In MSC you’ll learn to:

• Techniques for grounding yourself in stressful situations
• Practice mindfulness and self-compassion when you need it most
• Handle difficult emotions with greater ease
• Motivate yourself with kindness rather than criticism
• Anchor yourself to your values to increase resiliency and satisfaction
• Care for yourself while you care for others
• Cultivate gratitude and self-appreciation
• Teach simple self-compassion skills to others

Program activities include short talks, experiential exercises, meditation, group discussion, and home practices). MSC is taught in a variety of formats (e.g., face-to-face, online, full or partial trainings) to meet the needs of individuals in differing circumstances. 

MSC is a journey—an adventure in self-discovery and self-kindness. Self-compassion has the paradoxical effect of both soothing our emotional distress as well as opening us to the pain that we may have been unconsciously holding inside, often for many years.  Therefore, challenging emotions are likely to surface during the program, including past trauma. MSC teachers are committed to helping participants feel safe and comfortable during the course. However, participants agree at the outset that they will take primary responsibility for their emotional wellbeing.

MSC is therapeutic, but it’s not therapy. The emphasis of the program is on building the resources of mindfulness and self-compassion.  MSC is not a substitute for medical or mental health care. 

In a randomized, controlled study, MSC significantly increased self-compassion, compassion for others, mindfulness, and life satisfaction, as well as decreased depression, anxiety and stress. Read the full-text article. 

Highly recommended while participating in the MSC course: The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook by Kristin Neff and Chris Germer

Are there any prerequisites for this training?

No. There are no prerequisites for Mindful Self-Compassion training. Just a willingness to learn and grow. 

Which form of Mindful Self-Compassion training should I take?

Jamie Lynn offers an abbreviated MSC training entitled the MSC short course as the full MSC training. The abbreviated training offers foundational MSC practices. The full training offers more practices and more time to integrate the practices. If you aspire to teach self-compassion, you will need to take the full MSC training. 

What if the live dates don’t work for me? How can I take this class?

This course is often taken in-person or live-online. If the live dates don’t work for you, there are a few options. You can take the self-paced online course through this site and begin anytime. If you’re part of an organization in the Milwaukee area, Jamie Lynn is also available to teach MSC in person by arrangement.

I want my children to learn self-compassion. Do I really need to take a training for adults?

You can learn self-compassion alongside your child/teen (in a parent-child or parent-teen class), on your own, or best of all: BOTH! Your level of self-compassion profoundly influences your ability to model and share self-compassion with your children. 

I want to learn to teach self-compassion to children. Do I need to take this class?

Yes.  The full Mindful Self-Compassion training (in-person or live-online) is a prerequisite for learning to teach self-compassion to children. See the teacher training pathway for details.