Adams,
C. E., & Leary, M. R. (2007). Promoting self-compassionate attitudes
toward eating among restrictive and guilty eaters. Journal of Social
and Clinical Psychology, 26, 1120-1144.
Baker, L. & McNulty, J. (2011). Self-compassion and relationship maintenance: The moderating roles of conscientiousness and gender. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100(5). 853-873.
Baer, R. (2010). Self-compassion as a mechanism of change in mindfulness and acceptance-based treatments In R. Baer (Ed.). Assessing mindfulness and acceptance processes in clients: Illuminating the theory and practice of change. Oakland, CA: Context Press/New Harbinger Publications, 135-153.
Bell, D.C. (2001). Evolution of care giving behavior. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 5, 216-229.
Berry, K., Kowalski, K., Ferguson, L., & McHugh, T. (2011). An empirical phenomenlology of young adult women exercisers’ body self-compassion. Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise, 2(3), 293-312.
Birnie, K., Speca, M., & Carlson, L. (2010). Exploring self-compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). Stress and Health, 26, 359-371.
Bohart, A., Elliott, R., Greenberg, L., & Watson, J. (2002) Empathy. In J.C. Norcross (Ed.), Psychotherapy relationships that work. (pp. 89-108). New York: Oxford University Press.
Brown, S., Nesse, R., Vinokur, A., & Smith, D. (2003). Providing social support may be more beneficial than receiving it: Results from a prospective study of mortality. Psychological Science, 14(4), 320-327.
Buckner, R., Andrews-Hanna, J. & Schacter, D. (2008). The brain’s default network: Anatomy, function, and relevance to disease. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1124, 1-38.
Carnelley. K. & Rowe, A. (2007). Repeated priming of attachment security influences later views of self and relationships. Personal Relationships, 14, 307-320.
Carson, J. (2006). Loving-kindness meditation findings not related to baseline differences. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 24(1), 5-6.
Carson, J., Carson, K., Gil, K., & Baucom, D. (2004). Mindfulness-based relationship enhancement. Behavior Therapy, 35, 471 494.
Carson, J., Keefe, F., Lynch, T., Carson, K., Goli, V., Fras, A., & Thorp, S. (2005). Loving-kindness meditation for chronic low back pain. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 23(3), 287-304.
Cassell, E. (2001). Compassion. In C.R. Snyder & S.J. Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Cosley, B., McCoy, S., Saslow, L., &Epel, E. (2010). Is compassion for others stress buffering? Consequences of compassion and social support for physiological reactivity to stress. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 46, 816-823.
Cree, M. (2010). Compassion focused therapy with perinatal and mother-infant distress. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 3(2), 159-171.
Crocker, J. & Canevello, A. (2008). Creating and undermining social support in communal relationships: The role of compassionate and self-image goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95, 555-575.
Depue, R.A. & Morrone-Strupinsky, J.V. (2005). A neurobehavioral model of affiliative bonding. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 28, 313-395.
Dunn, E.W., Aknin, L.B., & Norton, M.I. (2008). Spending money on others promotes happiness. Science, 319, 1687-1688.
Eisenberg, N., & Miller, P. (1987). The relation of empathy to prosocial and related behaviors. Psychological Bulletin, 101, 91–119.
Engstrom, M. & Soderfeldt, B. (2009). Brain activation during compassion meditation: A case study. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 16(5), 597-500.
Farb, N., Anderson, A., Bean, J., McKeon, D., Mayberg, H. & Segal, Z. (2010). Minding one’s emotions: Mindfulness training alters the neural expression of sadness. Emotion 10(1), 25-33.
Feldman, G., Greeson, J., Senville, J. (2010). Differential effects of mindful breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and loving-kindness meditation on decentering and negative reactions to repetitive thoughts. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 48, 1002-1011.
Figley, C. (2002). Compassion fatigue: Psychotherapists’ chronic lack of self-care. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58, 1433-1441.
Forrest, M. & Hokanson, J. (1975). Depression and autonomic arousal reduction accompanying self-punative behavior. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 84(4), 346-357.
Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56, 218–226.
Fredrickson, B., Coffey, K, Pek, J., Cohn, M., Finkel, S. (2008). Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95(5), 1045-1062.
Garland, E., Fredrickson, B., Dring, A., Johnson, D., Meyer, P. & Penn, D. (2010 in press). Upward spirals of positive emotions counter downward spirals of negativity: Insights from the broaden-and-build theory and affective neuroscience on the treatment of emotion dysfunctions and deficits in psychopathology. Clinical Psychology Review.
Germer, C. (2007). Mindful marriage. In M. McLeod (Ed.), The best Buddhist writing, 2007. Boston, MA: Shambhala Publications.
Germer, C. (2006). You gotta have heart. Psychotherapy Networker, Jan/Feb, 54-59, 65.
Gilbert, P, (2010), Compassion focused therapy. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy (Special Edition) 3 95-210
Gilbert, P. (2010). An introduction to compassion focused therapy in cognitive behavior therapy. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 3(2), 97-112.
Gilbert, P. (2009). Introducing compassion-focused therapy. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 15, 199-208.
Gilbert, P., Baldwin, M. W., Irons, C., Baccus, J. R., & Palmer, M. (2006). Self-criticism and self-warmth: An imagery study exploring their relation to depression. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 20, 183-200.
Gilbert, P., McEwan, K. & Matos, M. (in press). Fear of compassion: Development of a self-report measure. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, and Practice.
Gilbert, P. & Irons, C. (2005). Therapies for shame and self-attacking, using cognitive, behavioural, emotional imagery and compassionate mind training. In P Gilbert (Ed.) Compassion: Conceptualisations, research and use in psychotherapy (pp. 263 – 325). London: Routledge.
Gilbert, P., McEwan, K., Mitra, R., Franks, L., Richter, A., Rockliff, H. (2008). Feeling safe and content: A specific affect regulation system? Relationship to depression, anxiety, stress, and self-criticism. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 3(3), 182-191.
Gilbert, P. & Procter, S. (2006). Compassionate mind training for people with high shame and self-criticism: Overview and pilot study of a group therapy approach. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 13, 353-379.
Goss, K., & Allen, S. (2010). Compassion focused therapy for eating disorders. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 3(2), 141-158.
Gumley, A., Braehler, C., Laithwaite, H., MacBeth, A. & Gilbert, P. (2010. A compassion focused model of recovery after psychosis. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 3(2), 186-201.
Heine, S. J., Lehman, D. R., Markus, H. R. & Kitayama, S. (1999). Is there a universal need for positive self-regard? Psychological Review, 106, 766–794.
Hoffman, M. (1981). Is altruism part of human nature? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 40, 121-137.
Hollis-Walker, L. &Colosimo, K. (2011). Mindfulness, self-compassion, and happiness in non-meditators: A theoretical and empirical examination. Personality and Individual Differences, 50(2), 222-227.
Hutcherson, C., Seppala, E., & Gross, J. (2008). Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. Emotion, 8(5), 720-724.
Immordino-Yang, M., McColl, A., Damasio, H., &Damasio, A. (2009). Neural correlates of admiration and compassion. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(19), 8021-8026,
Iskender, M. (2011). The influence of self-compassion on academic procrastination and dysfunctional attitudes. Educational Research and Reviews, 6(2), 230-234.
Johnson, C., Penn, D., Fredrickson, B., Meyer, P., Kring, A., & Brantley, M. (2009). Loving-kindness meditation for schizophrenia. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 65(5), 1-11.
Kane, A. (2010). A grounded theory study of mindfulness and self-compassion as they relate to clinical efficacy and clinician self-care. Dissertation Abstracts International, 70(9-B) 5826.
Kelly, A. C., Zuroff, D. C., Foa, C. L., & Gilbert, P. (2009). Who benefits from training in self-compassionate self-regulation? A study of smoking reduction. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 29, 727-755
Kelly, A., Suroff, D. & Shapira, L. (2009). Soothing oneself and resisting self-attacks: The treatment of two intrapersonal deficits in depression vulnerability. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 33, 301-313.
