion, such as the perception that it is "weak" or leads to being self-indulgent.
Session 3: Looking at ways to work with the inner critic and to find our inner compassionate voice.
Session 4: Using self-compassion to work with difficult emotions.
Session 5: Investigating caregiver fatigue and burnout, and how self-compassion can remind us to offer care to ourselves as we attend to the needs of others, even as we are immersed in providing that care.
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Session 6: Exploring the importance of our core values for cultivating resilience and fulfillment, and how self-compassion can help us live more in alignment with those values. We will also look at the resources available to maintain a self-compassion practice.
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There will be handouts on each subject that cover what we go over in each class, and there will also be audio/video links so you can try practices on your own. This course includes small and large group discussions since there is so much to learn from each other, and most people are surprised at how much we all have in common when it comes to needing self-compassion, especially in the realm of caregiving. The course itself is not recorded to respect privacy.
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The class is offered freely to make it as accessible as possible. If you find it of value, please consider making a donation to either Imagine Mindfulness, a non-profit working to make mindfulness classes available to all, or to the non-profit Center for Mindful Self-Compassion, the organization that creates programs like this. For my background, you can view the “About Me” page. Testimonials are here.
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You can read the waiver and register at this site, or you can use the button below.
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Image by David Hoefler on Unsplash.
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