Self-Compassion for Shame: Returning Home to Yourself
What might change if, when shame showed up, you didn’t turn against yourself?
Maybe shame comes after a mistake or a difficult conversation. Maybe it appears as an old message; I’m too much. I’m not enough. I should be doing better. It may show up in how we feel about our bodies, the parts of ourselves we try to hide, or the fear that if others really knew us, we might not be accepted or loved.
Self-Compassion for Shame: Returning Home to Yourself is an 8-week experiential course that builds on the practices of Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) and brings them more deeply into these tender places. Developed by Chris Germer, PhD, co-developer of Mindful Self-Compassion, together with a team of experienced MSC teachers, the course offers a compassionate way of exploring and relating differently to shame.
Over our weeks together, we’ll explore our very human wish to be loved and to belong, where shame comes from, and how it can become woven into the stories we tell ourselves about who we are. We’ll work with self-criticism, self-forgiveness, body shame, and parts of ourselves we may have learned to push away or keep hidden. We’ll also reconnect with the values that can help us remember who we are beyond shame.
The intention isn’t to get rid of shame. Rather, we’ll practice noticing it, making room for it, and caring for ourselves when it arises so that shame has less power to determine how we see ourselves or how fully we live.
We’ll move slowly and with care through guided practices, reflection, conversation, and shared humanity. There will be opportunities to listen inwardly and to choose what feels right for you to explore or share. Little by little, the hope is that we can make more room for the whole of who we are and feel more at home with ourselves.
Prerequisite:
This course is for people who have already completed the 8-week Mindful Self-Compassion course at least one year ago and have an ongoing MSC practice. The foundational MSC practices should already be familiar and part of your repertoire; we won’t be learning them for the first time here. Instead, we’ll build on that foundation as we explore how self-compassion can support us in our relationship with shame.
SCHEDULE
8 Monday classes, February 1 – March 22, 2027
4pm – 6pm PT
All-Day Retreat (Online):
Saturday March 6, 9am – 4pm PT
TEACHER
COST
$415 - $625 (or $104 – $156/month)
- Sliding scale: Choose what’s right for you.
- Payment plan option: 4-months, no-interest.
- Scholarships available: No need to apply; just choose a scholarship tuition during registration.
Meet Your Instructor
Wondering what this class is like? You can also sign up for a FREE 1-hour introduction to this curriculum:
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