I’m excited to bring to you a conversation that every parent needs to hear, and especially parents of differently-wired kids, and especially at this moment in time. The topic is self-compassion and my guest is Dr. Kristin Neff, a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research, and the author of many academic papers as well as the books Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself and the Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook. Kristin also co-developed a training program called Mindful Self Compassion and is an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin.
In our conversation, Kristin shares what she has learned about self-compassion, both through her research and her own experiences parenting an autistic child. She goes deep into what self-compassion really looks like, why we are often more compassionate to others than ourselves, and shares some strategies for strengthening that self-compassion muscle both for ourselves and our kids.
This is a powerful conversation and I promise you will finish this episode feeling uplifted, empowered to be more gentle with yourself, and perhaps most importantly, reminded that you are not alone. There is nothing we need to hear more right now. I’m so grateful to Kristin for sharing her wisdom and research.
About Dr. Neff: Kristin Neff is an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. She is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research, conducting the first empirical studies on self-compassion over fifteen years ago. She has co-developed an empirically supported training program called Mindful Self-Compassion, and is author of the books Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself, Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook, and Teaching the Mindful Self-Compassion Program: A Guide for Professionals.
THINGS YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:
- How Dr. Neff got into the work of self-compassion research
- What it looks like to practice self-compassion
- Why we judge ourselves so harshly and what keeps us from being a better self-friend
- What it means to practice self-comfort
- Strategies parents can use to accept and BE with their suffering
- How to teach kids and teens about self-compassion
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
- Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself by Dr. Kristin Neff
- The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook: A Proven Way to Accept Yourself, Build Inner Strength, and Thrive by Kristin Neff:
- Teaching the Mindful Self-Compassion Program: A Guide for Professionals by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer
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