Together with our partners, we run the only teacher training programme in the UK recognised internationally, to enable participants to run the eight-week Mindful Self-Compassion course.

Pioneering research and clinical experience

Based on pioneering research by Kristin Neff and integrated with the clinical perspective of Christopher Germer, Mindful Self-Compassion teaches core principles and practices that enable participants to respond to difficult emotions with care and understanding.

The three key components of self-compassion are self-kindness, a sense of common humanity, and balanced, mindful awareness.

1. Kindness opens our hearts to suffering, so we can give ourselves what we need.
2. Common humanity opens us to others, so that we know we aren’t alone.
3. Mindfulness opens us to the present moment, so we can accept our experience with greater ease.

Together they comprise a state of warm hearted, connected presence during difficult moments in our lives.

Teacher training objectives

The teacher training adventure is deeply enriching both personally and professionally. Upon successfully completing the comprehensive teacher training pathway, you will have acquired a meaningful set of skills and understandings, empowering you to effectively teach Mindful Self-Compassion and integrate it’sits principles into your life and work.

Objectives of the training include: 

• Deepening personal practice and emotional resourcing, enhancing the capacity to navigate and respond to difficult emotions and life challenges with greater awareness, compassion and wisdom.
• Gaining confidence in summarising current basic theory and research on self-compassion in terms of its psychological mechanisms, physiological benefits, and its role in promoting well-being and mental health.
• Developing the skills necessary to facilitate courses, including how to guide meditations, teach from each participant’s direct experience, and facilitate group cohesion.
• Ability to identify obstacles to Mindful Self-Compassion practice and strategies for overcoming them.

• Embodying a mindful and compassionate stance, fostering an environment where participants feel safe to explore their experiences and cultivate their own inner resources of compassion.

Who is the training for?

The programme is for people who wish to teach Mindful Self-Compassion, those who would like to integrate mindfulness and self-compassion into their ongoing professional activities (such as psychotherapy, coaching, nursing, teaching, etc.), and for individuals who have a professional interest in the field (researchers etc.)

You do not need a clinical or psychotherapy background to do this training.

Find out about the Mindful Self-Compassion teacher training pathway here.

The teacher trainers

The teacher trainers are Zoe Shobbrook-Fisher and Ali Lambie. You can see their bios here.

When is the next course?

The next residential teacher training course runs from Sunday 14 March until Saturday 20 March 2027. The venue is the Coach House, at the Sharpham Trust, near Totnes, in Devon. It will be followed by a ten-week online teacher training practicum.

You can stay up-to-date with our teacher training opportunities by signing up to our newsletter. And you can register your interest or send any further enquiries to us at spft.smc@nhs.net.

Collaborating partners

Sussex Mindfulness Centre

This MSC teacher training pathway is hosted by the Sussex Mindfulness Centre, which is part of the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. It is offered in collaboration with Mindful Self-Compassion UK and the Mindfulness Network.

Mindful Self-Compassion UK (MSC-UK)

A volunteer-led community of Mindful Self-Compassion teachers based in the UK whose website hosts a directory of courses, workshops and retreats. MSC-UK also offers regular networking events for teachers and practice opportunities for the general public.

The Mindfulness Network

The Mindfulness Network is a registered charity serving the mindfulness community and general public through supervision, retreats and training courses, including Mindful Self-Compassion offerings.

International partners

The Sussex Mindfulness Centre is a member of Mindful Self-Compassion -Europe.

The Sussex Mindfulness Centre is authorised by the international body, the US-based Center for Mindful Self-Compassion.