8-Week Mindful Self-Compassion Course
Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) is an evidence-based online 8-week program designed to cultivate the skill of self-compassion.
What is self-compassion? It’s simply compassion turned inward. We're kind and understanding rather than harshly self-critical when we fail, make mistakes, or feel inadequate. We give ourselves support and encouragement rather than being cold or judgmental when challenges and difficulties arise in our lives.
Why Take a Mindful Self-Compassion Course Online?
Our Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) course is offered 100% live online—making it accessible no matter where you are. If you’re wondering what to expect with the online version of MSC, you can check out our blog here. In MSC, you will learn to:
Practice mindfulness and self-compassion in daily life
Understand the proven health benefits of self-compassion
Motivate yourself with kindness rather than criticism
Handle uncomfortable emotions with greater ease
Transform challenging relationships
Manage caregiver fatigue
Practice the art of savouring and self-appreciation
You’ll join a supportive community of participants in real time, guided a trained facilitator. Whether you're balancing work, caregiving, or other commitments, our online format gives you the flexibility to build self-compassion into your life
MSC combines the skills of mindfulness and self-compassion in order to enhance our capacity for emotional well-being. In fact, research shows that MSC improves psychological wellbeing by reducing symptoms of stress, anxiety, or depression, and by increasing happiness and life satisfaction (Barnard & Curry, 2011; Macbeth & Gumley, 2012; Neff et al, 2018; Zessin, Dickhauser & Garbade, 2015).
MSC training has also been found in studies to be associated with improved motivation, health-promoting behaviours, immune function, positive body image, and effective coping (Allen & Leary, 2010; Braun, Park & Gorin, 2016; Breines & Chen, 2012; Friis, Johnson, Cutfield & Consedine, 2016; Terry & Leary, 2011). Overall, research has shown us that self-compassion is not a trait you were born with, but rather a skill that can be honed.
Don’t let common myths & misunderstandings about self-compassion training stop you. Learn about the three key ingredients of MSC, and how they are practical responses to the unhelpful but intuitive ways we often respond to life’s inevitable difficult times.
2026 Course Dates:
January 21 - March 11 | 5-7pm PST
March 25 - May 13 | 12-2pm PST
October 21 - December 9 | 9-11am PST
October 21 - December 9 | 5:30-7:30pm PST
*We have folks join us from across Canada - please use the time converter to see when these groups occur in your timezone.
Fill out this form with your preferred dates/times for future groups & to be notified when sign-ups for future cohorts open. I use this data to plan future class options! I suggest adding hello@youflourish.ca as a contact in your email to avoid the email landing in your junk folder.
Please note each group has a minimum number of 6 registrants in order to run. Your spot is not confirmed until payment has been received.
**Can’t make it? Not sure yet? Join us for a half-day retreat only to get a taste for MSC practices. Check out all the details here.
Course Details:
This program includes eight weeks of 2-hour long classes, live online (Zoom). Classes have a rhythm of 5-15 minutes of interactive teaching, followed by an experiential practice (i.e. meditation, movement, reflection), followed by optional inquiry discussion. While sharing is optional, participants must commit to having their video on for most of the session (outside of bathroom breaks, etc.).
The program includes a 3-hour silent retreat on a weekend between Weeks 5 & 6. A recording will be provided if you cannot make the retreat session. The retreat is open to the public & past members of MSC groups.
The program cost includes practice resources that are sent out in weekly emails. This includes audio guidance to the meditations from that week’s class, along with readings, research, and more. There is also an optional course companion, The Mindful Self Compassion Workbook.
Cost: $495 Please note payment is required in order to register and confirm your spot. There are a a limited number of spots available.
Cancellation Policy: 85% of tuition refunded with cancellation notice of more than 4 weeks prior to program start date. 50% tuition refunded with cancellation notice of 2-4 weeks prior to program start date. In order to assure minimum numbers in our courses, no refunds will be given for cancellations within 2 weeks of the program start date.
MSC was developed by Christopher Germer, PhD, a leader in the integration of mindfulness and psychotherapy (www.mindfulselfcompassion.org) and Kristin Neff, PhD, a pioneering researcher in the field of self-compassion (www.self-compassion.org).
Mindful Self-Compassion is a journey—an adventure in self-discovery and self-kindness. Self-compassion has the paradoxical effect of both soothing our emotional distress as well as opening us to the pain that we may have been unconsciously holding inside, often for many years. Therefore, challenging emotions are likely to surface during the program.
MSC teachers are committed to helping participants feel safe and comfortable during the course. However, participants agree at the outset that they will take primary responsibility for their emotional well-being. Mindful Self-compassion is therapeutic, but it’s not therapy. It is not a replacement for medical or mental health care.
MSC is designed for members of the general public. Meditation experience is not necessary to participate in MSC. Program activities include meditation, short talks, experiential exercises, group discussion, and home practices. The goal is for participants to develop the skills of mindfulness and self-compassion in order to increase life satisfaction, decrease anxiety, depression and stress, and increase resilience.
This program fulfills one of the prerequisites for becoming an MSC Teacher. For more information on MSC and becoming an MSC Teacher, please visit www.centerformsc.org.
Questions?
Check out our frequently asked questions here. Not seeing your question here? Scroll down to send me a message with our question or to arrange a free 15-minute Discovery Call to see if MSC is the right fit for you right now.
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Absolutely not! You don’t even have to have a formal meditation practice in the course if you don’t wish to - you may focus more on informal (in-the-moment) and behavioural (action-oriented) mindfulness & self-compassion practices.
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Yes. There is an expectation that you can commit to 30 minutes per day of any mixture of informal and formal practices. If this sounds like a lot, don’t worry. Informal practices often take no extra time at all as they are tools you integrate into what you’re already doing in that moment. As for formal practices, you will be provided with audio guidance to try out the practice we introduce that week in class from your home between sessions.
If you like to delve into the topic more between classes, we also send out weekly summary emails, audio guidance, and corresponding pages if you’d like to buy the Mindful Self Compassion Workbook to accompany the course. This is optional. -
Absolutely! The ever expanding research body is one of the reasons I decided to become a teacher. You can find a list of articles with links to PDFs where there is open access here: https://self-compassion.org/publications-on-msc/
Dr. Kirstin Neff recently wrote a review of the evidence to date in MSC here. -
You can check out an article written by one of the psychologists who created the program here.
You can also purchase the Mindful Self Compassion Workbook or check it out at your local library. -
MSC has been shown to help burnout, particularly with healthcare workers. For a meta-analysis of the studies completed with HCPs since 2020 you can check out this article.
Get in touch.
Please feel free to reach out with questions via this form or set up a free 15-minute discovery call here if you’d like to chat more about MSC!