Developing Self-Compassion: Six-week Experiential Group

What is self-compassion?
Self-compassion involves treating yourself with the same love and kindness as you would treat others who are suffering. Often, as we deal with challenges in life, it is difficult it is for us to accept any part of ourselves that we perceive as being ‘weak’ or ‘imperfect’.  Feelings of depression, loneliness, anger, shame and anxiety can be treated with judgement and rejection, even disgust. Developing self-compassion means that:

• When we fail or make mistakes we keep a kind attitude towards ourselves, rather than being harshly critical. 
• We accept our limitations and imperfections rather than harshly judging them.
• We come to see our personal experience in light of the common human experience, therefore instead of feeling isolated and separate from others we realise that others feel what we are feeling, it is all part of being human.

Course content:
The course will be highly experiential therefore safety and confidentiality will be paramount in the group setting.  We will look at developing a compassionate relationship with the self through:
 
Body-based exercises: here we will connect with feelings within the body which we generally tend to banish or move away from.
 
Inner voice exercises:  here we will become aware of any voices we have within which may be keeping us from being compassionate with ourselves. 
 
Shadow exercises:  here we will look at how we may project 'positive' or 'negative' qualities, we find hard to accept, onto other people. 

Work will take place through guided exercises, pair work and, if desired, some one-to-one work with me within the group.

About the facilitator:
Alison McGeown  is a professionally qualified Counsellor and Psychotherapist practising in Galway city.  She is fully accredited by IACP and IAHIP and adheres to their strict code of ethics.  She has completed a four-year professional psychotherapy training, a two-year Masters degree in Integrative Psychotherapy, plus a certificate in Gestalt Psychotherapy.

Date and Time:  Wed 10th March, 4-6pm.
Venue: Spirit Centre, Riverwood, Nuns Island, Galway City Centre.
Fees: 220 euro or 150 euro concession (sliding scale available if needed).
Registration: Please send 50euro deposit to:
Alison McGeown, 8, Uilinn, Moycullen, Co.Galway.
Course limited to 12 participants.
If you have any queries email: alisonmcg10@hotmail.com
Alison McGeown
BA (Hons), Dip, MA, IACP, IAHIP
085 7341944