ACT With Compassion

This month’s tool: Video recordings for highly self-critical clients

We have updated our resource page with some of our favorite videos that we find useful in working with shame-prone and self-critical clients. Some of the videos are educational for clients, some are emotionally evocative, and some are both educational and evocative. Videos can be a powerful tool for engaging working with clients to approach difficult topics from a place that is non-judgmental and connected to a sense of common humanity. If you have your own favorite videos, we would love to hear about them!

TED Talks:

• The Space Between Self-Esteem and Self Compassion (19:00). A talk by Kristin Neff about what self-compassion is and is not. 
• The Power of Vulnerability: Ted Talk by Brene Brown (20:19): This is the original TED talk by Brene Brown which became a viral hit. Brene Brown is a researcher studying vulnerability, courage, authenticity, and shame.
• Listening to Shame: Ted Talk by Brene Brown (20:38): Brene Brown’s second TED talk, turning more attention shame.
• To This Day… For the Bullied and Beautiful (12:03): This talk by poet Shane Koyczan on bullying and survival is a more expanded version of the spoken word project (see below).
• The opportunity of adversity by Aimee Mullins (21:58): This is a talk by Aimee Mullins who is a Paralympic athlete and model inspiring people to change the definition of disability.
• Imagine if you were 10% more compassionate towards yourself (19:06): A talk by occupational health psychologist Ronnie Grandall on how most of us are more compassionate toward others than ourselves.
• Anger, compassion, and what it means to be strong (13:00): A talk by psychologist Russell Kolts on how to compassionately face the things that scare us.
• Psychological Flexibility: How love turns pain into purpose (19:39). Steve Hayes’ (creator of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) powerful and personal TED talk about  how psychological science help us discover that “bringing love to ourselves even when it’s hard will help you bring love into the world” . If you are interested in ACT and want to get a sense of the heart of ACT, watch this video.

Other video recordings:

• Tara Brach’s RAIN of self compassion (56:15). This talk explores three key features of the trance of unworthiness and introduces a guided meditation based on a new version of the acronym RAIN that awakens self-compassion and de-conditions the suffering of being at war with ourselves
• Introduction to self-compassion (3:08). A very brief introduction by Kristin Neff that lays out her conceptualization of self compassion including it’s three main parts: 1. Noticing suffering, 2. Responding to the suffering with kindness, and 3. A sense of a common humanity of suffering 
• Introduction to the idea of self-kindness (4:39). Kristin Neff defines the concept of self-kindness in this brief video.
• Common Humanity (4:13). Self-compassion is not just about the self, but also importantly involves connecting with a sense of a common humanity. This brief video by Kristin Neff describes this important aspect of self-compassion.
• Sharon Salzberg has some wonderful animated videos describing some basic concepts of compassion including “Where Does Compassion Really Come From” (2:43) and “How Mindfulness Empowers Us" (2:21).
• The Anatomy of Trust (24:08). A powerful 25-minute talk by Brene Brown about the “BRAVING” model of trust and how trust is built by an accumulation of very small actions. In it she talks about how “Trust is choosing to make something important to you vulnerable to the actions of someone else”. Dr. Brown also has a free online course based on her BRAVING model of trust that includes various exercises clients can complete about trust in their relationships and with themselves.
• A Force For Good (5:02) is an inspiring video on the ways in which we can each make a difference in our community through compassion.
• The high price of materialism on the quality of our lives – animated!! (materialistic versus prosocial values) (5:36).
• Reflections on Self-Compassion and Depression Symposium (10:14) from the Oxford Mindfulness Centre, University of Oxford.
• Shane Koyczan’s inspiring and beautiful spoken word and accompanying video entitled “To This Day" (7:36) will bring a tear to your eye and maybe compassion to your heart for all those, especially children, who experience shame, humiliation, and bullying because they are “different”. His related TedTalk is a more expanded version of the spoken word project (but without the beautiful animation!)