Step 2: Compassion
Compassion is noticing a person's distress and having
a sincere desire to help them alleviate it.
Basic Goodness
Foundation for helping others:
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being fully present and open
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developing tenderness toward oneself
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opening our heart
Our basic goodness enables us to clearly see the basic goodness in ourselves and others (Trungpa & Gimian, 2005).
Compassionate Presence
As one opens to compassionate presence and is able to hold their client in the highest regard, one transcends feelings of a separate self; intuition, focus, and clarity arise, which lead to acting with clarity of intent.
A therapist’s acceptance and lack of judgment of their client act as a mirror for the client to see their whole self (Stickle, 2016).
Willingness
To be compassionate, a therapist must be willing to:
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courageously lean into another’s suffering and tolerate their own distress
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dedicate time and energy to learning skills to help alleviate or prevent another’s distress
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discern what is best to do in a given situation (Gilbert, 2018).
Reactivity and Despair
In the absence of compassion, a closed loop of reactivity exists whereby despair and helplessness feed off aversion and judgment rather than holding our and others’ suffering in the space of kindness and curiosity (Feldman & Kuyken, 2011).
The second step in the MCW Model is Compassion. As you are practicing mindfulness and begin to feel calm and grounded, engage in a compassion practice.
Here are a few ways to practice compassion:
Bring attention to your heart
and remind yourself that this person is suffering, and you are here to help.