Mindful Self-Compassion for Teens
(formerly known as Making Friends with Yourself)
Description
Our thoughts have a powerful impact on our perception and well-being. Negative thoughts and perfectionism lead to increased stress, anxiety, and sadness. The MSC-Teens program for 13 to 18 year olds explore how our inner critical voice may contribute to this and teaches strategies to improve our internal dialog. Learning how to express our thoughts in a more compassionate way towards ourselves leads to a more positive outlook and an increase in overall well-being .
The program begins by creating a safe space in which teens can explore how to treat themselves with the same kindness they would show a friend. Topics include:
- Difference between self-compassion and self-esteem; and why self-compassion is more reliable,
- Role of the inner critical voice,
- Getting in touch with our compassionate voice,
- Identifying our core values, and how we can treat ourselves compassionately even when we don’t meet our own standards.
We explore these and other topics through exercises, videos, discussions, reflections, meditations, and movement practices. The program wraps up with looking at the power of gratitude as a way to focus our thoughts on the positive aspects of our lives. Here is how one teen discovered self-compassion on her own and how “This is the gift that keeps on giving.” Malavika Eby
Our next program:
Dates: July 7th to July 31st
Frequency: Meets on Thur’s and Sun’s
Time: 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM PST
Location: Online
Investment: US $360 (scholarships available through our community partner Taarika Foundation)
Teachers: Marina Barnes & Alex Espinosa (LMFT 98559)
“I used to be less accepting of my own flaws but now I learned to appreciate myself better.” Participant
“I like learning the various coping techniques to help me de-stress and calm down. I also felt that the program helped me be kinder towards myself.” Participant
“This was beneficial for teens receiving eating disorder treatment, groups were moderated in ways that supported the participants in feeling comfortable.” Parent
What you get:
- Eight 90 minute sessions with two experienced instructors
- Weekly emails to participants and parents describing each session
- Weekly recordings of meditations participants can reference for practice; if they choose,
- Access to Teachers for questions and support throughout the eight weeks.