Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT): What It Is, Phases, And What It Is For
Compassion-focused therapy CFT (compassion-focused therapy)is a therapy modality developed by Paul Gilbert intended to generate compassionate motivation and caring emotions in patients, as well as to develop a certain kind of emotional balance.
In this article you will learn about the main characteristics of this form of psychotherapeutic intervention.
In Buddhist tradition, the bird of wisdom is said to have two wings, one of them is mindfulness and the other is compassion.
It is interesting to clarify that compassion as understood in the field of Mindfulness and psychotherapy has nothing to do with pity or superiority, but rather is linked to openness and sensitivity to suffering (one’s own and that of others, and by one’s own we also understand that of psychologists) and motivation to reduce or prevent it.
According to Paul Gilbert, there are two aspects that arise from the definition we have seen. On the one hand, the courage of get closer to suffering, to accept those we don’t likeaccepting our reactions… On the other hand, the ability to try to alleviate and prevent suffering (this also includes the acquisition of wisdom and skills necessary for this).
This model draws on several sources: evolutionary psychology, attachment theory, affective neuroscience, Mindfulness and depth psychology, and is aimed at people with high levels of shame and self-criticism. These two aspects are at the basis of the suffering of the vast majority of people who come to therapy.
The scheme that guides the therapy is a 4-layer model, taken from Russell L. Kolts, in which the phases of therapy appear staggered.
1. Therapeutic relationship
At this stage the challenge is provide a warm and safe environment in which the person who comes to therapy can recognize and experience the therapist as a person committed to their well-being.
2. Compassionate understanding
In this phase we will focus on Help clients begin to understand their emotions and life events in a compassionate and guilt-free way. Here we will see how evolution has played a very important role in shaping our emotions, as well as our mind and our life.
3. Conscious attention (Mindfulness)
In this third stage we will develop awareness of experience on its different levels (physical, emotional, cognitive) as well as the cultivation of acceptance and non-judgment.
4. Compassionate practices
In this phase it will be possible for the patient to change his self-criticism for a kinder voice, the compassionate self will develop, that is, a kind and brave wise version of themselves to serve as a reference to gather enough courage to face the things that terrify us.
Emotional regulation systems
An aspect that is very important in therapy and that can help patients/clients understand many of their reactions are emotional regulation systems, understood as different families of emotions that act on each of us. There would be three types of emotional regulation systems.
1. Threat-based
When this system is activated, our way of relating to the world is based on fear and alarm, and our responses are based on flight, fight or paralysis… The emotions belonging to this system are anger, anxiety or disgust.… Their motto is “better safe than sorry.”
This system is what has to do when we place ourselves in the mentality of searching for resources and activates the reward system in us, through the logic of the more successful I am, the better I feel. His motto would be: “let’s get it done.”
3. Based on calm and satisfaction
This system allows us to bring a certain calm and balance to each of us. It has to do with the feeling of tranquility and security, and it is an easy system to identify when a child is in the company of her loved ones. Self-care, meditation, and being with the people we appreciate make this system consolidate.
Work in therapy
The challenge is to introduce balance between the three systems that we have seen. Each one of them has its function, but what happens in this type of society in which we live is that there is a predominance of the achievement system together with the threat system: if we don’t get what we want, we get frustrated…
The ultimate goal of this therapy is none other than to get patients to move away from ways of being in the world focused on threats and bring them closer to a kind, wise and confident perspective.
Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) has been applied to a growing list of problems, including depression, psychosis, compulsive eating, anxiety, anger, trauma, social anxiety, and personality disorders.
