Mindful Non-Self-Compassion: Exploring the Meaning of Self in Self-Compassion
This course meets on Tuesday June 6, 2023
Hours: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT / 12:00 - 3:00 PM EST– Click here to view the Time Conversion Chart
This workshop is open to everyone – professionals and the general public.
The cost of this workshop is $125.
Join Chris Germer and Andrew Olendzki as they explore precisely what is meant by “self” in early Buddhist psychology and in the widely known Mindful Self-Compassion training program during this 3-hour workshop.
Participants will have access to recording of the workshop for two months after the live event.
Instructors

Christopher Germer
Co-Founder, CMSC

Andrew Olendzki
PhD
Self-compassion is rapidly going mainstream around the world. However, the “self” in self-compassion still makes some people uncomfortable, especially when “self” is associated with selfishness. Early Buddhist psychology goes further and states that the “self” is the cause of most human suffering. How, then, do we explain the overwhelming research evidence showing that self-compassion is good for mental and physical well-being?
This unique, public offering is an opportunity to explore precisely what is meant by “self” in early Buddhist psychology and in the widely known Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) training program.
Andrew Olendzki, a foremost Western scholar of early Buddhism, and Chris Germer, a clinical psychologist and co-developer of the Mindful Self-Compassion program, will share their views and discuss key questions such as:
“What is the ‘self’ and how is it created?”
“How is the ‘self’ understood in self-compassion?
“Can self-compassion soften the ‘self’? If so, how?
“What is the role of mindfulness in self-compassion?
“Who is talking to whom in loving-kindness meditation?”
Mindfulness and self-compassion practitioners will be able to practice more effortlessly by understanding the deeper roots of self-compassion in the wisdom of non-self.
Scholars and academics will discover new threads linking wisdom and compassion in modern contemplative practice.
Psychotherapists will learn the underlying mechanics of effective self-compassion interventions in clinical practice.
Learning Objectives
- Describe how a sense of “self” is constructed and deconstructed according to early Buddhist psychology
- Explain how self-compassion softens the “self” through warmth and goodwill.
- Practice self-compassion with less effort by cultivating the wisdom of non-self
- Integrate self-compassion into professional work more easily and effectively