What is Compassion Focused Therapy?

Compassion Focused Therapy, usually shortened to CFT, is a psychological approach developed by Paul Gilbert. It pays particular attention to shame, self-criticism and how people relate to distress. Compassion is approached as a willingness to understand suffering and respond helpfully, rather than simply replacing difficult thoughts with cheerful ones. The Compassionate Mind Foundation's introduction explains the approach.

You may also see the British spelling Compassion Focussed Therapy. The spelling does not describe a separate method. Broader expressions such as compassion therapy or compassion based therapy can be less specific, so it is worth asking what an individual therapist means by them.

CFT therapy is another search term you may encounter, although therapy is already part of the abbreviation. The important question is what the work involves and whether it suits you, not whether you have found exactly the right label.

What does Compassion Focused Therapy focus on?

A compassion focused approach looks at the way you respond when life is painful or something goes wrong. That can include what you say to yourself, how you interpret another person's response and whether accepting support feels possible. It is not a test of whether you are a sufficiently compassionate person.

The approach includes compassion towards yourself, towards others and the capacity to receive care. An NHS explanation of CFT describes these different directions of compassion. Receiving kindness can be a question to explore, rather than something a therapist assumes will feel easy.

Compassion does not have to mean agreeing with everything you do. You can acknowledge that an action caused harm and consider what needs to change without turning the whole of yourself into the problem. Equally, understanding someone else's difficulties does not require accepting hurtful behaviour or giving up a boundary.

How does Compassion Focused Therapy work?

One framework used in CFT describes three broad emotion-regulation systems: threat and protection, drive and pursuing goals, and soothing or feeling connected. These are ways of making sense of experience within the model, not three diagnostic categories or a measurement of your brain.

A conversation might explore which responses seem most familiar to you. For example, striving harder and watching for mistakes may feel more accessible than resting or accepting encouragement. The model offers language for discussing that pattern; it does not establish why a particular person feels as they do.

Work can include developing more supportive ways of paying attention, thinking and acting. That is different from insisting that you ought to feel calm. It should remain possible to talk about anger, sadness, fear or disappointment without treating those feelings as evidence that you are doing compassion incorrectly.

If you want a broader introduction to the difference between managing feelings and expecting yourself to stay calm, the guide to emotional overwhelm and regulation explores that question. It is related reading, not a description of a CFT treatment programme.

Compassion, shame and self-criticism

Self-criticism can sound convincing, especially when it has become a familiar way to respond to mistakes. You may fear that being less harsh would mean becoming careless or losing motivation. Those concerns deserve a hearing rather than another instruction to stop being so hard on yourself.

Compassion-focused work can offer a setting for exploring what criticism seems to do for you, what it costs and whether other responses are possible. There is no need to assume that every critical thought comes from the same experience or that the therapist knows its meaning before listening to you.

Shame can make it difficult to speak about something you fear will change how another person sees you. A therapeutic conversation can begin with the difficulty of saying it, without requiring an immediate disclosure. You remain able to decide how much to share.

None of this means being persuaded that everything is fine or that the effects of your choices do not matter. A compassionate response can include taking responsibility, asking for help, making a repair or deciding that a demand is unreasonable. The intention is to consider what is helpful without adding humiliation.

What might Compassion Focused Therapy involve?

There is no single session script that everyone should expect. As one example, an NHS CFT group description mentions mindfulness, compassionate imagery and letter writing. These are examples of work used in that setting, not a list of techniques Michael promises to provide.

A therapist offering CFT should explain the purpose of any exercise and discuss whether you want to try it. Imagery might involve considering the qualities of a supportive response; writing might offer a different way to think about a difficult moment. Neither needs to become an assignment you must perform well.

A compassion focused counselling or compassion focused psychotherapy session may also involve ordinary conversation: noticing a self-critical response, exploring what happened around it and discussing what you needed. The description someone uses should be made clear before you decide to begin.

If an invitation feels uncomfortable, that matters. It is reasonable to ask to pause, keep talking instead or consider another way of working. This article is not a self-directed exercise programme, and you do not need to practise imagery or disclose painful memories to prove that you are willing to engage.

Who might explore Compassion Focused Therapy?

You might be curious about the approach if you recognise a habit of responding to difficulty with blame or contempt towards yourself. You might find it easier to offer understanding to others than to accept it for yourself, or want to discuss why support can feel awkward.

These are possible reasons to ask questions, not diagnostic criteria. A familiar description does not establish that CFT is right for you, nor does it mean another approach would be less helpful. Your preferences, circumstances and the professional's experience all belong in that decision.

Compassion-focused ideas are discussed in relation to different kinds of distress, but that should not become a promise to treat depression, anxiety, trauma, ADHD, addiction or relationship difficulties through one method. The support you need may include other psychological or medical care. An informational article cannot assess that need.

If you are looking for a compassion focused therapist, ask how the person describes their professional background, relevant training and actual way of working. An integrative therapist drawing on an influence is offering something that needs to be distinguished from a dedicated course of CFT.

Compassion Focused Therapy and Michael's integrative approach

Michael is an integrative therapist influenced by Compassion Focused approaches. That is the basis for describing this influence on his work. It is not a claim to a CFT qualification, formal accreditation, exclusive specialism or standalone CFT treatment.

Within a broader integrative conversation, compassion-focused principles can inform the way self-criticism, shame and emotional responses are approached. There can be room to understand what is happening without requiring you to be kinder to yourself on demand. The pace and focus of the work are discussed together.

The therapeutic relationship also matters. You can ask questions, disagree with an interpretation or say that a particular way of working does not suit you. The existing article about how feeling heard can matter in therapy describes this wider relational context.

Michael's approach draws on more than one influence. That does not make different methods interchangeable, and it should not make the therapy difficult to ask about. If a specific programme or qualification is important to you, raise that directly when considering support.

Compassion Focused Therapy in London

If you are exploring Compassion Focused Therapy in London, distinguish between a professional offering a dedicated CFT programme and an integrative therapist influenced by Compassion Focused principles. Similar descriptions can refer to different kinds of work.

A search for compassion focussed therapy in London, or for compassion based therapy in London, may bring up several approaches. Ask what the therapist actually offers and whether it matches what you are seeking. Location and availability are useful practical details, but they do not establish qualifications or suitability.

Michael offers in-person therapy at Angel, King's Cross and Farringdon, with online sessions also available. His integrative therapy in London page explains the existing service and how he works with adults and couples. This methodology guide does not establish a separate CFT service or location.

Finding out whether this approach may be right for you

You do not have to choose a therapy label before making contact. It is enough to say that you are struggling with self-criticism, that compassion feels difficult, or that you would like to understand how Michael works. You can also be unsure whether this approach is what you want.

An initial conversation can include what you hope for, questions about experience and training, and what happens if the work does not feel useful. You can explain any preferences or concerns without needing to present a complete account of your history.

If you would like to discuss Michael's integrative approach, you can arrange an initial call. It is an opportunity to explore whether working together feels suitable. There is no requirement to arrive already able to feel compassion for yourself.