The Role of Anger in Fierce Self-Compassion with Dr. Kristin Neff

Today, you'll learn the difference between fierce self-compassion and tender self-compassion. In 2017, I had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Kristin Neff to talk about her book “Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself,” and the basics of self-compassion. This week, I had the opportunity to reconnect with Kristin, doing a deeper dive into self-compassion and learning more about her latest book “Fierce Self Compassion: How Women Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power, and Thrive.” 

​​Kristin is a leader in the field of self-compassion research, creating a scale to measure the construct almost 20 years ago. With her colleague, Dr. Chris Germer, she has developed an empirically supported training program called Mindful Self-Compassion, and she co-authored The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook as well as Teaching the Mindful Self-Compassion Program: A Guide for Professionals. She is also co-founder of the nonprofit Center for Mindful Self-Compassion. She is currently an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin.

Key Takeaways

 

• What is fierce self-compassion
• How does self-compassion work in athletics and competitive environments
• Self worth: Self esteem vs self-compassion
• How to teach your kids self-compassion
• Emotions associated with each type of compassion
• How to get angry appropriately and express anger
• Listening to your anger
• Self-compassion in the social justice movements
• Sexual assault and self-compassion
• Avoidance of difficult emotions without identifying with them
• Reframing vs. acceptance
• Strategies for practicing self-compassion