Description
e you kinder to others than you are to yourself? More than a thousand research studies show the benefits of being a supportive friend to yourself, especially in times of need. This science-based workbook offers a step-by-step approach to breaking free of harsh self-judgments and impossible standards in order to cultivate emotional well-being. In a convenient large-size format, the book is based on the authors’ groundbreaking eight-week Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program, which has helped tens of thousands of people worldwide. It is packed with guided meditations (with audio downloads); informal practices to do anytime, anywhere; exercises; and vivid stories of people using the techniques to address relationship stress, weight and body image issues, health concerns, anxiety, and other common problems. The seeds of self-compassion already lie within you–learn how you can uncover this powerful inner resource and transform your life.
See also Teaching the Mindful Self-Compassion Program, by Christopher Germer and Kristin Neff, a thorough overview of conducting MSC (for professionals), and The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion, by Christopher Germer, which delves into mindful self-compassion and shares moving stories of how it can change lives.
Leanne (verified owner) –
As soon as I found out that this workbook would be coming out over five months ago, I eagerly pre-ordered it. I have Dr. Neff’s book and audio program and Dr. Germer’s book, and have found them to be incredibly useful in developing self-compassion skills. This workbook is a wonderful addition to any mindfulness library since it includes guided exercises and meditations to reinforce the skills you’ll learn in this book.
Although this book just came out and so I obviously haven’t yet done the full eight weeks, I’ve done a similar program from Drs. Teasdale, Williams, and Segal and have also done an in-person eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. Both were invaluable in helping me create a daily mindfulness practice so as to manage my stress. The previous books I’ve read by Drs. Neff and Germer have helped me extend that practice to the area of self-compassion and self-acceptance, and I know that this workbook will reinforce those skills.
The book is divided up into twenty-four chapters, and each one contains readings and exercises, as well as the aforementioned meditations. The authors also ground their explanations in evidence-based research, and the book contains a full list of cited sources in the back.
In the introduction, the authors mention that this workbook can be used to augment an in-person Mindful Self-Compassion (MBC) class or on its own. They suggest allocating thirty minutes a day to the program, and working your way through one or two chapters a week. From personal experience when I took the MBSR class, it can be hard to find that time, but it’s so important to do the work to get results from the program.
Hope that helps, and good luck on your journey!
customer (verified owner) –
I’ve only read the first 5 chapters and so far very, very helpful. A great addition to the books by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer which I have already read and continue to use as I work to build inner strength and resiliency. Highly recommend this book to others interested in working on mindfulness and self-compassion. Clear and concise, easy to understand concepts and exercises.
Joyce (verified owner) –
Introspection with an organized outline helps the person that needs the Mindful Self-Compassion to get on with their life with courage and newfound Iove and joy.
Deedra (verified owner) –
I am so happy to see this new book by Dr.Germer. I have had the privilege of attending many of his workshops and his teachings have changed my life and the lives of my mental health clients. Dr. Germer lives what he teaches and I am so proud to be one of his students. Every page of this book is filled with wisdom, insight, and practical advice. I have already purchased 4 copies for friends and family. If you want to find peace-read this book and practice what is in it. It works.
Roberta Carrraro (verified owner) –
More practical and clearer than the previous Self-compassion book by Kristin Neff. It changes life for the better, helps coping with daily difficulties and frustration and be more understanding, positive, more energetic and able to face new experiences
Marianne Ingheim (verified owner) –
Do you beat yourself up a lot? Are you harshly self-critical? Then Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer’s new workbook on self-compassion might be the exact book for you. It has certainly been very helpful to me. A few years ago, I read Neff’s book Self-Compassion and also Germer’s book The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion. Both are excellent foundations for understanding why we are self-critical and how self-compassion can help. Neff and Germer’s joint venture in the form of this workbook, The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook: A Proven Way to Accept Yourself, Build Inner Strength, and Thrive, is based on their Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) training programs. I have attended one of these, and this workbook is equally helpful for working on self-critical patterns in yourself and becoming more self-compassionate. Neff and Germer are experts in the field of self-compassion and have done countless MSC trainings together. This workbook reflects all that work. It is very well written with a reader-friendly layout. The chapters are short with clear descriptions of what self-compassion is and what it isn’t, as well as many practical exercises: journaling exercises, meditation/mindfulness exercises, and reflections. The book gives you access to downloadable audio files of some of the exercises.
