About this Event
CCFW does not provide mental health or substance use treatment or services, nor do our mindfulness and compassion-based courses substitute for diagnosis or treatment for mental health or substance use problems such as depression, anxiety, or addiction. Find a list of mental health resources on CCFW’s resource page.
If your friend called and said they had a hard day, would you scold them? Would you berate them for screwing up? Or would you let them know that it’s okay and everyone makes mistakes? Instead of criticizing them, you would probably be supportive and reassuring. When it comes to ourselves, however, many of us have a default mode of self-criticism: when times are tough, we find it very difficult to display the same compassion towards ourselves as we would a friend. Self-compassion can be described as, “treating ourselves as we would treat a close friend.”
Self-criticism is a familiar force to do better and succeed. Yet, research shows that self-compassion is a more effective motivator for meeting our goals. Self-compassion is strongly associated with greater emotional well-being; reduced anxiety and depression; more satisfying personal relationships; enhanced performance in settings from healthy aging to athletics to professional growth; and maintaining healthful habits such as healthy eating and exercise.
Developed by Drs. Kristin Neff and Chris Germer, Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) is an evidence-based program that brings together the skills and practices of mindful awareness, common humanity, and self-kindness. For all of us, life will present disappointments, losses, and limitations. MSC provides skills and practices that enhance our ability to meet these difficulties with more wisdom, resilience, and spaciousness.
Self-compassion can be learned by anyone, even those who feel uncomfortable when they are good to themselves. It’s a courageous attitude that stands up to harm, including any harm we unwittingly inflict on ourselves through harsh self-criticism. Self-compassion provides emotional strength and resilience, allowing us to relate wholeheartedly to others and be more authentically ourselves.
Program activities include meditation, short talks, experiential exercises, group discussions, and home practices. No previous mindfulness meditation practice is needed! The goal is for participants to directly experience self-compassion and learn practices that evoke self-compassion in daily life.
Class Schedule
8-week in-person course
Wednesday Evenings from 4:00 – 6:00 PM
April 23 – June 11, 2025
Retreat: Saturday, May 31, 2025, from 9:30am-12:30pm
Address:
University of Washington
Kincaid Hall, Rm 202
3751 W. Stevens Way NE
Seattle, WA 98195
Getting to CCFW
By car: There are no parking lots directly adjacent to Kincaid Hall. If you are driving, please allow yourself an extra 15-20 minutes to locate parking and walk to Kincaid Hall. The University of Washington offers pay-lots and parking garages. Metered street parking is also available but very limited. Parking fees around campus range from $1.00 to $4.00 an hour. Learn more about parking options here.
By bus or light rail: More than 60 bus routes serve the University District and a Link Light Rail Station is located 1/2 mile away.
By bike: Kincaid Hall is located directly off the Burke Gilman Trail between 15th Ave NE and the NE Pacific Street overpass. Bike racks are conveniently located at Kincaid and throughout campus.
Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
Register for a Certificate of Completion and get CEUs. Our CEUs are available for licensed psychologists, marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, and social workers in Washington State. We cannot guarantee that these CEUs will be accepted in other states.
Scholarships Available
CCFW aims to promote well-being by making evidence-based mindfulness practices available and accessible to community members, particularly professionals working with children and families. We believe that mindfulness has positive implications for professionals as well as the children and families they interact with. Therefore, we wish to encourage mindfulness training by removing possible financial barriers for professionals working with these specific populations. If these fees are cost-prohibitive for you, we invite you to apply for a scholarship.
About the Presenters
Hanna Kreiner, LICSW
Hanna is a licensed psychotherapist, author, and teacher of mindfulness and self-compassion. She began her career researching the medical outcomes of individual and group psychotherapy on autoimmune disease. Inspired by the meaningful improvements people experienced emotionally and physically, she pursued her Masters in Social Welfare to provide mind-body therapies directly to those in need. Over a decade later, mindfulness is at the core of Hanna’s work providing integrative psychotherapy at Seattle Mindfulness Center, teaching Mindful Self-Compassion and Finding C.A.L.M., and offering mindfulness programming to corporate and group clients. She has also authored a book, Self-Compassion Journal for First-Time Moms, to engage new parents in self-compassion practices tailored to their experience. Hanna is passionate about helping others through all of life’s stages and challenges with more ease and equanimity.
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Joel Grow, Ph.D.
Joel Grow, Ph.D. Joel is a clinical psychologist at the Seattle Mindfulness Center and a member of the clinical faculty at the University of Washington Department of Psychology. He offers evidence-supported treatment that incorporates self-compassion, mindfulness, and acceptance-based approaches. He was a member of the UW research team that created Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP), an evidence-based aftercare program for addictive behavior problems. He remains active in the delivery and evaluation of MBRP. He has facilitated numerous groups in various settings and has conducted therapist training workshops both in the US and abroad. He also provides clinical supervision to UW psychology graduate students.
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