Introduction

This introduction provides the rationale and justification for this edited volume, with the underlying constructs of compassion and grief defined and articulated, as well as their relationships explored and explained. Overviews of the four main sections of this book, including the foundational understanding of core constructs, the various training on compassion and its components, the clinical practices of compassionate approaches, as well as the macro-level issues of compassion practices, are also presented to provide readers with greater clarity of their goals and purposes.