You do not have to have attended the trainings or read any of the previous books to get a lot out of the workbook. It stands alone, the exercises are excellent, and while I recognized many of them from the MSC training, it didn’t seem repetitious to do them in this format. Quite the contrary. I find that each time I approach this material, I approach it a little differently. I notice something different. The fact is we’re never done with self-compassion practice. There’s no end-point; there’s just more practice.
I highly recommend this workbook to anyone who wants to become more self-compassionate. Whether you’ve already done a lot of work in this area, or this is your first exposure to the idea of self-compassion, this book will be an excellent guide, a compassionate friend on your journey.
Rachelle Niemann (verified owner) –
Love this easy to understand and practical guide to increasing self-compassion through practice. Self-compassion has been a key, yet hard-fought, element to my healing. I highly recommend this guide to anyone as I believe in the power of compassion deeply.
Jennifer Jean (verified owner) –
My therapist recommended I look at Kristine Neff’s books. I’m really enjoying this workbook. Getting through it at my own pace but the content and assignments have helped me with a new perspective.
sidskymom (verified owner) –
I purchased this book for a class and really found it beneficial. It definitely helps one to realize his/her importance in life and how self-love and compassion is integral to being able to fully love and feel compassion for anyone else. As a mom, daughter, and wife, I have pushed my own needs aside for such a long time that I basically forgot about myself. After reading this book and doing some of the exercises, I now have brought my focus back to me–not in a selfish way, but instead in a way that helps me forgive myself and allow emotions to be fully felt.As a result, I find I am much more equipped in life, especially indealing with others.
NikiB (verified owner) –
Not even half way through and loving it. Practical guide for learning to love yourself. As a clinical therapist, I recommend this workbook to almost every client.
V. Claire Milam (verified owner) –
I purchased this book after taking a six week class by the authors graduate students. Highly recommend
Tim Hinkle (verified owner) –
I figure I have read dozens of self-help books. in search for relief from difficult depressions with all their harsh, negative thinking. This wonderful workbook gets into the psychology of self criticism as well as its its counterpoint – the psychology of self compassion in ways that have really worked for me. I recommend it for anyone facing similar challenges
Kandice (verified owner) –
Easy to follow. The exercises within the book are perfect for anyone seeking to learn more about Mindful Self Compassion.
Melissa Chaffos (verified owner) –
This book truly helped me learn to love myself. The workbook is a great way to embrace who we are and how to help yourself. This book changed my life and the practices it shows can be done daily. It’s a book that keeps one giving.
Sherry<span class="a-icon a-profile-verified-badge"><span class="a-profile-verified-text"></span></span> (verified owner) –
I love that there are many suggestions and practices in the book! The examples and exercises helped me to become more compassionate toward myself and other people.
B OPKS (verified owner) –
This is a very helpful self help book if that’s your thing.
dlj (verified owner) –
I truly enjoy this book. It has helped better understand what self-compassion is all about and how to apply it daily in my life.
Gina L Zapata (verified owner) –
Super helpful and easy to follow along. It transports the idea of self-compassion to a tangible practice. It has helped me quell my inner-critic and has also helped me to stop living in comparison. I especially love the distinction between self-esteem and self-compassion. I really hadn’t given much thought to the difference in the past. That difference has been the key to unlocking a kinder me – both to myself and others. Highly recommend.
Kathleen Morgan Cannon (verified owner) –
Very clearly written and great tools! The authors are even better in person!!
chris peppers (verified owner) –
I am part of a mindfulness group and have purchased several of these. Love the message.
Willy Kewl (verified owner) –
Amazing book. After reading and doing the exercises for a few months I really feel a transformation from negative to positive internal monologue. Would recommend to anyone.
Ryan Montgomery (verified owner) –
This was recommended to me by my therapist who was helping me work through stress and anxiety. The principles in this book are simple, yet eye opening and were life changing for me. It is well worth the price and an immensely helpful resource!
Becky (verified owner) –
What a wonderful book to really help think deeper about your place in this world. Highly recommend!!!
Rick and Ashly (verified owner) –
Verdict: Stumbled on and have not read anything else by Neff/Germer but have enjoyed and found the workbook a great addition to life
Pros:
Short chapters
Easy to understand
Different exercises
Applicable
Focuses on tools and analyzing thought patterns
Great stand-alone way to improve
Cons:
Not many examples provided
Ouzola Customer (verified owner) –
Good book so far! Using it with counseling. Well written!
