The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself from Destructive Thoughts and Emotions [Paperback]

Christopher K. Germer PhD (Author), Sharon Salzberg (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 29, 2009

“Buck up.” “Stop feeling sorry for yourself.” “Don’t ruin everything.” When you are anxious, sad, angry, or lonely, do you hear this self-critical voice? What would happen if, instead of fighting difficult emotions, we accepted them? Over his decades of experience as a therapist and mindfulness meditation practitioner, Dr. Christopher Germer has learned a paradoxical lesson: We all want to avoid pain, but letting it in--and responding compassionately to our own imperfections, without judgment or self-blame--are essential steps on the path to healing. This wise and eloquent book illuminates the power of self-compassion and offers creative, scientifically grounded strategies for putting it into action. You’ll master practical techniques for living more fully in the present moment/m-/especially when hard-to-bear emotions arise/m-/and for being kind to yourself when you need it the most. Free audio downloads of the meditation exercises are available at the author's website: www.mindfulselfcompassion.org.

(20100129)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Those of us treating people who struggle with addictions know all too well how clients' feelings of shame or self-blame often undermine efforts to achieve effective interventions. In this remarkable book, Germer shows readers how to use mindfulness and self-compassion to open up to their pain and treat themselves with kindness. Ideal for recommendation to clients who have fallen off the wagon or who are blaming themselves for failed relationships, lost jobs, and scattered lives, this book offers a way out of a vicious cycle."--G. Alan Marlatt, PhD, Department of Psychology and Director, Addictive Behaviors Research Center, University of Washington

 

"In this important book, Christopher Germer illuminates the myriad synergies between mindfulness and compassion. He offers skillful and effective ways of making sure that we are inviting ourselves, as well as others, to bathe in and benefit from the kind heart of awareness itself, and from the actions that follow from such a radical and sane embrace."--Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, author of Arriving at Your Own Door and Letting Everything Become Your Teacher

 

"Loving-kindness and compassion are the basis for wise, powerful, sometimes gentle, and sometimes fierce actions that can really make a difference--in our own lives and those of others....In the following pages you will find a scientific review, an educational manual, and a practical step-by-step guide to developing greater loving-kindness and self-compassion every day."--from the Foreword by Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness

 

"Self-compassion is the ground of all emotional healing, and Dr. Germer has produced an invaluable guide. Written with great clarity, psychological wisdom, and warmth, this book will serve anyone seeking practical and powerful tools that free the heart."--Tara Brach, PhD, author of Radical Acceptance

 

"Explains both the science and practice of developing kindness toward ourselves and others. Dr. Germer offers powerful and easily accessible steps toward transforming our lives from the inside out. It's never too late to start along this important path."--Daniel J. Siegel, MD, author of The Mindful Brain

 

"An elegant and practical guide to cultivating self-compassion, by a dedicated and wise clinician and meditation teacher. The author offers time-honored practices and exercises with the potential to illuminate and transform the background chatter of our minds that determines so much of the course of our lives."--Samuel Shem, MD, author of The House of God

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Best Consumer Health Books, 2009" - Library Journal

"In this intelligent, concise, and easy-to-read book, Christopher Germer presents an exciting synthesis of mindfulness and self-compassion that is much needed and long overdue. Drawing upon decades of practice as a clinician and meditator, Dr. Germer offers a rich and insightful guide to emotional healing. While thoroughly covering the relevant psychological research, the book is written for a general audience, and will be of enormous benefit to both therapists and their clients....Germer's narrative voice is warm, gentle, and down-to-earth. His years of meditation practice have clearly paid off in the writing of this book: every word is infused with wisdom and compassion. An invaluable guide to anyone wanting to learn how to transform their relationship with difficult emotions, this important book will undoubtedly change the lives of many who read it." -British Journal of Psychology

"Very well written...filled with practical suggestions and methods....Both the reasoning supporting the importance of the method and the method itself are presented in a clear and compelling fashion. I felt excited, touched, and enriched as I read on, and I am sure most readers will have a similar response....Offers a good integration of Eastern spirituality with Western science to make a compelling argument for the values and effectiveness of mindfulness and compassion meditation. Not only is the argument clear and convincing, but the book also offers plenty of practical aids....Should you read this book? Enthusiastically, yes....An excellent review of the evidence for mindful self-compassion in a psychoeducational manual and a step-by-step guide to developing awareness, self-compassion, and loving kindness." -PsycCRITIQUES

"A superb introduction to mindfulness meditation....This brilliant manual demonstrates how by accepting and embracing emotions, one can move to a higher plane of harmony with oneself and others. Interspersed with supporting data from psychology experiments, this book provides practical, life-changing self-help techniques and suggestions for further readings and practice. Highly recommended. (starred review)." -Library Journal

"A very accessible introduction....[Germer] writes in a relaxed style that makes the book easy to read, without skimping on detail....The layout is clear and uncluttered, with a mix of explanation, theory, practice, along with case study examples from Germer''s own life and that of his clients. There are useful websites scattered through the book....Mindfulness could well become an important part of my own self-care, which will also feed into my client work. This book is a helpful start and a handy resource."--Independent Practitioner

(Independent Practitioner )

