ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights the importance of clarity of a shared definition of compassion with the two central dimensions being courage and wisdom. Precise ways of introducing the definition are advised to avoid confusion with concepts such as love and kindness which some clients can find difficult to begin with. Part of the courage of compassion is the ability to understand and tolerate difficult mental states and maintain one’s focus on compassionate intention. Part of wisdom is understanding the nature of the mind (mind awareness) and the reason that our brains are tricky because of the way they evolved and have been fine-tuned through social experience. The chapter explores six types of intervention that support and encourage wise engagement with suffering, and six types of intervention that help build wise compassionate action. The chapter indicates how CFT integrates concepts and interventions from many other schools of psychotherapy to enable clients to acquire these competencies and cultivate a compassionate mind.
