Self-Compassion for Shame with Natalie Bell and Laila Narsi

February 27 - April 23, 2024 (Skip March 26)

Including Live Q&A Session with Chris Germer, SC-Shame Course Creator!

Includes 15 Downloadable Practice Recordings available to students

This course meets every Tuesday from February 27 - April 23, 2024 (Skip March 26) for two hours and an additional one hour per week with a small practice group.


"Shame strikes at the core of our being, but has nothing to do with who we really are."         - Chris Germer

    

Welcome to this groundbreaking new program developed by Dr. Chris Germer and the SC-Shame teacher-development team!  In this course, we’ll take a unique, non-pathological look at shame through the eyes of self-compassion and discover how self-compassion is the antidote to shame.

  • What would happen if you were able to care for yourself when you felt shame, rather than being immobilized by fear, attacking yourself, or zoning out?

  • How would your life be different if you could meet shame with compassion and stay connected, think in a balanced way, and make wise, healthy choices?

Prior participants of the SC-Shame 8-wk course reported:
  • 96% would recommend the course 
  • 96% said their experience of shame changed as a result of the course
  • 89% would consider taking the course again 
  • 85% had better mental and emotional wellbeing after the course


After learning about the theory and research on shame, you’ll have an opportunity to explore the personal and cultural causes of shame in your own life within the context of self-compassion.


Special topics include how to use self-compassion to work with: 

  • Mindfulness of Shame
  • Origins of Shame
  • Self-criticism
  • Body shame 
  • Self-forgiveness
  • Hidden Parts
  • Social justice 


Learning Objectives: 

Participants will be able to:

  1. Summarize the theory and research on shame and self-compassion

  2. Describe how self-compassion is an antidote to shame - the 3 paradoxes of shame

  3. Identify personal childhood and cultural disconnections that lead to shame

  4. Apply new self-compassion practices to relieve the burden of shame

  5. Alleviate body shame with compassion

  6. Direct self-compassion to hidden parts of ourselves

  7. Disengage from habitual self-criticism by cultivating self-compassion

  8. Take positive action to live with less shame in daily life


Course Structure: 

  • 8-week course with 24 hours of training—16 hours of class time with 8 hours of practice in small groups.

  • Classes occur weekly for 2 hours each, with talks, exercises, meditation and group discussion

  • Small practice groups - 1 hour weekly, facilitated by SC-Shame Team mentors

  • Members of the BIPOC and LGBQIAP2S+ communities are invited to participate in optional affinity groups during the course.

  • Class size: 60-75 participants.


Practice Groups - Assigned after registration 

Self-compassion is best learned in community, especially when addressing shame. Practice groups are a key component of the 8-week course to help participants deepen what they learn and integrate it into their daily life.

You will be asked to sign up for a weekly practice group. We will do our best to accommodate everyone's schedule. 

  • Thursdays, 9-10 am PT, Feb 29 - Apr 25 (skip March 28) 
  • Thursdays, 4-5 pm PT, Feb 29 - Apr 25 (skip March 28) 
  • Fridays 9-10 am PT, March 1 - Apr 26 (skip March 29)


If you self identify as a member of the BIPOC or LGBTQIA2S+ community, you are invited to join us for additional, optional Affinity Practice Groups.  

Scholarships

A limited number of scholarships are available. You can apply for a scholarship using the Scholarship Application.  Places will be offered in  the order application forms are received. Places are confirmed once payment is received. (Please note that scholarships are based on personal financial need, separate from being financially over-extended or over-committed.)

Continuing Education for Participants in the US

Psychologists: Continuing Education Credit for this program is provided by UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness. The UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This course offers 22.0 CE credit.

California licensed MFTs, LPCCs, LEPs, LCSWs: Continuing Education Credit for this program is provided by UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness. The UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. 22.0 CE credit may be applied to your license renewal through the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. For those licensed outside California, please check with your local licensing board to determine if CE credit is accepted.

Nurses: UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP16351, for 26.75 CE credit.

Fees for CE credit: $75  *Must attend all classes live to receive credits.

If you would like to receive CEs for enrolling in this Shame course, please add at the checkout page.

Who Should Attend

Prerequisite for registration: completion of 8-wk or 10-wk Mindful Self-Compassion Course or the 5-Day Intensive MSC Course.

This course is suitable for everyone who has completed the prerequisite instruction and who suspects or recognizes that shame may be limiting their full potential and who would like to learn new resources for shame in order to free up new ways of living.