Kim, J., Kim, S., Kim, J., Joeng, B., Park, C., Son, A., Song, J., Ki, S. (2011). Compassionate attitude towards others’ suffering activates the mesolimbic neural system. Neuropsychologia, 47, 2073-2081.
Kim, S., Thibodeau, R., & Jorgensen, R. (2011). Shame, guilt, and depressive symptoms: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 137(1), 68-96.
Kingsbury, E. (2009). The relationship between empathy and mindfulness: Understanding the role of self-compassion. Dissertation Abstracts International, 70(5-B), 3175.
Kraus, S. & Searsm, S. (2009). Measuring the immeasurablles: Development and initial validation of the self-other four immeasurables (SOFI) scale based on Buddhist teachings on loving kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. Social Indicators Research, 92, 169-181.
Kristeller, J. & Johnson, T. (2005). Science looks at spirituality: Cultivating loving kindness: A two-stage model of the effects of meditation on empathy, compassion, and altruism. Zygon, 4(2), 391-407.
Kuyken, W., Watkins, E., Holden, E., White, K., Taylor, R. et al. (2010). How does mindfulness-based cognitive therapy work? Behaviour Research and Therapy, 48, 1105-1112.
Laithwaite, H., O’Hanlon, M., Collins, P., Doyle, P., Abrahan, L. et al (2009). Recovery after psychosis (RAP): A compassion focused programme for individuals residing in high security settings. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 37, 511-526.
Leary, M. R., Tate, E. B., Adams, C. E., Allen, A. B., & Hancock, J. (2007). Self-compassion and reactions to unpleasant self-relevant events: The implications of treating oneself kindly. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 887-904.
Longe, O., Maratos, F., Gilbert, P., Evans, G., Volker, F., Rockliff, H. & Rippon, G. (2010). Having a word with yourself: Neural correlates of self-criticism and self-reassurance. Neuroimage, 49, 1849-1856.
Lowens, I. (2010). Compassion focused therap[y for people with bipolar disorder. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 3(2), 172-185.
Lutz, A., Greischar, L., Rawlings, N., Ricard, M. & Davidson, R. (2004). Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 191(46), 16369-16373.
Magnus, C., M. (2007). Does self-compassion matter beyond self-esteem for women's self-determined motives to exercise and exercise outcomes? Unpublished master’s thesis. University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
May, C., Burgard, M., Mena, M., Abbasi, I., Bernhardt, N., et al. (2011). Short-term training in loving-kindness meditation produces a state, but not a trait, alteration of attention. Mindfulness, DOI 10.1007/s12671-011-0053-6
Mills, A., Gilbert, P., Bellew, R., McEvan, K., & Gale, C. (2007). Paranoid beliefs and self-criticism in students. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 14, 358-364.
Mitmansgruber, H., Beck, T., & Schussler, G. (2008). “Mindful helpers”: Experiential avoidance, meta-emotions, and emotion regulation in paramedics. Journal of Research in Personality, 42, 1358-1363.
Mongrain, M., Chin, J. & Shapira, L. B. (in press). Practicing compassion increases happiness and self-esteem. Journal of Happiness Studies.
Neely, M., Schallert, D. L., Mohammed, S. S., Roberts, R. M., Chen, Y. (2009). Self-kindness when facing stress: The role of self-compassion, goal regulation, and support in college students’ well-being. Motivation and Emotion, 33, 88-97.
Neff, K. (2009). The role of self-compassion in development: A healthier way to relate to oneself. Human Development, 52, 211-214.
Neff, K. (2009). Self-Compassion. In M. R. Leary & R. H. Hoyle (Eds.), Handbook of Individual Differences in Social Behavior (pp. 561-573). Guilford Press.
Neff, K. (2008). Self-compassion: Moving beyond the pitfalls of a separate self-concept. In J. Bauer & H. A. Wayment (Eds.) Transcending Self-Interest: Psychological Explorations of the Quiet Ego (pp. 95 – 106). APA Books, Washington DC.
