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Episode 8 — Dr. Kristin Neff: Thrive With Self-Compassion

Kristin Neff, Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research, co-developer of the Mindful Self-Compassion training program, which is taught by thousands of teachers worldwide, and the author of Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself.

In this episode, Professor Neff and Dr. Paryavi discuss the transformational power of self-compassion and how it enables us to thrive in every aspect of our lives, especially as parents and leaders. They also share advice on overcoming fears, anxiety, and self-criticism, and finding positive motivation, inner peace, and joy.

Released: January 30, 2021

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Dr. Kristin Neff, Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research, co-developer of the Mindful Self-Compassion training program, which is taught by thousands of teachers worldwide, and the author of Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself.

EPISODE 8 NOTES FROM MALIHEH PARYAVI, phd

I can’t even begin to describe how much practicing self-compassion has transformed my life! I see developing self-compassion as an invitation to heal our relationship with ourselves, allowing us to grow and thrive with greater ease and joy. As you’ll hear in my conversation with Dr. Kristin Neff, the pioneer in the field of self-compassion research, practicing self-compassion can truly transform our lives and it is accessible to us all. Of course, we are always deserving of kindness and compassion, but after the year we’ve had, if there was ever a time for us to start being kinder to ourselves, that time is now. I hope this episode gives you the insights and inspiration to be more gentle with yourself and give yourself the warmth and support to truly thrive and keep on shining. Enjoy!

Episode Breakdown:

  • 01:35 - What is Self-Compassion?

  • 02:47 - How self-compassion helps motivate us

  • 04:10 - Why do we resist being compassionate towards ourselves?

  • 06:35 - How self-compassion helps us overcome fear

  • 07:22 - The difference between self-esteem and self-compassion

  • 08:50 - How to develop a healthy relationship with ourselves

  • 10:21 - How to overcome self-criticism

  • 13:59 - The importance of engaging with different parts of ourselves

  • 14:49 - The difference between self-compassion and self-love

  • 16:55 - How to develop self-compassion

  • 24:45 - How self-compassion can help us through challenging times

  • 26:30 - How to find joy and happiness

  • 27:45 - Advice for parents: How to teach self-compassion to children

  • 32:12 - Insights for leaders: How to enhance leadership capacity, develop empathy, growth mindset, grit, and courage

  • 44:08 - Gender differences in self-compassion and finding balance within

  • 49:22 - Resources and tools for developing self-compassion

  • 50:26 - Kristin's pioneering journey and impact of self-compassion on her life

More about Dr. Kristin Neff

Kristin Neff received her doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley, and is currently an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin.

Kristin is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research, creating a scale to measure the construct almost 20 years years ago. In addition to writing numerous academic articles and book chapters on the topic, she is author of the book Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself, and in June 2021 she will be releasing her new book Fierce Self-Compassion: How Women Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power and Thrive.

In conjunction with her colleague Dr. Chris Germer, she has developed an empirically supported training program called Mindful Self-Compassion, which is taught by thousands of teachers worldwide. They co-authored The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook as well as Teaching the Mindful Self-Compassion Program: A Guide for Professionals. She is also co-founder of the nonprofit Center for Mindful Self-Compassion.

For more information on self-compassion, including a self-compassion test, research articles, practices, and Dr. Neff's teaching schedule, go to www.self-compassion.org.