Compassion-Focused Therapy: A Transdiagnostic Approach to Self-Criticism in Clinical Practice

In recent years, a growing interest and investigation into compassion in the clinical context and Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) as a therapeutic intervention has been observed. CFT is a proposal for multimodal therapy that incorporates aspects of other evidence-based therapies. Shame and self-criticism are factors that can contribute to the maintenance of mental problems, moreover, self-criticism appears as a central aspect in psychological disorders such as: anxiety, depression, trauma, personality disorders, psychoses, and eating disorders. Self-criticism is considered a transdiagnostic process characterized by hostile, critical, and punitive ways of relating to oneself. Self-criticism operates through the threat system, while compassion works through the brain’s affiliation systems. CFT aims to help people access and nurture their motivations, emotions, and affiliative skills, which can be part of the compassionate self-experience. This includes interventions such as the use of breathing, posture, facial expressions, voice tones, and other exercises.