Neff, K. (2008, February). Self-compassion and other-focused responding. Paper presented at the 8th Annual Convention of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Neff, K. (2006). The role of self-compassion in healthy relationship interactions. Paper presented at the 114th annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, New Orleans, LA.
Neff, K. (2003a). Development and validation of a scale to measure self-compassion. Self and Identity, 2, 223-250.
Neff, K. (2003b). Self-compassion: An alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself. Self and Identity, 2, 85-102.
Neff, K., Hseih, Y., & Dejitthirat, K. (2005). Self-compassion, achievement goals, and coping with academic failure. Self and Identity, 4, 263-287.
Neff, K., Kirkpatrick, K. & Rude, S. S. (2007). Self-compassion and its link to adaptive psychological functioning. Journal of Research in Personality, 41, 139-154.
Neff, K. & McGeehee, P. (2010). Self-compassion and psychological resilience among adolescents and young adults. Self and Identity, 9, 225-240
Neff, K., Pisitsungkagarn, K., & Hseih, Y. (2008). Self-compassion and self-construal in the United States, Thailand, and Taiwan. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology.
Neff, K., & Rude, S. S., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2007). An examination of self-compassion in relation to positive psychological functioning and personality traits. Journal of Research in Personality, 41, 908-916.
Neff, K. & Vonk, R. (2009). Self-compassion versus global self-esteem: Two different ways of relating to oneself. Journal of Personality, 77, 23-50.
Orzech, K. M., Shapiro, S. L., Brown, K. W., & McKay, M. (2009). Intensive mindfulness training-related changes in cognitive and emotional experience. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 4, 212-222.
Oveis, C., Horberg, E. & Keltner, D. (2010). Compassion, pride, and social intuitions of self-other similarity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98(4), 618-630.
Pace et al. (2009). Effect of compassion meditation on neuroendocrine, innate immune and behavioral responses to psychosocial stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 34, 87-98.
Patsiopoulos, A. & Buchanan, M. (2011). The practice of self-compassion in counseling: A narrative inquiry. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 42(4), 301-307.
Pauley, G. & McPherson, S. (2010). The experience and meaning of compassion and self-compassion for individuals with depression or anxiety. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 83(2), 129-143.
Pommier, E. (2010).The compassion scale. Dissertation Abstracts International, 72(04), UMI 3445994.
Porges, S. 1995). Orienting in a defensive world: Mammalian modifications of our evolutionary heritage. A polyvagal theory. Psychophysiology, 32, 301–318.
Porges, S. (2001). The polyvagal theory: Phylogenetic substrates of a social nervous system. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 42, 123–146.
Proulx, K. (2008). Experiences of women with bulimia nervosa in a mindfulness-based eating disorder treatment group. Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 16(1), 52-72.
Raes, F. (2011). The effect of self-compassion on the development of depression symptoms in a nonclinical sample. Mindfulness, 2(1), 33-36
Raes, F. (2010). Rumination and worry as mediators of the relationship between self-compassion and depression and anxiety. Journal of Personality and Individual Differences, 48, 757-761.
Raes, F., Pommier, E., Neff, K. D., & Van Gucht, D. (in press). Construction and factorial validation of a short form of the Self-Compassion Scale. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy.
Raque-Bogdan, R., Ericson, S., Jackson, J., Martin, H., & Bryan, N. (2011). Attachment and mental and physical health: Self-compassion and mattering as mediators. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 58(2), 272-278.
Ringenbach, R. (2009). A comparison between counselors who practice meditation and those who do not on compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, burnout and self-compassion. Dissertation Abstracts International.
Rizzolatti, G. & Craighero, L. (2004). The mirror-neuron system. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 27, 169-192.
Rockliff, H., Gilbert, P., McEwan, K., Lightman, S. & Glover, D. (2008). A pilot exploration of heart rate variability and salivary cortisol responses to compassion-focused imagery. Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 5(3), 132-139.
