The Art & Science of Mindfulness Compassion Conference October 10-12, 2013 Seattle Waterfront Marriott Hotel Seattle, Washington Thursday, October 10, 2013 9-10:30 a.m. Hardwiring Compassion Part 1: Strengthening the Neural Substrates of Love Recent research on experience-dependent neuroplasticity is revealing how targeted mental activity can stimulate and thereby strengthen neural substrates - and this practical, experiential, clinically-focused workshop will teach effective ways to take in the good to build "love muscles" in your brain. Rick Hanson, Ph.D. Neuropsychologist, Author of Hardwiring Happiness, Buddha s Brain, Founder, Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience & Contemplative Wisdom. 10:45-12:15 p.m. Hardwiring Compassion- Part 2: Helping Clients Heal Wounds of the Heart The brain evolved a negativity bias that continually looks for, reacts to, and stores negative experiences, which shapes the interior landscape of the mind. This workshop will highlight how the acceptance of feeling loved can nurture the brain toward healing from old trauma and in return, provide a foundation for being loving. Rick Hanson, Ph.D. 1:30-3 p.m. Concurrent Workshops The Patience to Develop Self-Compassion
This session will focus on the skills and perspectives available to us to develop a true sense of self-compassion. This will be an interactive session with exercises, discussion and Q & A. Allan Lokos Founder/guiding teacher, The Community Meditation Center in New York City; Author, Patience: The Art of Peaceful Living Naikan: The Japanese Art of Cultivating Compassion through Mindfulness and Self-Reflection Influenced by the psychological principles of Shin Buddhism, Naikan offers a systematic method of self-reflection which tends to promote gratitude and helps us to shift attention away from the self and to a broader awareness of how the world is supporting us. Through selfreflection, empathy and sensitivity are developed as we become more conscious of the impact we are having on the world around us Ultimately we gain a more realistic understanding of our conduct in relationship to others, supporting the reconciliation of interpersonal conflict and stimulating a deeper appreciation of life itself. In this workshop, Gregg will offer insights on the relationship between gratitude, attention and self-reflection and discuss the three obstacles to gratitude. The presentation will consist of a mix of stories, anecdotes, presentations, poems, and brief periods of quiet reflection. Gregg Krech Author, Naikan: Gratitude, Grace & the Japanese Art of Self- Reflection; Director & Co-founder, ToDo Institute, Vermont 3:15-4:45 p.m. Concurrent Workshops Compassion in Personal & Professional Relationships This session will focus on the development of a depth of Interpersonal skills that bring greater meaning and joy to our relationships. Allan Lokos The Prison of Self-focused Attention and How We Can Escape
Self-focused attention is commonly associated with psychological suffering. Many of us spend a great deal of time living in our thoughts and feelings, disconnected from the larger reality as well as sensory experience. Morita therapy, developed in Japan and rooted in Zen, sees the skillful use of attention as a key element of mental health -- teaching us to shift away from self-preoccupation so we can fully engage with the world around us. Morita therapy offers a unique model that is grounded in attentional competence and purposeful action. The result is less distress and a richer, more authentic connection with life. Gregg Krech Friday, October 11, 2013 9-10:30 a.m. No Separate Self: Mindfulness as a Path to Compassion Mindfulness practices were originally designed to cultivate deep understanding of the origins of suffering and provide a path to its alleviation. This presentation will explore some of the more radical insights they can reveal. By seeing how our sense of self is constructed moment-to-moment, we ll discover ways that we and our clients can develop compassion for ourselves and others, as well as to cultivate the capacity to bear affect and regulate emotion that is essential for successful therapy and other intimate relationships. Ronald Siegel, Psy.D. Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychology, Harvard Medical School; Co-editor, Wisdom & Compassion in Psychotherapy. 10:45-12:15 p.m. Mindfulness, Compassion & the Pain Paradox Although our culture is highly invested in avoiding negative experience, Buddhist and Western psychologies agree that avoiding emotional pain leads to long-term suffering, whereas directly engaging pain ultimately reduces it. Critical to this process is the therapist s compassionate capacity to allow and tolerate distress in the client, and ultimately in him/herself. John Briere, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology; Director, Trauma Program, USC; Author, Principles of Trauma Therapy, 2 nd edition.
