Kristin Neff presents in the Lougheed College Lectures

Date(s) - 07/04/2022
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Self-Compassion: How to Effectively Motivate Yourself with Encouragement Rather Than Criticism

Our first instinct when we fail or feel inadequate may be to criticize or to judge ourselves and not practise self-compassion. But research shows us that people who are self-compassionate lead healthier, happier, more productive lives than those who are self-critical. Dr. Kristin Neff is a pioneer in the field of inner strength training and self-compassion—the first to empirically study the concepts and create a simple, actionable guide proven to increase motivation, boost resilience, and improve mental health. And in the midst of a global pandemic, when near catastrophic burnout is threatening the happiness, success, and productivity of us all, we need self-compassion more than ever. In her illuminating and vital talk, Kristin shows you how to increase motivation, foster grit and growth mindset, and rebound from failure, all through the cultivation of self-compassion.

RSVP on Eventbrite to watch live or view a recording afterwards on the Lougheed College Lecture archive.

About Kristin Neff

Kristin Neff received her doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley, and is currently an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin.

During Kristin’s last year of graduate school she became interested in Buddhism and has been practicing meditation in the Insight Meditation tradition ever since. While doing her post-doctoral work she decided to conduct research on self-compassion – a central construct in Buddhist psychology and one that had not yet been examined empirically. Kristin is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research, creating a scale to measure the construct almost 20 years years ago. In addition to writing numerous academic articles and book chapters on the topic, she is author of the book Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself, and in June 2021 she will be releasing her new book Fierce Self-Compassion: How Women Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power and Thrive.

In conjunction with her colleague Dr. Chris Germer, she has developed an empirically supported training program called Mindful Self-Compassion, which is taught by thousands of teachers worldwide. They 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.


About the Series

Be informed, challenged, and inspired by local, national, and international leaders from government, business, academia, and the cultural and nonprofit sectors. The Lougheed College Lectures sponsored by Syncrude present exceptional speakers from interdisciplinary backgrounds to foster the leadership needed to face the complex challenges of the 21st century. Hosted by the Peter Lougheed Leadership College at the University of Alberta.


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