Self-Compassion for Wellbeing for Patients with Cancer

This series of four weekly group medical visits is designed to support people living with and beyond cancer. Integrative palliative care physician Dr. Stephanie Cheng and integrative oncologist Dr. Chloe Atreya focus on how to bring mindful self-compassion, which combines the evidence-based skills of mindfulness and self-compassion, into one’s life to enhance wellbeing. Research shows that mindful self-compassion is strongly associated with increased self-compassion, compassion for others, mindfulness, life satisfaction, and resilience, as well as decreased depression, anxiety, and stress.

Self-compassion involves the capacity to offer ourselves kindness and encouragement in the face of suffering. In this series based on the work of Drs. Kristen Neff and Christopher Germer, you will learn to practice mindfulness and self-compassion in daily life, understand the science of self-compassion, use self-compassion to live in alignment with your values, handle difficult emotions with greater ease, motivate yourself with kindness rather than criticism, and practice the art of savoring and self-appreciation. Each session will include educational content, experiential practice, and time for discussion.

Session 1: Discovering Self-Compassion

Session 2: Awakening Your Compassionate Voice

Session 3: Meeting Challenges with Compassion

Session 4: Integrating Self-Compassion into Your Life