Khitsy (verified owner) –
Great self compassion workbook for individuals and for working on psychotherapy with patients. I did buy it for therapy and recommended it to some of my patients!
Alyssa (verified owner) –
A few therapists of mine have reference Kristin Neff’s work, and my current therapist recommended this book to me. I am excited to dig in more but even after reading the first few pages I have found nuggets of wisdom and have highlighted quite a bit. If you’re working on amping up your self-compassion I highly recommend Kristin Neff’s work and this workbook 🙂
Garry (verified owner) –
Well worth the effort of working through these exercises, highly recommended.
If you unsure about getting this book, go ahead and do it, your life will benefit.
Molly (verified owner) –
This book was recommended in a writing class and has lived up to my teacher’s review. It provides great perspective for those trying to work on self compassion. The premise is that it is better for our mental health and resiliency to treat ourselves in our inner monologue like we would treat a best friend, than the way a lot of us currently treat ourselves, feeling guilty for all of our flaws and hard on ourselves when we don’t meet our own extremely high expectations. The exercises are helpful. I have been working through maybe one chapter a week. The author’s comparison of self compassion to self esteem really hit home. I have recommended this book to several friends and family members.
Kent Carlisle (verified owner) –
I got this book at the recommendation of my therapist and boy has it changed my life. I haven’t finished it yet, but there were a few life-changing statements in the introduction alone. It has allowed me to understand that self-compassion is NOT selfish and is actually essential to surviving. It has really opened up my eyes to the MAJOR differences in the compassion I show others vs. the compassion (or lack thereof) that I show myself. I’ll admit that I’m truly devoting a lot of time to this and accepting it completely, which I have found to be the most beneficial. I have found that having a copy of an “emotion wheel” and a list of tones (positive, neutral, and negative) on hand has also been helpful in navigating some of the exercises throughout the book. I have only been working through this book for a short period of time, but it has already had a positive impact in my life.*For reference: I’m a 22 y/o female, have anxiety, depression, and avoidant personality disorder, and have been on antidepressants for years (this is my dad’s account excuse the profile pic). This book has been one of the first truly beneficial resources that I have been introduced to. It has not only helped me work on self-compassion, but it has also helped me be more mindful in situations where I’m usually very anxious and start overthinking. I would highly recommend this book.The chapters are set up by introducing a topic & providing real world examples that are easy to understand. At the end of the chapter they have exercises where they have you reflect on certain situations (they prompt you) and write down your thoughts. There’s usually a few exercises that end up with you really breaking down how you think/act. They usually address your true inner feelings that you may have been burying or ignoring (hence the emotion wheel), and they bring it back around to exercises that allow you modify the negative behaviors that you’re been reflecting on to wrap up the chapter. I personally think spending a decent amount of time on the exercises is truly beneficial to individual success.(Sorry for the novel-length review but I truly think this is an amazing resource.)
Noree (verified owner) –
I love this book. It’s really helping and exactly what I needed. A friend of mine recommended it because she’s using it in therapy, so I got it and now my counselor bought herself a copy too. She and I are making so much progress on my issues of insecurity, and it helps me with my students too! (I’m a music teacher)
Chalise (verified owner) –
My counselor recommended this book and it helped me instantly! I practiced the cognitive self awareness and I feel like a new person. Im going to buy this as gifts because it is a really good gift. It is the gift of inner happiness
Kayla Henson (verified owner) –
This book is helping me so much. I highly recommend to everyone. It came in great condition.
Behnaz Afrakhte (verified owner) –
I love this book it has helped me a lot so far and Im only on Chapter 7…I need structure and this book breaks down the process and gives you the foundation for the work you complete. Id recommend this as a gift to anyone..
April (verified owner) –
Recommend all books by this author
YM (verified owner) –
Love the way this book is written. Simple enough to moderate on your own as well.
Michael Mundo (verified owner) –
One of the best books for self love
Art (verified owner) –
Has been very helpful
Sandra Davidson (verified owner) –
Great book for recovery from Narc abuse
cj (verified owner) –
Great workbook
Jen (verified owner) –
As a therapist this is one of my most treasured tools for clients. I highly recommend it!
Susan M Geci (verified owner) –
Great book glad to add to my collection.
