Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)

Abstract

Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) is a recently developed psychological therapy that has been used to help those struggling with psychosis. The therapy aims to work by encouraging self-compassion and reducing problematic ways of relating to oneself, such as self-criticism. This chapter provides an introduction to CFT for people with psychosis. The chapter begins with Mystic Leaf’s personal account of experiencing CFT. Here, the way in which CFT felt different from previous therapies is described, and it is noted how CFT helped her foster a new, more compassionate way of relating to herself. In the second part of the chapter, Jon, a CFT therapist, describes the principles and theory behind this approach. The practice of using CFT to help individuals with psychosis is then described. The evidence that CFT may be helpful for people with psychosis is discussed as well as reflections of the role of mental health services in supporting compassion in individuals with experiences of psychosis.