Self Compassion and Self Care Counselling

Leamington Spa, Warwickshire

What is Self-Compassion:

According to Dr Kristin Neff, having compassion for oneself is really no different than having compassion for others. To have compassion for others you must notice that they are suffering and feel moved by it and therefore you will feel warmth, caring and a desire to help that person. You also offer understanding and kindness to others when they fail or make mistakes and realise that this is part of the shared human experience. "There but for good fortune go I."

"Instead of mercilessly judging and criticizing yourself for various inadequacies or shortcomings, self-compassion means that you are kind and understanding when confronted with personal failings - after all, who ever said you were supposed to be perfect".

Self-Compassion involves a way of relating to yourself that allows you to become more emotionally flexible, able to navigate challenging emotions, and enhance your connection to self and others. Dr Neff says that practising self compassion involves being able to observe our uncomfortable emotions without exaggerating or ignoring them and you may find yourself willing to move forward in an area that you felt previously a bit stuck. In fact, you may begin experiencing happiness as you seek out new, healthy ways of living and relating to yourself.

During the counselling I will help you to understand that self-compassion is not self pity or self indulgence or self esteem. We will also look at exercises that will help us learn the practice of self-compassion. "Things will not always go the way you want them to. You will encounter frustrations, losses, make mistakes, bump up against your limitations or fall short of your ideals. This is the human condition so the more you open yourself up this reality the more you will be able to feel compassion for yourself and your fellow humans."

What is Self-Care:

Self-Care is any activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. In essence it's the mindful way ot taking time to pay attention to you, not in a narcisstic way, but in a way that ensures you are being cared for by you.

One of the most common reasons why people don't engage in self-care is that they "don't have time". Doing kind and caring things for ourselves, particularly when we are struggling, can help us cope and move through difficult emotional experiences. The idea with initiating self-care and integrating it into everyday life is to find out what feels good to you - something that you really enjoy doing and that fits with your lifestyle and values.

We will explore the different ways you can live a balanced life and take care of your emotional, physical and social needs.