May I Be Kind to Myself : A Pilot Study on the Experience of a 6-Week Short Course in Mindful Self-Compassion (SC-MSC)

Abstract

This qualitative study explored the experience of participants in a 6-week Short Course in Mindful Self-Compassion (SC-MSC). Five women completed the course as well as a semi-structured interview with a targeted set of questions pertaining to uncovering their lived experiences. Thematic analysis was used to construct detailed accounts of each participants' development. Participants reported perceiving that self-compassion helped shift their self-perception, adopt healthier coping strategies, and relate to their suffering differently. Additionally, the adapted format presented the advantage of increased accessibility and perception of attention retention. This study may help inform future therapeutic interventions in the realm of self-compassion based counselling.