Compassionate Mind Training : The cascade of self-compassion, from leadership to staff to pupils Michelle Cree Consultant Clinical Psychologist Derbyshire Childbearing and Mental Health Service Tel: In Association with Professor Paul Gilbert

“Satisfactory” “Average”

Poor Satisfactory Good Excellent

Self-Esteem Works through rank system-where we feel we are in relation to others (old brain-threat system, applies to Shoebills, pupils, teachers, leaders….) Creates “old-brain” threat responses in those around us. How do we manage: if we feel we are “merely” average or below average, when we are struggling, when we make a mistake? Then need self-compassion-different brain system (old brain-attachment, soothing, encouragement open, equal, learning etc)

The human brain is the product of many millions of years of evolution – a process of conserving, modifying and adapting

To understand ourselves we must understand our brains

Fight, Flight, Sex, Hunt, Territorial Kin caring/affection, alliances, play, social communications Symbolic thought, self- awareness, metacognition mentalizing Frontal Cortex Empathic brain - key for affect regulation Evolution of strategies, motives and competencies: The emergence of new psychologies in the world

Three Types of Emotion Regulator Systems Incentive/resource- focused Wanting, pursuing, achieving, consuming Activating Non-wanting/ Affiliative focused Safeness-kindness Soothing Threat-focused Protection and Safety-seeking Activating/inhibiting Anger, anxiety, disgust Drive, excite, vitality Content, safe, connected

Neural Bases of Threat Processing Neural Bases of Threat Processing (LeDoux, 1994)

How the three circles interact Baby in room Which circle do we use to manage our threat?- soothing or drive (achievment, eating, exercising, alcohol, drugs, shopping, computer games….)

Understanding the Threat System: The World is a Dangerous Place

Understanding the Threat System: The World is a Dangerous Place (cont…) All organisms are structured for self-protection to stay alive until reproduce. Hence a range of emotions (anger, anxiety, disgust) behaviours (fight, flight, freeze, submit) cognitive systems (as ‘better safe than sorry) physiological cognitive systems (Adrenalin system) Dedicated to threat-defence Fast/automatic via amygdala

Dispersal and avoid others

Protect and Comfort: Less ‘instinctive brain’ – post birth learning and closeness seeking

Secret to Survival: Be looked after Self-Protection and Attachment Also attachment between other group members. Co-operative and mutual support when your prosperity impacts on mine Seeking closeness rather than dispersion.

Threat and The Mind of Others External shame is experiencing indifference, disengaged or negative affects in the mind of the other Immediate shift to threat focusing. to be cast out of group equates to great survival risk.

Threat can come from outside of us. But it can also come from inside.

Meal Sexual Bully-threat Limbic system Stomach acid Salvia Arousal Fearful Depressed Stimulus-Response Kind, warm and caring Soothed Safe Meal Sex Bully- threat Compassion

Others can sooth us And we can also sooth ourselves.

So Why Do We Criticise Ourselves? Imagine your ability to criticise yourself could be taken away forever- what would that be like?

Working with our self-critic (Three Chairs) 1. Imagine your self-critic appeared in front of you (self critical chair) 2.How do you feel when faced with your self- critic? (submissive/attacked chair) 3.Now imagine moving into your compassionate “chair” or “self” 4.Relate to self-critic with compassion (Which self-corrector/teacher do we intuitively want for ourselves when struggling?- critical or compassionate self-corrector?)

Building up the soothing system

Three Types of Emotion Regulator Systems Incentive/resource- focused Wanting, pursuing, achieving, consuming Activating Non-wanting/ Affiliative focused Safeness-kindness Soothing Threat-focused Protection and Safety-seeking Activating/inhibiting Anger, anxiety, disgust Drive, excite, vitality Content, safe, connected

Self-Critical Mind is also Threat- focused Mind Attention Thinking Reasoning Behaviour MotivationEmotions Imagery Fantasy Self- Critical

Compassionate Mind Attention Thinking Reasoning Behaviour MotivationEmotions Imagery Fantasy Compassion

Conclusion Compassion organises our brains in certain ways Compassion is linked to personal and relationship happiness

What Do You Wish to Be? The wish (desire, motivation, intention) comes first, and then comes the feeling. Not important to get the feeling, but to get the wish. Two Wolves: (Native American Indian story) Grandad to Grandchild- “There are two wolves inside of me, anger and compassion.” “Which wolf will win Grandpa?” “The one that I feed.”

The end