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Compassion Focused Therapy
Compassion Focused Clinical Practice and Applications
offers evidence-based guidance and extensive insight into the science behind compassion focused therapy.
The first section of the book explores the evolution and physiological infrastructures of caring, and how compassion arises when humans use their complex cognitive competencies to address suffering deliberately and intentionally. With this framework and basis, the next sections of the book explore CFT applied to groups, specific interventions such as chair work, the importance of applying the principles of the therapy to oneself, the CFT therapeutic relationship, and a chapter offering a systematic review of the evidence for CFT. The third section offers a series of multi-authored chapters on interventions for a range of different mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, trauma, and many others.
Being the first major clinical book on compassion focused therapy, with leading international researchers and clinicians addressing central problems, this landmark publication will appeal to psychotherapists from a variety of schools as well as being a vital resource for compassion focused therapists.
The first section of the book explores the evolution and physiological infrastructures of caring, and how compassion arises when humans use their complex cognitive competencies to address suffering deliberately and intentionally. With this framework and basis, the next sections of the book explore CFT applied to groups, specific interventions such as chair work, the importance of applying the principles of the therapy to oneself, the CFT therapeutic relationship, and a chapter offering a systematic review of the evidence for CFT. The third section offers a series of multi-authored chapters on interventions for a range of different mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, trauma, and many others.
Being the first major clinical book on compassion focused therapy, with leading international researchers and clinicians addressing central problems, this landmark publication will appeal to psychotherapists from a variety of schools as well as being a vital resource for compassion focused therapists.
- GenresPsychology
628 pages, Paperback
Published February 28, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 5, 2026
4.25
This was an extremely comprehensive overview of CFT. However, you might need other resources to gain proficiency in many of the interventions mentioned in this book. The quality of each chapter varied due to being written by different authors. The first half of the book was extremely good, while the final half, which delved into specific applications, had more variation. For example, I thought the CPTSD section was extremely well done, while the depression section was a little lackluster.
Overall, CFT is integrative, evolutionary, biopsychosocial approach that I found quite interesting. It's transdiagnostic and combines third wave principles with certain psychodynamic concepts in a way that is cohesive, and I can see how it is helpful to frame presenting concerns in this light for clients and therapists.
It definitely gave me some ideas on how to adapt depth processes for the short-term, solution-focused setting I'm currently in. Throughout reading, I've been developing ideas on how to structure this approach by creating psychoed handouts and adapting interventions to fit my current clinical setting.
This was an extremely comprehensive overview of CFT. However, you might need other resources to gain proficiency in many of the interventions mentioned in this book. The quality of each chapter varied due to being written by different authors. The first half of the book was extremely good, while the final half, which delved into specific applications, had more variation. For example, I thought the CPTSD section was extremely well done, while the depression section was a little lackluster.
Overall, CFT is integrative, evolutionary, biopsychosocial approach that I found quite interesting. It's transdiagnostic and combines third wave principles with certain psychodynamic concepts in a way that is cohesive, and I can see how it is helpful to frame presenting concerns in this light for clients and therapists.
It definitely gave me some ideas on how to adapt depth processes for the short-term, solution-focused setting I'm currently in. Throughout reading, I've been developing ideas on how to structure this approach by creating psychoed handouts and adapting interventions to fit my current clinical setting.
January 24, 2023
Fabulously fascinating. This is a book to keep referencing back to for the Compassion Focused Therapy I deliver with clients.
June 17, 2026
it's hard to tell if I would have like this if I hadn't read other Gilbert books which are much better
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews