Blog | Dr Stan Steindl

5 Evidence-Based Benefits to Mental Health of Compassion Focused Therapy

Aug 10, 20225 min read

5 Evidence-Based Benefits to Mental Health of Compassion Focused Therapy

I talk a lot about compassion! But isn’t it just a nice idea? Something warm and fuzzy, but not very practical? No! Compassion is really,...

115 views0 comments

Stan Steindl

Feb 25, 20225 min read

Born to feel worthless.

Have you ever felt worthless? I know I have. Most of us…all of us…know the feeling - worthless or unworthy, inadequate or inferior,...

63 views0 comments

Compassion as an evolved human motivation: The archeological evidence!

Stan Steindl

Feb 18, 20225 min read

Compassion as an evolved human motivation: The archeological evidence!

Compassion focused therapy is an evolutionary model of psychotherapy. We have these evolved brains and bodies, and both can be very...

30 views0 comments

Pathways to higher social rank: Dominance, prestige...compassion?

Stan Steindl

Feb 11, 20226 min read

Pathways to higher social rank: Dominance, prestige...compassion?

Hubristic and authentic pride…moving up the social rank hierarchy via dominance or prestige…and where does compassion fit in? Check it...

192 views0 comments

Is pride a good or bad thing? (Hint! It's a bit of both.)

Stan Steindl

Feb 4, 20225 min read

Is pride a good or bad thing? (Hint! It's a bit of both.)

So, I’ve set myself some new year’s resolutions…I know, I know, there is debate about the effectiveness of new year’s resolutions. But...

28 views0 comments

Stan Steindl

Jan 28, 20224 min read

10 Things Compassion is Not

What is compassion? Well, this remains a critical question, especially in compassion focused therapy and compassionate mind training...

107 views0 comments

The Difference Between Shame and Humiliation, and How Compassion and Self-Compassion Can Help.

Stan Steindl

Jan 21, 20225 min read

The Difference Between Shame and Humiliation, and How Compassion and Self-Compassion Can Help.

In previous blogs I’ve spoken about shame, external and internal shame, and I've talked about guilt and where guilt fits in. Most...

882 views0 comments

Stan Steindl

Jan 14, 20223 min read

Are Embarrassment and Shame the Same?

I was presenting a workshop with my colleague Dr Marcela Matos recently at a conference for Compassionate Mind Italia, organised by the...

151 views0 comments

Why and how to forgive with compassion (and self-compassion!).

Stan Steindl

Jan 7, 20225 min read

Why and how to forgive with compassion (and self-compassion!).

The Buddhist scholar Buddhaghosa in the 5th century wrote about holding on to anger and resentment. He said, “By doing this you are like...

148 views0 comments

How to let go of resentment in 8 compassion focused steps

Stan Steindl

Jan 3, 20226 min read

How to let go of resentment in 8 compassion focused steps

Resentment is a rather complex and painful human emotion. It can cause us a lot of suffering! But self-compassion can help. So, let’s...

605 views0 comments

How to bring self-compassion to ageing (a life lesson from turning 50!)

Stan Steindl

Nov 22, 20214 min read

How to bring self-compassion to ageing (a life lesson from turning 50!)

I turned 50 recently! 50!! Life feels like a catapult. I was born on 17 October 1971, the trigger was pulled, and then whoosh…half a...

44 views0 comments

What is Compassionate Mind Training (CMT)?

Stan Steindl

Nov 16, 20214 min read

What is Compassionate Mind Training (CMT)?

Compassion focused therapy, or CFT, draws on evolutionary theory, neuroscience, attachment theory, developmental, social and clinical...

2,797 views0 comments

Coping with COVID-19: Findings from compassion research

Stan Steindl

Oct 18, 20215 min read

Coping with COVID-19: Findings from compassion research

This COVID-19 thing is dragging on and on! It seems like it is always there, threatening, menacing. I, for one, feel like it really is...

10 views0 comments

Wait, what? Ted Lasso is afraid of compassion?

Stan Steindl

Oct 11, 20213 min read

Wait, what? Ted Lasso is afraid of compassion?

Yep, Ted has some fears of compassion, and actually, we all do! Let me show you what I mean about fears of compassion through the show’s...

35 views0 comments

Shame versus guilt: Here's how to tell them apart!

Stan Steindl

Aug 9, 20213 min read

Shame versus guilt: Here's how to tell them apart!

"Shame" and "guilt" are words that are often uttered in the same breath. And there are some important similarities, but there are also...

991 views0 comments

What could possibly be good about self-criticism??

Stan Steindl

Aug 1, 20213 min read

What could possibly be good about self-criticism??

Imagine that you have a dear friend who has made a mistake, or experienced disappointment or failure. What would you say to them? How...

300 views0 comments

MI in the Context of CFT Working with Self-Criticism!

Stan Steindl

Jul 25, 20214 min read

MI in the Context of CFT Working with Self-Criticism!

How can motivational interviewing (MI) be used in the context of compassion focused therapy (CFT) when working with people who are high...

272 views0 comments

What I love about the way MI and CFT work together!

Stan Steindl

Jul 14, 20212 min read

What I love about the way MI and CFT work together!

This is the third and final blog in my "What I love..." series. The first was what I love about Motivational Interviewing (MI), the...

155 views0 comments

What I love about Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT).

Stan Steindl

Jul 12, 20212 min read

What I love about Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT).

The year was 2014. I had learned the year or so before that "compassion" had been formally incorporated into the MI Spirit and I was...

422 views0 comments

What I love about Motivational Interviewing (MI)

Stan Steindl

Jul 5, 20213 min read

What I love about Motivational Interviewing (MI)

When I was just starting out as a clinical psychologist, I worked in a service helping people facing the challenges of alcohol and other...

64 views0 comments