This includes any human being who would like to take next steps, with the support of self-compassion, to discover personal and unique ways to work with shame, and ultimately, to loosen the grip of shame. All are welcome: the general public, mental health and healthcare professionals, meditation and mindfulness instructors, yoga teachers, wellness coaches, and educators at all levels.

SC-Shame is a resource-building program, just like the MSC program itself, rather than psychotherapy. However, since we will be touching shame with self-compassion, challenging emotions may arise. The teaching team is committed to co-creating, along with the course participants, a safe and rewarding learning experience.

The skills and resources in this course can be applied on both a personal and professional level. As is true with MSC, we encourage all who take this course to take it first for yourself and know that this will provide you with the foundation needed to share it with others.


Access to Materials and Session Recordings

After you complete each course or workshop, you'll have access to the content for 90 days if you want to review it at your convenience.

Please note that we will record each live session, and the recordings will be available within 48 hours in the respective lesson of the course.


Refunds

For any refund requests, questions regarding the course or the registration process, please fill out the refund form here.

  • $695.00

    $695.00February 27, Tuesdays, 3pm PT, Self-Compassion for Shame, Natalie Bell and Laila Narsi

    Register Now

Testimonials

“This course truly changed my life! I am more skillful in meeting shame with love, kindness and support and it feels incredible to be coming home to myself. Thank you! ”

Shame Course Participant

“This program has been a revelation for me and has transformed my inner life. I learned how to be on my own side when shame arises, which has greatly relieved my lifelong habits of self-doubt and self-criticism. Somehow, learning to recognize and work well with shame has led me to trust myself and have confidence in my ability to handle life well.”

Shame Course Participant

“I can't recommend this class highly enough. It is a powerfully healing and insightful experience both personally and professionally. ”

Shame Course Participant

“If you are wanting to make a deeper dive into understanding shame and finding ways to meet it in all it's appearances with kindness, curiosity and courage, this course provides a well supported and safe space to do this. It will enable you to start to release the grip of your shame and engage with shame when it arises with more kindness and wisdom. ”

Shame Course Participant

“The course is a warm and safe environment to explore and learn about the shame part(s) within each of us. The teachers skillfully guided us through a well developed curriculum and sharing in the larger and smaller groups created a lovely sense of interconnected community!”

Shame Course Participant

Natalie Bell

PT, Certified MSC Teacher

Natalie Bell is the Director of Program Development for the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion. She is a Certified MSC Teacher and mindfulness teacher for UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center. Natalie has been practicing mindful awareness and meditation since 1985 and lived in an ashram for a year in 1989 dedicating herself to intensive practice of meditation and compassionate awareness. After studying neuropsychology she became a Physical Therapist, working for 17 years in hospitals as a clinician, Director of Rehabilitation, and medical device specialist. Natalie founded Mindful Wellness, training individuals and companies to manage stress and build resilience through the power of mindfulness and self-compassion. Since 2018 Natalie has worked with Dr. Kristin Neff and Dr. Chris Germer on the CMSC Healthcare Advisory Board and is co-author of the SCHC healthcare program. She has worked closely with them to co-develop the Fierce Self-Compassion and Self-Compassion for Shame 8-wk courses. Natalie's embodied passion is to teach the concepts and practices of self-compassion so that they can be applied to any situation in any moment of challenge. She loves to practice the art of savoring in nature, to hike, swim, and dance to embody these transformative practices in community.

Meet Your Teachers

Laila Narsi

Certified MSC Teacher

Laila Narsi, LCSW, CMMT, CMT-P, is the Co-Coordinator for the CMSC Circles of Practice Public Offering as well as a Certified Mindful Self-Compassion teacher receiving her training directly from founders Drs. Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer in 2014. Since receiving her Master’s in Social Work in 1997, her passion to provide sound and effective mental health services led her to create The Mindful Self, which is a center for Trauma Informed Psychotherapy as well as Mindfulness and Self-Compassion offerings. Laila a is Certified in EMDR Therapy and is an EMDR Approved Consultant where she specializes in PTSD, Complex trauma, Stress, Mood disorders, and Anxiety.

Laila’s journey in meditation started in childhood where she was mentored by her parents who nurtured a family meditation and movement practice. Since college, she has travelled around the world working with several teachers cultivating her interests in mindfulness, diversity, cultural studies, human rights, and international arts. Laila has also accompanied Dr. Germer in Kenya bringing MSC to other trauma specialists. She returned there a couple of years later to co-teach a Making Friends With Yourself (MSC for Teens) intensive course. In addition, she has been directly trained and mentored by Drs. Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Sharon Salzberg, and Steve Hickman.

