** This offer applies only to those who wish to become AC members. It cannot be used towards the renewal of current AC membership.

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Compassion Focused Coaching

Compassion Focused Therapy is an established evidence-based approach used in clinical settings. 

In recent years the theory and methods have been integrated into the coaching practice to help coaches and their clients recognize, understand and work with blocks to progress. 

In this Signature Programme, you will be guided through the main elements of theory that are most useful when working with executive clients and teams. 

It can be integrated into your existing coaching practice and complement what you do already. 

Self-criticism, perfectionism and compassion

Self-criticism, perfectionism and fatigue or burnout are common problems for many people, especially those in high-pressure work environments and at senior levels. Many struggle to implement the behavioural changes needed to improve their lives, both at work and at home. 

Self-criticism can be a widespread problem for this group and a pattern of avoiding slowing down or mindfulness.

Compassion Focused Coaching (CFC) provides the framework and understanding of their brain and their emotional systems to develop awareness about what can increase emotional intelligence and psychological safety. 

CFC also emphasizes a functional behavioural analysis of self-critic, which negatively affects performance and progress. CFC builds up an alternative to the critic, which encourages the growth and flourishing that clients so often are seeking.

The emphasis in the model on the three flows of compassion (from self to others, self to self, and others to self) makes this model very beneficial in creating systems-level change within teams and organizations. CFC encourages a set of values and knowledge which promote psychological safety at work. 

It’s a fantastic addition to those who already may use Emotional Intelligence Coaching in their work and wish to extend and enhance this.  

Who is this Signature Programme for?

This is for coaches and leaders interested in discovering more about Compassion Focused Coaching and how the science of compassion and psychology can help us and our clients develop a more value-driven, psychologically safe workplace. 

In this Signature Programme, you will learn: 

a) Why and how to apply the concept of compassion to your existing practice
b) Why do we conceptualize the brain as 'tricky', and how the old brain/new brain model can be applied to identify problematic loops that keep clients stuck
c) How the three systems model of affect regulation will help you and your clients identify how they, and their teams, might be out of balance and where they need to put their focus on change
d) Ways of identifying the blocks to change and how to work with harmful self-criticism
e) How to build and strengthen a compassionate inner coach through imagery, writing and other modalities 

Active learning and bonus content

The learning approach uses an 'inside out' approach, so you will apply the model to yourself to better grasp the theory and methods to integrate into your work. There will be some tasks between sessions to help embed the theory and change methods into your existing practice.

Description of each webinar

Webinar 1: What is compassion and why apply it to coaching
We will explore the meaning of the word and introduce you to the definition used within the Compassion Focused Coaching (CFC) approach. The skills and attributes will be shared, and you will be given a method to use with yourself and your clients.

Webinar 2: Our tricky brain and its problematic loops
We will introduce the concept of the old brain and new brain and share a simple but enlightening way of helping clients to become meta-aware of the working of their mind and, importantly, start to see that it is not their fault, but it is their responsibility. You will learn how to apply the old brain and new brain idea to identify loops in the mind and begin to change and balance thinking.

Webinar 3: The three systems of emotion regulation and how to apply them
According to their evolutionary function, our emotions can be helpfully clustered into three systems. The threat, drive, and soothing system visually represent how balanced we are in our lives. It can identify how we might be overworking and engaging in behaviours that attempt to balance us but ultimately might be causing us more problems. 

Webinar 4: Fears, blocks and resistances to compassion 
It is widespread for people with high levels of threat and drives them to shy away from the idea of compassion due to misconceptions about the word. It can also be the case that those who do feel motivated to take a more compassionate approach to themselves and others find themselves blocked by external and internal resistance or fear. In this webinar, we will touch on some social psychology to help us understand the nature of blocks, and we will cover ways of identifying and working with your client or team's particular blocks (as well as your own!). 

Webinar 5: Self-criticism, its function and how it blocks us; and compassionate self-correction as an alternative
Following the previous week's webinar, we will dive into self-criticism and understand and unpick it. We see how self-criticism can function as a protective strategy linked to evolutionary shaped drives to fit in and belong. In this session, we will begin to build up and develop an alternative inner coach and practice methods of doing this. 

Webinar 6: Thought balancing, letter writing, and behavioural goals
The use of writing can be a powerful technique in bringing about cognitive and behavioural change. We will actively use some of these thought-balancing and writing techniques within this webinar, guiding you to use this with your clients and discuss ways of weaving them into the behavioural goals you may set within the context of your work.

Webinar 7: Identifying our multiples
You may be familiar with the concept of having different parts to ourselves. In challenging or emotionally fraught situations, it can be incredibly enlightening, cathartic, and ultimately helpful to explore these different parts as if they were a sub-personality within us. Through a multiple selves exercise, you will learn a powerful technique for your coaching practice to help differentiate and validate all the many viewpoints within your own mind and ultimately bring a compassionate mind to the problem.

Webinar 8: Enhancing our compassionate inner coach
We will bring together what has been learnt in the series so far and use experiential methods to engage and enhance our compassionate coach. In this session, we will also reflect and make some behavioural goals for ourselves about how to continue using this approach in our work. 

Preparation

Participants will complete some questionnaire measures at the start and end of the programme to help track learning and change. 

It may be helpful to keep a journal related explicitly to this signature programme to help with self-reflection as well as identify any barriers to application. 

Resources

Registered participants will gain access to the webinar recordings and slides after each session.

Speaker Bio

Dr Ashleigh McLellan is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and founder of Ubuntu Psychology, York-based Psychology Services. She works for Indigo Talent Development and co-founded Your Virtual Mind Trainer, a resource for businesses to increase staff productivity and well-being.

Ashleigh specializes in Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), using this approach to facilitate individuals reaching their potential and helping those suffering from severe and enduring mental health problems.  

Ashleigh is one of the trainers for the Compassionate Mind Foundation and is involved in research with the University of Hull looking at the impact of applying CFT at an organizational level.

Price and special offers:

As with all AC continuous professional development events, the fees are offered at a very good value, with an extra special price for AC members.

AC members: Your investment for the entire series is  £300+ VAT

Non-AC member: Pay £360 + VAT  and you get access to the full series and one-year Associate Membership with the Association for Coaching immediately.

This price includes:

• 8 x 90-minute interactive webinars with Dr Ashleigh McLellan
• Pre and post resources to explore the concepts and apply your learning
• Recordings of all webinars and a copy of the slides for your library
• A 12 hours Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Certificate at the end of the series
• One-year Associate Membership with the Association for Coaching (if you are not already a member)

For any questions, please contact us at digitallearning@associationforcoaching.com