How Compassion Transforms the Mind - Professor Paul Gilbert OBE
Dec 7, 2023
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Professor Paul Gilbert, a renowned clinical psychologist, discusses the science of compassion and its application in alleviating suffering. Topics include core foundations of Compassion Focused Therapy, working with difficult clients, evolutionary origins of shame and guilt, managing depression, trauma memories, understanding evolution in health professions, and resources offered by the Compassionate Mind Foundation and Compassion-Focused Therapy.
Compassion Focus Therapy (CFT) helps therapists connect with difficult clients and alleviate suffering.
Shame has evolutionary origins and plays a role in mental health, conformity, and societal control.
Compassion can counteract negative behaviors, foster positive qualities, and build a more harmonious society.
Deep dives
The Evolution of Compassion and its Application in Alleviating Suffering
Professor Paul Gilbert discusses his lifelong dedication to understanding and applying compassion to alleviate suffering. He delves into the core foundations of Compassion Focus Therapy (CFT) and how it can be used to help difficult clients in therapy. He explores the evolutionary origins of shame and guilt and their impact on mental health and well-being. Through CFT, he aims to switch individuals from a competitive self-critical mindset to a caring, compassionate mindset, detoxifying the toxic memories associated with the caring system. Various interventions, such as imagery and breathing exercises, are used to stimulate the physiological infrastructure of the caring system.
The Misunderstandings and Significance of Compassion
Professor Gilbert addresses the misconceptions around compassion, particularly the perception of it being soft or weak. He emphasizes that compassion is not about kindness or love, but rather about the courage and wisdom to address suffering and prevent it. He distinguishes between pride, confidence, and social pride, highlighting the importance of having a secure base and not beating oneself up during failure. He explains that compassion is a powerful and crucial emotion that can promote growth, wisdom, and moral behavior.
The Evolutionary Origins and Effects of Shame
Professor Gilbert explores the evolutionary origins of shame and its role in social dynamics and conformity. He discusses the distinction between internal and external shame and highlights how shame can be used as a means of control and enforcement of societal norms. He also delves into the submissive behavior associated with shame and the potential for it to save lives or lead to harmful conformity. However, he acknowledges the potential negative consequences of shame and emphasizes the importance of challenging societal norms when necessary.
The importance of compassion in addressing dark sides of human nature
Compassion is a powerful tool to counter the problematic aspects of human nature. By developing a compassionate mindset, we can better understand why negative behaviors arise and work towards creating social and political contexts that discourage such behaviors. Engaging in compassionate actions helps us avoid treating others as objects and stimulates positive psychological qualities. The speaker emphasizes the need to confront the dark side of human nature and foster compassion as a primary motivation system to build a more harmonious society.
The impact of a compassionate value system on society
The podcast discusses the potential transformation of society if compassion were to become a central value taught to children from a young age. The speaker highlights historical examples where compassion was prioritized in societies, such as post-World War II initiatives like the New Deal and the Marshall Plan. The shift towards a neoliberal culture, with excessive competitiveness and wealth inequality, has resulted in a detrimental impact on society. By reintegrating compassion into our societal values and regulating competition, we can build a fairer and more compassionate world for all.
Professor Paul Gilbert, a clinical psychologist, bestselling author and the Founder of Compassion Focused Therapy. Paul has dedicated his life to researching the science of compassion and how it can be applied to alleviate suffering and promote wellbeing. He is the author of numerous books, including “The Compassionate Mind”, “Mindful Compassion”, “Living Like Crazy”, “Overcoming Depression”, and most recently: “Compassion Focused Therapy: Clinical Practice and Applications”. In 2011, Paul was awarded an OBE for his continued contribution in mental healthcare.
In this wide ranging conversation, we discuss:
— Why Paul has devoted his life to understanding and applying compassion to alleviate suffering
— The core foundations CFT is built upon
— How to “get through” to difficult clients in therapy
— The evolutionary origins of shame and guilt, and the role they play in mental health and more.
You can learn more about Paul’s work and trainings in CFT by going to www.compassionatemind.co.uk.
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Professor Paul Gilbert, FBPsS, PhD, OBE is a British clinical psychologist, the founder of compassion focused therapy (CFT), compassionate mind training (CMT) and author of books such as The Compassionate Mind: A New Approach to Life’s Challenges, Overcoming Depression.
He has researched evolutionary approaches to psychopathology for over 40 years with a special focus on the roles of mood, shame and self-criticism in various mental health difficulties for which Compassion Focused Therapy was developed. Professor Gilbert has written/edited 21 books and over 200 papers. In 2006 he established the Compassionate Mind Foundation as an international charity with the mission statement: “To promote wellbeing through the scientific understanding and application of compassion”.
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Interview Links:
— www.compassionatemind.co.uk
— Compassion Focused Therapy: Clinical Practice and Application: https://amzn.to/3ReGXAR
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3 Books Professor Gilbert Recommends Every Therapist Should Read:
— The Discovery Of The Unconscious - Henri Ellenberger: https://amzn.to/3uzAWVF
— Archetype: A Natural History of the Self - Anthony Stevens: https://amzn.to/3PeTL8F
— Civilized to Death - Chris Ryan: https://amzn.to/3yuzOnE
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