ABSTRACT
Compassion focused therapy (CFT) is conceptually rooted in the affective neuroscience of human attachment and caregiver behaviours. The psychotherapy processes and techniques deployed in CFT involve activating our evolved caring motive, working with soothing and stabilising affective systems, down-regulating excessive threat responding, and generating more flexible responses to challenges. As such, CFT methods naturally afford us an opportunity to better deal with worry, anxiety, and fear. By increasing our capacity for mindfulness, acceptance, and compassionate responding, we develop greater courage, and willingness to face challenges. We also may be better able to address our shame, self-criticism, and avoidance related to our problems with anxiety. The evidence supporting a compassion-focused approach to the treatment of anxiety ranges from neuroscientific and process-based research to outcome studies. In this chapter the conceptual and research foundations of CFT for the treatment of anxiety, worry, and fear will be reviewed; a treatment outline and method will be provided; and a case example illustrating the application of CFT to anxiety disorder treatment will be presented. The relationship between CFT and prevalent anxiety treatment techniques such as exposure and response prevention will be highlighted. Potential active processes such as inhibitory learning, prefrontal mediation of autonomic arousal, enhancement of psychological flexibility, and activation of caring and social-safeness algorithms will be highlighted.
