Self-Compassion: What is it? Why Does it Matter?
Presented by Dr Christopher Germer
Event proceedings
6pm - Registration opens
6.15pm - Drinks and canapés served
7pm - Keynote address commences
8pm - Estimated end of event
This is a free public event.
About the talk
Self-compassion entails responding to our own suffering with the same kindness and understanding as we might respond to a friend in a similar situation. Rapidly expanding research demonstrates that self-compassion is a key factor in emotional health and wellbeing. As a result, numerous efforts are currently underway to teach self-compassion to the general public as well as specialized populations. However, the concept of self-compassion is quite subtle and the actual experience of self-compassion remains more elusive than it appears.
This keynote address will describe what we mean by self-compassion, identify common myths, and review the latest research. Obstacles to practicing self-compassion will be addressed along with ways to overcome them. Finally, important new developments in the field, such as the yin and yang of self-compassion and a re-evaluation of shame through the eyes of self-compassion, will be presented.
About the presenter
Dr. Christopher Germer is a clinical psychologist and lecturer on psychiatry (part-time) at Harvard Medical School. He is a co-developer (with Kristin Neff) of the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program which has been taught to over 50,000 people around the world. Dr. Germer is also the author of The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion, co-author of Teaching the Mindful Self-Compassion Program and The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook, and co-editor of Mindfulness and Psychotherapy and Wisdom and Compassion in Psychotherapy. He is a founding faculty member of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy as well as the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion, Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School. Dr. Germer teaches and leads workshops internationally on mindfulness and compassion, and has a private practice specializing in mindfulness and compassion-based psychotherapy.
About Compassion Symposium
This cross-disciplinary symposium is designed to bring together academics, clinicians, researchers, and students from different disciplines within The University of Queensland and from the community, to present on how compassion is or could be a part of their research, studies, or practice.
The compassion symposium consists of the free keynote address, and the full-day conference.
About the Event
The School of Psychology at The University of Queensland is delighted to announce the return of the UQ Compassion Symposium for 2023. The eighth iteration of this beloved event, the Symposium will bring together researchers, clinicians and students from a range of disciplines to showcase compassion-based research and practice.
Registration for the Keynote Address and the Compassion Conference is now open. See below for full details and to register.
Keynote Address
At our 2023 Compassion Symposium Keynote Address, we are excited to welcome Dr Marcela Matos, Clinical Psychologist and Auxiliary Researcher at the Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive and Behavioral Intervention (CINEICC), University of Coimbra, Portugal.
Marcela will open the symposium with her talk titled 'The compassion (r)evolution: From easing suffering to awakening flourishing'.
For more information about Dr Matos and her presentation, click here.
The Keynote Address is a free in-person event.
Registration is essential.
Compassion Conference
The Compassion Conference is a full-day 'in-person' event which boasts an impressive and diverse line up of practitioners and researchers. Learn how compassion can be integrated into research, practice, work and daily life.