Compassion focused therapy in a university counseling and psychological services center: A feasibility trial of a new standardized group manual

ABSTRACT

Objectives: The feasibility and acceptability of a new Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) group protocol were assessed in a university counseling and psychological services (CAPS) center. Outcome measures included mechanisms of change, compassion, and general psychiatric distress. Method: Eight transdiagnostic CFT groups composed of 75 clients met for 12 weekly sessions. Clients completed measures of fears of compassion, flows of compassion, self-reassurance, self-criticism, shame, and psychiatric distress at pre, mid, and post time points. Self-report feasibility and acceptability data were collected from therapists and clients, respectively. Significant and reliable change was assessed along with exploratory analysis of CFT mechanisms of change using correlational analysis. Results: Significant and reliable change was found for fears of self-compassion, fears of compassion from others, fears of compassion to others, self-compassion, compassion from others, self-reassurance, self-criticism, shame, and psychological distress. Improvements in fears and flows of compassion predicted improvements in self-reassurance, self-criticism, shame, and psychiatric distress. Conclusion: The new CFT group protocol appears to be feasible, acceptable, and effective in a transdiagnostic CAPS population. The identified mechanisms of change support the theory of CFT that transdiagnostic pathological constructs of self-criticism and shame can improve by decreasing fears and increasing flows of compassion.

Keywords:

• group psychotherapy
• mental health services research
• outcome research

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to acknowledge the CFT co-leaders—RD Boardman, Michael Buxton, Yoko Caldwell, David Erekson, Derek Griner, Corinne Hannan, Tyler Pederson, and Vaughn Worthen—along with Cameron Alldredge and Hal Svien who assisted in the data collection.

Author contributions

Jenn Fox, Gary Burlingame, and Kara Cattani contributed equally to the research program and senior authorship should be considered interchangeable. This study is part of a larger program of research created by Burlingame and Cattani, who orchestrated the vision, research design, international coordination, training, and funding required for the ongoing program of research. Fox took primary responsibility for the direct implementation of the study through managing team coordination, data collection and analysis, and this paper is based on her dissertation.

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2020.1783708