StretchLearn Course

Build self-compassion the way the research actually teaches it

Kristin Neff's three-component framework, the named practices from the Mindful Self-Compassion program, and the validated scale to measure your own change.

Preview Curriculum Back to Catalog

Beginner8 hr 45 minSelf PacedRegistered

Course Overview

What this course is designed to develop

Build genuine self-compassion on the same model and protocols tested in peer-reviewed psychology, not on self-esteem slogans. You will learn Neff's three components—self-kindness versus self-judgment, common humanity versus isolation, and mindfulness versus over-identification—and run named practices from the eight-week Mindful Self-Compassion course, including the Self-Compassion Break, the soothing touch, the compassionate letter, and working with the inner critic. You will measure your baseline and change using the Self-Compassion Scale, learn why self-compassion outperforms self-esteem and is distinct from self-pity and self-indulgence, and handle backdraft and the fierce side of self-compassion. Every exercise comes with format, evidence, and the trade-offs the research found.

Learning Outcomes

What the learner should be able to understand, build, or execute.

Define Kristin Neff's three components of self-compassion and contrast each with its opposite

Run the core Mindful Self-Compassion practices including the Self-Compassion Break, soothing touch, and the compassionate letter

Measure your self-compassion using the validated Self-Compassion Scale and interpret the six subscales

Distinguish self-compassion from self-esteem, self-pity, self-indulgence, and self-criticism

Work skilfully with the inner critic and recognise both the tender and fierce sides of self-compassion

Build a sustainable daily practice and track change across a four-to-eight-week personal experiment

Curriculum Preview

Inside the curriculum: a structured path from fundamentals to execution.

Preview the course structure, see how the modules build on one another, and understand the path this program is designed to take you through.

Module 1

Module 1: What Self-Compassion Is: Neff's Three Components

Define self-compassion precisely using Kristin Neff's three-component model, separate it from common confusions, and understand why it differs from self-esteem.

3 lessons

The Three Components: Self-Kindness, Common Humanity, MindfulnessContent · 40 min

Preview Enabled

Self-Compassion Versus Self-Esteem, Self-Pity, and Self-IndulgenceContent · 45 min

LMS Access

The Science: Why Self-Criticism Hurts and Self-Compassion HelpsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 2

Module 2: The Core Mindful Self-Compassion Practices

Learn and practise the specific exercises from the Mindful Self-Compassion program developed by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer, with their formats and purposes.

3 lessons

The Self-Compassion Break and Supportive TouchContent · 45 min

LMS Access

The Compassionate Letter and the Compassionate FriendContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Working with the Inner Critic and the Fierce SideContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 3

Module 3: Building and Sustaining a Daily Practice

Turn the exercises into a habit that survives busy weeks, fits your life, and avoids the traps that make self-compassion practices stall.

3 lessons

Habit Architecture: Making Self-Compassion AutomaticContent · 40 min

LMS Access

Self-Compassion in Daily Life: Failure, Difficult Emotions, and OthersContent · 40 min

LMS Access

Avoiding the Traps: Backdraft, Striving, and Spiritual BypassingContent · 40 min

LMS Access

Module 4

Module 4: Measuring Your Self-Compassion and Seeing the Change

Use the validated Self-Compassion Scale to establish a baseline, track your change over weeks, and interpret honestly whether the practice is working for you.

3 lessons

The Self-Compassion Scale: Measuring Where You StandContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Running Your Own Self-Compassion ExperimentContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Interpreting Results and Building a Lifelong PracticeContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Built for Application

A complete learning path, not a one-off inspiration hit.

This program is designed around progression: focused lessons, structured modules, applied resources, assessments, and a course rhythm that turns information into usable capability.

self-compassionKristin Neffmindful self-compassionself-kindnesscommon humanitySelf-Compassion Scaleinner criticSelf-Compassion Break