Guest Teacher Q&A Session

Christopher Germer

Co-Founder, CMSC

Christopher Germer, Ph.D., is a co-developer of the MSC program and a co-founder of the Center for MSC. He is the author of the popular book, The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion, and co-author (with Kristin Neff) of the professional text, Teaching the Mindful Self-Compassion Program, and a workbook, The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook. Chris is an MSC Teacher Trainer and leads MSC intensives and workshops around the world. Chris is also a clinical psychologist and lecturer on psychiatry (part-time) at Harvard Medical School. Chris has been integrating the principles and practices of meditation into psychotherapy since 1978. He has co-edited two influential volumes –Mindfulness and Psychotherapy, and Wisdom and Compassion in Psychotherapy – and he is a founding faculty member of both the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy and the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion, Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School. Chris maintains a small private practice in Arlington, Massachusetts, USA, specializing in mindfulness and compassion-based psychotherapy.

Course Outline

    1. About This Class

    2. Zoom Link and Class Schedule

    3. Meet your Teachers - Natalie Bell and Laila Narsi

    4. Meet your Practice and Affinity Group Mentors

    5. CE Information

    1. Practice Group Sessions

    2. Affinity Group Sessions + Signup Information

    1. Week 1: Mindfulness of Shame in Daily Life

    2. Week 1: Self-Compassion in Daily Life

    3. Week 1: Self-Compassion Break for Shame

    4. Week 2: Wish to Be Loved

    5. Week 3: Saying No To Devaluing Messages

    6. Week 4: Self Compassion Phrases for Shame

    7. Week 4: Self-Compassion Letter for Shame

    8. Week 5: Forgiving Ourselves

    9. Week 5: Fierce Self-Compassion for Shame

    10. Week 6: Body Self-Compassion

    11. Week 6: Body Self-Forgiveness

    12. Week 6: Body Self-Appreciation

    13. Week 7: Compassionate Friend for Shame

    14. Week 7: Compassion for a Hidden Part

    15. Week 8: Vow for Living Fully

    1. Q&A Session with Chris Germer

    2. Q&A with Chris Germer Session Recording

    1. Parking Lot Questions

    2. Creative Offerings for Practicing Self-Compassion with Shame

    3. Optional Email Sharing

    1. We would love your feedback of the SC-Shame course - weekly

About this course

  • 8 Live Class Sessions, one each week
  • 8 Small Group Practice Sessions

FAQ

  • Where can I find the scholarship or refund policy?

    Please refer to our public policies here: https://centerformsc.org/cmsc-policies/

  • Will I be taxed on my registration?

    ​​Information on sales tax collection that may affect your purchases of courses through CMSC: In accordance with Marketplace Facilitator/Provider laws, CMSC is now required to collect and remit sales tax on sales in some areas of the United States and Canada. This is required even as we are a registered non-profit. What does this mean for you? It means that when you purchase a course with CMSC in some states or provinces ( U.S. & Canada), the sales tax will be automatically calculated and collected at the time of checkout. This ensures compliance with tax regulations in your area. If you have any questions or concerns about this change, please don't hesitate to reach out to our customer support team: [email protected].

  • What would be grounds for participant removal?

    Participation is at the discretion of the teachers and facilitators at all times. If, in the opinion of the teachers and facilitators, you are unable to continue to participate productively in the course, you may be asked to discontinue. Decisions of removal are to ensure CMSC provides the safest space possible for our participants and teachers. Please see our refund policy regarding necessary participant removal.

  • What are the parameters of participation?

    Our programs are designed to teach participants the tools needed to develop and cultivate a mindfulness and self-compassion practice. It is not a substitute for mental health care, personal therapy or medical treatment. Personal safety and emotional wellbeing are the foundation of self-compassion training and you are primarily responsible for your own safety. Teachers and facilitators are not expected or able to provide medical and/or psychological care. Course experiences may bring up challenging memories or feelings. If you have a history with a serious mental health condition or other concerns you think may impact your ability to take this course, please contact CMSC or your healthcare professional to determine if this course is right for you. Your personal contact information may be used in the event the teacher or facilitator reasonably determines a need to call emergency services on your behalf.