Sexology

EP225 - Self Compassion and Sexual Health with Chris Germer, PhD

Apr 13, 2021

29:46

Welcome to episode 225 of the Sexology Podcast! Today I'm delighted to welcome Chris Germer, PhD to the podcast. In this episode, Dr. Germer talks to me about self-compassion, the power of kindness and how you can learn to let go of your expectations.

Chris Germer, PhD is a clinical psychologist and lecturer on psychiatry (part-time) at Harvard Medical School. He co-developed the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program with Kristin Neff in 2010 and MSC has since been taught to over 150,000 people worldwide. They co-authored two books on MSC, The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook and Teaching the Mindful Self-Compassion Program.

Chris spends most of his time lecturing and leading workshops around the world on mindfulness and self-compassion. He is also the author of The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion; he co-edited two influential volumes on therapy, Mindfulness and Psychotherapy, and Wisdom and Compassion in Psychotherapy; and he maintains a small private practice in Arlington, Massachusetts, USA.

In this episode, you will hear:

What is self-compassion?
How most people are compassionate to others than themselves
How self-compassion is a skill anyone can learn
The importance of asking yourself – What do I need?
Looking at the shame spiral
How self-compassion is the antidote to shame
Why people who are self-compassionate experience better sexual satisfaction
How you can break your cycle and become self-compassionate
The power of kindness and how it empowers you
Why quick fixes “3 Steps to fix your sex life etc” are not congruent with self-compassion
Learning to let go of your expectations