Compassion refers to the feeling that arises in witnessing suffering, in ourselves and others. Moreover, compassion motivates a desire and act to relieve this suffering. This ability to feel and act compassionately is believed to be crucial for facilitating connection, collaboration, and the protection of ourselves and others. In the past two decades, research on individual differences in levels of compassion and the efficacy of compassion-based interventions has greatly increased. This chapter provides an overview of the currently held definitions and ways of assessing compassion and the evidence for its benefits for our health and well-being. In the second part of the chapter, existing compassion-based interventions and the evidence for their efficacy are described. The chapter ends with suggestions for future research directions in the field.