Mindful Self-Compassion Programs

Wow. Wow. Wow. When something you are ready for and really need rolls around its like a magic carpet ride   I’m encouraged by the mental shift happening in my thinking.

​-- Recent Participant,
  MSC Course with Jenny Wilson and Samir Moukaddam
Quick Links: * General Information * Current Offerings * Registration Form *
* Policies & Waivers  * Classes & Payments *
Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) is an empirically-supported training program designed to cultivate the skill of self-compassion. Based on the groundbreaking research of Dr. Kristin Neff and the clinical expertise of Dr. Christopher Germer, MSC teaches core principles and practices that enable participants to respond to difficult moments in their lives with kindness, care, and understanding.
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Self-compassion can be learned by anyone, even those who didn't receive enough affection in childhood or who feel uncomfortable when they are kind to themselves. It's a courageous attitude that stands up to harm, including the harm that we unwittingly inflict on ourselves through self-criticism, self-isolation, or self-absorption. Self-compassion provides emotional strength and resilience, allowing us to admit our shortcomings, motivate ourselves with kindness, forgive ourselves when needed, relate wholeheartedly to others, and be more authentically ourselves.

Prerequisites
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Everyone is welcome, including people of all backgrounds and identities. No previous experience with mindfulness or meditation is required to attend MSC.

As we aim to build community and establish a safe container for our time together, participants will be asked to provide some personal information when they register for this course to help teachers determine their safety and readiness for this kind of emotional work. MSC is a compassion skills training program, not group therapy. This program is designed to teach participants the tools needed to develop and cultivate a mindfulness and self-compassion practice and does not take the place of personal therapy. 

For more information on the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion, visit centerformsc.org
​What To Expect
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The 8-Week Full MSC Course (both the Online and the In-Person option) is a 25-hour program that includes 8 weekly sessions of approximately 2.5 hours each, in addition to a 1/2 day guided silent retreat, usually on a Saturday morning. This experiential class includes meditations, short talks, exercises, full and small group discussions, mindful movement, journaling/reflection, and home practice.The goal of the program is for participants to directly experience self-compassion and learn practices that evoke self-compassion in daily life. We invite all participants to set intentions, as circumstances allow, to attend all sessions and to include some daily practice for the skills learned throughout the program.

Each session of the 8-Week MSC course is approximately 2 1/2 hours in length, including a short break. The 1/2 day retreat occurs midway through the class series.

Session One: Discovering Mindful Self-Compassion
Session Two: Practicing Mindfulness
Session Three: Practicing Kindness
Session Four: Discovering Your Compassionate Voice
RETREAT
Session Five: Living Deeply
Session Six: Meeting Difficult Emotions
Session Seven: Exploring Challenging Relationships
Session Eight: Embracing Your Life
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The Online 6-Week Short Course (SC-MSC)  is a 6-Week adaptation of the empirically-supported 8-Week MSC program. The class allows participants to begin to learn a targeted set of practices with less initial time commitment (7.5 total hours) than the full 26-hour program. Each class is just over an hour in length and is held on Zoom.

The 8-Week MSC Course (Both Online and In-Person Option) meets one of the requirements for becoming an MSC Trained Teacher. Visit the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion for more details.
Current Classes


IN-PERSON OPTION
Mindful Self-Compassion, 8-Week Course with Jenny Wilson in Saint Paul, MN
  • Unity Church-Unitarian in St. Paul, Minnesota (USA)
  • Monday evenings 5:45-8:30 PM, September 25-November 13 + 1/2 day silent, guided retreat Saturday morning October 28, 9 AM-12:30 PM.
  • $300-$500 (Pay What You Can)

Class size is limited to 16. Early Registration (click here) is encouraged.

Important Note:
  • All listed times are in the USA Central timezone.
  • Your regular attendance and commitment to the course is appreciated.  If you plan to miss more than 2 of the 9 scheduled meetings, please consider registering for a future course.
  • For more details about each offering click here.
  • To start the enrollment process for these courses, submit:
  • (+) To finalize your enrollment, complete the class payment.
    • Recognizing the social value of self-compassion, a limited number of partial scholarships are available to those who are members of historically marginalized or under-served or under-represented communities, especially those who wish to serve these populations and communities. Please contact me for more information.


ONLINE OPTION (Postponed to 2024)
Mindful Self-Compassion: Embracing Yourself with Love and Compassion
an 8-Week Course with Jenny Wilson and Certified MSC Teacher Victoria Brattini*  
  • Tuesday mornings on Zoom, August 1- September 19, 10:30 AM - 1:00 PM CT
  • + 1/2 day silent, guided online retreat Saturday morning August 26th, 10:30 AM - 2 PM on Zoom
  • $400 early bird rate (register by June 30)
  • $500 after July 1st (please contact Jenny if in need of reduced-rate).

Class size is limited to 16. 

Questions?
Feel free to  CONTACT ME.
Past Offerings
Mindful Self-Compassion Course, 8-Week, Online with Samir Moukaddam, PhD
Thursday evenings 6-8:30pm April 6-May 25, 2023 + 1/2 day silent, guided retreat on Saturday April 29, 9am-12:30pm
$250-$450 

Mindful Self-Compassion Course, In-Person in Saint Paul, Minnesota
Monday evenings 6-8:45pm @ Unity Church-Unitarian in St. Paul, MNJanuary 23-March 20, 2023 (no class February 20) + 1/2 day silent, guided retreat on
Saturday morning March 4, 9am-12:30pm 
$425/$375 early bird rate (register by January 1)

Mindful Self-Compassion 6 Week Short Course Online (SC-MSC) 
6 Thursdays on Zoom, 11:45am-1pm (7.5 total hours)
January 12-February 16, 2023
$185/$165 early bird rate (register by December 15)
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Mindful Self-Compassion Course, In-Person in Saint Paul, Minnesota  
September 26-November 21, 2022 (no class October 31) 6-9 PM at Unity Church-Unitarian in St. Paul
(silent guided 1/2 day retreat on Saturday morning 10/29)
$475/$395 early bird rate (register by September 5)

Mindful Self-Compassion Course, Online with Samir Moukaddam, Ph.D.*
Fridays, 10am-12:30pm CT (UTC-5), June 10-July 29, 2022. 1/2 day retreat on Zoom, Saturday July 9, 9-12:30 PM CT
Fees: $200-$400

Mindful Self-Compassion Course, In-Person in Saint Paul, Minnesota
8 Tuesday Evenings, May 3-June 28, 2022, 6-9 PM (no class May 31)
and 1/2 day silent retreat, Saturday June 4, 9AM-12:30 PM
Unity Church Unitarian, 733 Portland Avenue, St Paul, MN
Fees: $300-$500


*Samir Moukaddam, Ph.D., is a longtime practitioner whose mindfulness practice began in the mid 1990’s. He is a UCLA-Trained Mindfulness Facilitator, a Certified Mindfulness Teacher and a Mindful Self-Compassion Trained Teacher. He has attended over 30 retreats to practice and study mindfulness, loving kindness, concentration, compassion and Buddhist philosophy. He resides in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. For more information about Samir, please visit https://centerformsc.org/user-profile/samirmoukaddam/