With our UK partners, we offer teacher training to enable you to teach the eight-week Mindful Self-Compassion course. We work in collaboration with the US-based, Center for Mindful Self-Compassion.

Train to Teach Mindful Self-Compassion

Mindful Self-Compassion is an internationally renowned programme developed by Dr Kristin Neff and Dr Chris Germer in the USA. As Mindful Self-Compassion has spread around the globe many countries have developed what are now well-established Mindful Self-Compassion centres of excellence, offering a variety of training opportunities.

The Sussex Mindfulness Centre is one of those centres, offering the only teacher training pathway in the UK to enable participants to teach the eight-week Mindful Self-Compassion course.

The training programme and pathway has been created by the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion. Working in collaboration with other teaching partners the Sussex Mindfulness Centre is the host and awarding body for this training as an International Partner of the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion. 

Mindful Self-Compassion teacher training pathway

The teacher training is delivered as a five-step pathway, outlined below.

Steps 1 and 2 are required before the teacher training to learn to teach Mindful Self-Compassion. Steps 3 to 5 describe the teacher training process. And step 6 is what is expected after your training is complete.

Before teacher training

Step 1

Take a Mindful Self-Compassion course, either in weekly classes (in person or online) or in a residential format over five days. To find a course in the UK see upcoming courses from the Sussex Mindfulness Centre and MSC-UK by following the links.

Step 2

Attend a silent mindfulness and/or compassion focussed retreat. For the retreat to qualify more than half of waking hours is spent in silence. The retreat could be made up of multiple shorter retreats.

Please check out our retreat page for upcoming retreats here and email spft.smc@nhs.net for a list of other qualifying retreat options.

Teacher training

Step 3

Attend a residential teacher training. Ideally there is a six month gap between completing your eight-week course as a participant and attending the residential training. This helps you to integrate your personal discoveries and establish a regular practice before training to teach the course. Find out more and apply here.

Step 4

Take the ten-session, weekly, online Teacher Training Practicum. This provides a safe, encouraging space to explore your teaching voice with peer trainee teachers. It is recommended you complete Step 4 within a year of the residential training, and certainly no more than two years after. Find out more and apply here.

Step 5

You co-teach your first Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) course supported by five online qualifying supervision sessions with a supervisor certified to teach MSC. You will meet the following requirements in running your first course:

• A minimum of eight participants attending your first course;
• Co-teaching with a peer trainee teacher or experienced teacher. If this is not possible with a mental health assistant;
• You must teach at least half of the course (or all if with an assistant only);
• The course must follow the official MSC curriculum.

We will provide you with details of available qualifying supervisors nearer the time, via our partners at the Mindfulness Network. Once Step 5 is complete and confirmed by your supervisor you can inform the Sussex Mindfulness Centre who then awards you an MSC Trained Teacher certificate.

Teach with supervision

Step 6

You can now teach Mindful Self-Compassion with recommended ongoing supervision from a supervisor trained in Mindful Self-Compassion teaching. To find a supervisor you can visit the Mindfulness Network to see available supervisors and apply for supervision by clicking here.

After teaching at least three courses, you can apply to become a certified MSC teacher if you wish. This includes a collaborative assessment and mentoring by a certified MSC teacher. The certification path includes 14 hours of individual mentoring, for a minimum of two additional MSC courses. Your teacher trainers will be happy to tell you more about this continuing professional development during your training.