"Those of us treating people who struggle with addictions know all too well how clients' feelings of shame or self-blame often undermine efforts to achieve effective interventions. In this remarkable book, Germer shows readers how to use mindfulness and self-compassion to open up to their pain and treat themselves with kindness. Ideal for recommendation to clients who have fallen off the wagon or who are blaming themselves for failed relationships, lost jobs, and scattered lives, this book offers a way out of a vicious cycle."--G. Alan Marlatt, PhD, Department of Psychology and Director, Addictive Behaviors Research Center, University of Washington

 

"In this important book, Christopher Germer illuminates the myriad synergies between mindfulness and compassion. He offers skillful and effective ways of making sure that we are inviting ourselves, as well as others, to bathe in and benefit from the kind heart of awareness itself, and from the actions that follow from such a radical and sane embrace."--Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, author of Arriving at Your Own Door and Letting Everything Become Your Teacher

 

"Loving-kindness and compassion are the basis for wise, powerful, sometimes gentle, and sometimes fierce actions that can really make a difference--in our own lives and those of others....In the following pages you will find a scientific review, an educational manual, and a practical step-by-step guide to developing greater loving-kindness and self-compassion every day."--from the Foreword by Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness

 

"Self-compassion is the ground of all emotional healing, and Dr. Germer has produced an invaluable guide. Written with great clarity, psychological wisdom, and warmth, this book will serve anyone seeking practical and powerful tools that free the heart."--Tara Brach, PhD, author of Radical Acceptance

 

"Explains both the science and practice of developing kindness toward ourselves and others. Dr. Germer offers powerful and easily accessible steps toward transforming our lives from the inside out. It's never too late to start along this important path."--Daniel J. Siegel, MD, author of The Mindful Brain

 

"An elegant and practical guide to cultivating self-compassion, by a dedicated and wise clinician and meditation teacher. The author offers time-honored practices and exercises with the potential to illuminate and transform the background chatter of our minds that determines so much of the course of our lives."--Samuel Shem, MD, author of The House of God

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 306 pages
• Publisher: The Guilford Press; 1 edition (April 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593859759
• ISBN-13: 978-1593859756
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,238 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #30 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Mental Health > Emotions
  • #79 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Mental Health > Happiness

More About the Author

For more info and free downloads of self-compassion meditations, please visit www.MindfulSelfCompassion.org

Christopher Germer, PhD is a clinical psychologist in the Boston area, specializing in mindfulness and compassion-based psychotherapy. He has been applying the principles and practices of meditation in psychotherapy since 1978 and has taken numerous journeys to India to explore the varieties of meditation.

Dr. Germer is a clinical instructor in psychology at Harvard Medical School and he's a founding member of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy, an organization dedicated to teaching mental health professionals how to integrate Buddhist psychology and modern psychotherapy. Dr. Germer lectures internationally on mindfulness and self-compassion and he's currently co-developing (with Dr. Kristin Neff, pioneering researcher on self-compassion) an 8-week Mindful Self-Compassion training program.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

95 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!, June 3, 2009

By 

Judi Tota M.S. LCAT "Mindfulness-Based Expres... (Westchester County, NY USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself from Destructive Thoughts and Emotions (Paperback)

If you want to understand how to apply Mindfulness and Loving-Kindness Practice in daily life to reduce suffering; it is described in this book in clear, cliche-free language. The author, a seasoned meditation practitioner, teacher, and psychotherapist, includes excerpts from contemporary brain research to bring this outstanding treatment of the topic, to a higher level. This book is highly readable, and the descriptions of how to put Self-Compassion into practice, make this book especially user-friendly. As a psychotherapist, Mindfulness Meditation practitioner, and reader of a lot of books on Mindfulness, Psychology, and the brain, I HIGHLY recommend this book. It is truly OUTSTANDING!

60 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a book everyone should read, August 18, 2009

By 

Dr. Lynn A. Paulus (Bedford, NH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself from Destructive Thoughts and Emotions (Paperback)

The "mindful path to self-compassion" is my new favorite book. This book has wisdom with universal appeal. Who among us, can truly say they practice self-compassion and self-kindness on a regular basis, in their daily lives? Dr. Germer has a clear and engaging writing style that outlines the importance of mindful living with self awareness and compassion. He suggests practice tools to engage in the process and substaniates them with research vignettes that support the benefits. Dr. Germer makes a good case for self-compassion as the ground for all emotional healing, and for developing compassion to others. As a psychologist, I have referred several of my patients to this book. This book may very well maintstream the practice of Self-Compassion, as Kabat-Zinn did with Mindfulness. And if more and more people engage in self-compassion practices, we may all live more peacefully among one another...

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars loved this book, December 2, 2009

By 

Happy Reader (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself from Destructive Thoughts and Emotions (Paperback)

I recommend this book for EVERYONE. The author explains mindfulness with a step by step approach that is understandable and inviting. And the miracle is that as you try the simple exercises the author describes, you find yourself smiling and feeling calmer and just plain happier with yourself. I have been reading the book a few pages at a time, letting the ideas sink in, and trying them out during the day. It has been a wonderful, life changing experience. I'm less anxious in my work, and more accepting and pleasant with my family. What a gift the author has given us!