1:30-3 p.m. Concurrent Workshops Mindfulness, Compassion, Suffering & the Therapist The client s experiences may bring home the inevitability of future suffering in the therapist s own life. Mindfulness and compassion can lessen vicarious traumatization and counter-transference, and increase enjoyment and growth in the work. John Briere, Ph.D. This is Your Brain on Compassion This talk will describe the core emotional networks in the brain and how they are involved in prosocial behaviors, including compassion, altruism, and cooperation. Sarina Rodriguez-Saturn, Ph.D. Neuropsychologist; Assistant Professor, School of Psychological Science, Oregon State University 3:15-4:45 p.m. Concurrent Workshops Wisdom & Compassion in Psychotherapy: Two Wings of a Bird What do we look for in a psychotherapist? When we are in pain, the answer probably isn t academic knowledge or training. Rather, we hope that our therapist will be wise have a deep understanding of how to live life and compassionate able to supportively enter into our suffering with us. This presentation will explore how, using mindfulness practices, wisdom and compassion can be cultivated in both the therapist and the client, leading to richer, more fulfilling treatments. Ronald Siegel, Psy.D. Mind-Body Problem Solving: The Impact of Prosociality on Mental and Physical Well-Being This talk will discuss how prosociality, including compassion, impacts the body to influence emotional and physiological health outcomes. Sarina Saturn, Ph.D.
Saturday, October 12, 2013 9-10:30 a.m. Radical Compassion Is it possible to have compassion for all parts of you? Even the ones that attack you or make you hurt others or binge? It is possible. And doing so helps those parts transform, and helps you have compassion for people who resemble those parts. This workshop will introduce you to and allow you to experience a psychotherapy called Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) that brings radical compassion to both inner and outer worlds. Director, Center for Self Leadership; Originator/Author, Internal Family Systems Therapy 10:45-12:15 p.m. Concurrent Workshops To Cultivate or Release Compassion Many forms of meditation and psychotherapy are based on the premise that compassion needs to be learned and practiced-- cultivated-- like an underdeveloped muscle needs exercise. The Internal Family Systems (IFS) approach has a different view. Qualities like compassion, acceptance, and creativity lie fully-developed just beneath the surface of our psyches, and are released once the parts of us that protectively manage our lives are willing to open inner space for them. Through experiential exercises and video taped examples, this workshop will demonstrate the validity and utility of this position. Cognitively-based Compassion Training This workshop offers an introduction to the theory and practice of Cognitively-Based Compassion Training (CBCT). Participants will learn the key components of this compassion program and will be guided through several experiential exercises. A brief overview of research related to CBCT will also be presented. Brooke Dodson-Lavelle, M.A., Ph.D. Candidate Senior teacher of Cognitively-Based Compassion Training (CBCT), Emory University, Atlanta, GA. 1:30-3 p.m. Concurrent Workshops
Healing Our Hearts Through Compassionate Witnessing What does it take to release our hurting parts from the pain or shame they carry? This workshop will describe and demonstrate an aspect of Internal Family Systems Therapy in which clients become compassionate witnesses to their own suffering in the past, which in and of itself is healing. Quieting the Hungry Ghost: Mindful & Compassionate Relapse Prevention This workshop explores some ways that mindfulness can help prevent relapse, and to also help in overcoming the shame of relapse when it occurs. Whatever your hungry ghost, mindfulness can help quiet it. An important element of this workshop is to have therapists share how they are using mindfulness in their professional and personal lives. Time will be integrated into the schedule to allow for small group interaction. Richard Fields, Ph.D. 3:15-4:45 p.m. Concurrent Workshops It s All Parallel: How You Relate to Your Parts Dictates How You Relate to People Who Resemble Them If you hate the part of you that is racist or rageful, needy or nerdy, it will be hard for you to open your heart to people who contain those qualities. This workshop will help you explore that dilemma. Training Children in Compassion In this workshop, participants will learn the key components of compassion training for children. We will discuss strategies and effective methods for teaching these concepts to children via stories, games and guided meditations. Brooke Dodson-Lavelle, M.A., Ph.D. Candidate