From protection to expansion: Cultivating safeness | Paul Gilbert

Join us for an insightful conversation with Professor Paul Gilbert OBE, the pioneering mind behind Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT). In this episode, Professor Gilbert delves deep into the heart of CFT, discussing the integration of psychological and psychophysiological sciences, neuroscience, and wisdom traditions, all through an evolutionary lens. Highlights from this episode include: The Foundations of CFT: Understanding our evolved emotional processing systems, particularly the threat, drive, and soothing-affiliative systems. Recent Research: An exploration of Professor Gilbert's recent paper, "Threat, safety, safeness and social safeness 30 years on," and the crucial distinction between safety and safeness. Memorable Aphorisms: Key quotes from Professor Gilbert that encapsulate core aspects of CFT, such as "The mind is like a spotlight, not that which it shines upon" and "Compassion is the courage to descend into the reality of the human experience." Threat Detection and Response: Discussing the types of threats (external and internal) and how they activate our threat system. Safety vs. Safeness: Unpacking the differences between safety (protection) and safeness (expansion and freedom), and how cultivating social safeness can improve mental and physical health. Self-Criticism and Safety Behaviours: How self-criticism can be a form of safety seeking behaviour and its impact on our well-being. Social Safeness and Attachment: The role of social signals in promoting a sense of safeness and the challenges of cultivating this for those with trauma or neglect. Guilt and Compassion: The evolution of guilt as a prosocial emotion and its relationship to safeness and social affiliation. Integrating Sciences: The importance of an integrated biopsychosocial approach in psychotherapy and the implications for therapists. Professor Gilbert also shares where you can find more of his work and the upcoming Compassionate Mind Foundation conference. Don't miss this enriching discussion! 🔔 Subscribe to Compassion in a T-Shirt for more interviews and insights on compassion.TARGETED PLAYLIST: Compassion in a T-Shirt: In Session LINKS: Threat, safety, safeness and social safeness 30 years on: Fundamental dimensions and distinctions for mental health and well-being Caring and the Evolution of Guilt: A Biopsychosocial Approach to a Pro-Social Emotion An Evolution- and Compassion-Informed Biopsychosocial Approach to the Challenge of Building an Integrated Science for Psychotherapy Compassionate Mind Foundation Links to all of Paul Gilbert’s books (and many other helpful resources) can be found at the CMF website at the ‘resources’ linkIf you would like to learn more about Compassion Focused Therapy, you can find Dr Stan Steindl's book The Gifts of Compassion here.Say hi on social: Facebook TwitterInstagramLinkedInWebsiteYOUTUBE LINK URL: https://youtu.be/w6FLW1o_wI4 AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER: Note this description contains affiliate links that allow you to find the items mentioned in this video and support the channel at no cost to you. While this channel may earn minimal sums when the viewer uses the links, the viewer is in no way obligated to use these links. Thank you for your support!