Schanche, E., Stiles, T., McCollough, L., Swartberg, M., & Nielsen, G. (2011). The relationship between activating affects, inhibitory affects, and self-compassion in patients with cluster C personality disorders. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, Advance online publication. DOI: 10.1037/a0022012.
Shapira, L, &Mongrain, L. (2010). The benefits of self-compassion and optimism exercises for individuals vulnerable to depression. Journal of Positive Psychology, 5(5). 377-389.
Shapiro, S., Izett, S. (2008) Meditation: A universal tool for cultivating empathy. In S. Hick & T. Bien (Eds.), Mindfulness and the therapeutic relationship. New York: Guilford Press, p 161-175.
Shapiro, S. L., Astin, J. A., Bishop, S. R., and Cordova, M. (2005). Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for health care professionals: Results from a randomized trial. International Journal of Stress Management, 12, 164-176.
Shapiro, S. L., Brown, K., & Biegel, G. M. (2007). Teaching self-care to caregivers: Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on the mental health of therapists in training. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 1, 105-115.
Shapiro, S. L., Brown, K. W., & Biegel, G. M (2007). Teaching self-care to caregivers: Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on the mental health of therapists in training. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 1, 105-115.
Shapiro, S. L., Carlson, L. E., Astin, J. A., & Freedman, B. (2006). Mechanisms of mindfulness. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 62, 373-386.
Shepherd, D. A. & Cardon, M. S. (2009). Negative emotional reactions to project failure and the self-compassion to learn from the experience. Journal of Management Studies, 46, 923-949.
Sprecher, S., & Fehr, B. (2005). Compassionate love for close others and humanity. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 22, 629–651.
Thompson, B. L., Waltz, J. (2008). Self-compassion and PTSD symptom severity. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 21, 556-558.
Tirch, D. (2010). Mindfulness as a context for the cultivation of compassion. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 3(2), 113-123.
Underwood, L. (2009). Compassionate love: A framework for research. In B. Fehr, S. Sprecher, & L.G. Underwood (Eds.), The science of compassionate love. (pp. 3-26). W. Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.
Van Dam, T., Sheppard, S., Forsyth, J. & Earleywine, M. (2010). Self-compassion is a better predictor than mindfulness of symptom severity and quality of life in mixed anxiety and depression. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 34 pgs
Vivino, B., Thompson, B., Hill, C. & Ladany, N. (2010). Compassion in psychotherapy: The perspective of therapists nominated as compassionate. Psychotherapy Research, 19(2). 157-171.
Wachholz, A. & Pearce, M. (2007). Compassion and health.In T.G. Plante& C.E. Thoresen (Eds.), Spirit, science, and health. (pp. 115-128). Westport, CT: Praeger.
Weeks, J. W., Heimberg, R. G., Rodebaugh, T. L., & Norton P. J. (2008). Exploring the relationship between fear of positive evaluation and social anxiety. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 22, 386–400.
Wei, M., Liao, K., Ku, T. & Shaffer, P. (2011). Attachment, self-compassion, empathy, and subjective well-being among college students and community adults. Journal of Personality, 79(1), DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-6494.2010.00677.x
Wiebel, D. T. (2007). A loving-kindness intervention: Boosting compassion for self and others. Retrieved from Dissertations and Theses database. (AAT 3292869)
Weir, K. (2011).Golden rule redux. APA Monitor, 42(7), 42-45.
Welford, M. (2010). A compassion focused approach to anxiety disorders. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 3(2), 124-140.
Williams, L. & Bargh, J. (2008). Experiencing physical warmth promotes interpersonal warmth. Science, 322(5901), 606-607.
Williams, J. G., Stark, S. K., & Foster, E. E. (2008). Start today or the very last day? The relationships among self-compassion, motivation, and procrastination. American Journal of Psychological Research, 4, 37-44.
Ying, Y. (2009). Contribution of self-compassion to competence and mental health in social work students. Journal of Social Work Education, 45, 309-323.
• Original, full-text self-compassion articles.
• For free, downloadable self-compassion meditations.
Updated September, 2011, C. Germer.