Elaine K. Harrison (verified owner) –
Nicely presented information
Alissa M. Allen (verified owner) –
I love this workbook! It walks you through questions and concepts that help you understand how to be more compassionate to yourself. In reading and participating in this workbook you learn a lot about how you talk to yourself and the impact that could have on your life. Great price and well worth the time and effort to read and learn.
jony (verified owner) –
Not to be cliche.. But is a life changer. Am using it with my psychologist. A great growth tool.
Rachel Johnson (verified owner) –
This workbook changed my life. I went from self-hatred to self-compassion in a matter of months. It helped break down how I used to talk to myself, and introduced ways to treat myself kindly. The authors anticipate any doubt or skepticism you may have about the process. It’s almost scary how well they predict it. It’s like someone stepped inside my brain and really understood what was going on. I didn’t even realize how well it worked until I woke up one morning and realized that my usually daily dose of insults towards myself was a lot quieter. I thought I would be stuck in self-hatred for the rest of my life.
I am a therapist as well, and I use this book with any of my clients who are struggling. I’ve seen real results with those who are eager to stop lifelong self-hatred.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is struggling. It’s absolutely life changing.
Naomi Johnson (verified owner) –
I enjoyed reading this book .
Maya (verified owner) –
If your going through a hard time, this is the book for you. My therapist recommended this for me and I am so glad she did! I read 12 chapters in two days. It hooks you in because it’s so relatable and informative. The exercises in each chapter are so unbelievably helpful. I can’t say to much personal things, but this has helped me tremendously!!!
Lazarova S (verified owner) –
Quality of item was standout! Speedy to send. Quality of the wrapping was proud. Would buy from again. A++!
Matt (verified owner) –
You have to put in the work but I love how this workbook is written and the honesty that is expressed.
Sarah J Chandra (verified owner) –
I’ve been using this workbook with most of my therapy clients and it works wonders. Everyone could use more self compassion to help them heal, and this book offers step by step instructions. Most of us want to be nicer to ourselves but we don’t know how. This book has taught me how to be kinder to myself and now I can teach others too.
Lorenzo Salinas (verified owner) –
Great book!
Sheldon Beck (verified owner) –
I haven’t gotten too far—only possession for 1 week. I think it’s excellent and a great tool for dramatically improving your approach to life and life’s most difficult problems.
Erika (verified owner) –
It’s a good exercise to improve “your inside out”, and be more comfortable with yourself
movinon49 (verified owner) –
Just what I needed. The book is well written and makes you realize we don’t love ourselves enough. It opened my mind up to start working on myself.
ladyevergreenpdx (verified owner) –
MSC has changed my life for the better – from the inside!! I can’t praise this method enough. I encourage every single person to practice mindful self compassion!
Auton (verified owner) –
A thorough book with both practical theory and focused exercises covering all aspects of mindful self-compassion.
Geisha (verified owner) –
Was just not for me. I dont have a low self esteem.
Carolyn W (verified owner) –
This book is a well written book. Easy to walk though it yourself and learn about being a better friend to yourself
Xol M. (verified owner) –
This is a comprehensive and easy-to-follow path to healing self-depreciation and self-hatred. It can be challenging for those who have heard that self-compassion is self-pity. But that is ok because even with those limiting beliefs, you can learn to love yourself if you do this book. This is not another self-help book, this is the manual for healing.
Kaitlyn (verified owner) –
This is truly a life-changing workbook that has helped me immensely in just a few short weeks of using it! If an individual puts the work into the exercises this book has, it will do wonders!
Yvonne Winters (verified owner) –
great resource
Albany Anthropologist (verified owner) –
I highly recommend this book. They explain the science well and the exercises are great. I’m leading a women’s group right now and this is just what they need.
Jennifer Grzybowski (verified owner) –
Wow, totally changed the way I perceived self-esteem and self-compassion. I would recommend watching Kristin Neffs (free on YouTube)videos as you read and complete the exercises (I’m more of a visual learner and it really helped solidify the concepts in my mind). She is super down to earth, and impactful in the way she educates people about the value of self-compassion.
Logan Torres (verified owner) –
This seller was spot on with product condition and I am very pleased with my purchase.
Tammy (verified owner) –
Complex multiple forms of PTSD and relationship trauma. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone I can because I have found showing yourself compassion during hard times is truly the only way to learn boundaries and process deep and hard emotions.
Paula Barker (verified owner) –
This workbook taught me essential skills of having compassion for myself as I navigate life. I am so thankful. Highly recommend this book.