Books, articles, and other publications
Books
Mindful Self-Compassion for Burnout
Tools to Help You Heal and Recharge When You’re Wrung Out by Stress
“I’m tired of feeling stressed out every day.” “I can’t stand having so little impact, despite caring so much and working so hard.” “I just don’t have anything left to give.” Over years of developing and teaching their renowned Mindful Self-Compassion program, Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer have found MSC to be uniquely helpful for people struggling with the soul-draining depletion of burnout, from health professionals, teachers, and caregivers, to shift workers and entrepreneurs. Each chapter in this engaging book offers an empathic story of someone stretched to their limits and an easily digestible bite of self-compassion, culminating in a simple anti-burnout tool based on MSC practices. Readers learn quick and powerful ways to recharge their batteries, de-stress, and, above all, be kind to themselves–so they can be there for others.
“Drs. Neff and Germer offer us a transformative guide that powerfully addresses the crippling effects of burnout through the lens of self-compassion and offers practical strategies and profound insights that help readers cultivate resilience and reclaim their vitality. By emphasizing kindness towards oneself, it breaks the cycle of self-criticism and promotes healing and growth. This remarkable book not only helps individuals recover from burnout but also empowers them to thrive by fostering emotional resilience and a deep sense of self-worth. A must-read for anyone seeking a compassionate, sustainable path to personal and professional well-being.”
James R. Doty, M.D. – Founder & Director of the Stanford University Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) and Senior Editor of the Oxford Handbook of Compassion Science
Teaching the Mindful Self-Compassion Program: A Guide for Professionals
- Part I provides an up-to-date review of the theory and research on self-compassion.
- Part II describes the unique pedagogy of MSC.
- Part III takes readers step by step through facilitating each of the 8 sessions and the accompanying full-day retreat.
- Part IV of the book describes how to integrate self-compassion into psychotherapy.
Detailed vignettes illustrate not only how to teach the course’s didactic and experiential content, but also how to engage with participants, manage group processes, and overcome common obstacles. Other professionals – therapists, mindfulness teachers, educators, pastors business people, researchers – wil learn how to bring self-compassion into their work activities. Purchasers get access to a companion website with downloadable audio recordings of the guided meditations. Please note: To teach the MSC program itself, it is still necessary to take the formal MSC Teacher Training.
The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook
Written for a general audience, this workbook closely follows the curriculum of the MSC training, with additional chapters on “Compassion and our Bodies” and “The Art of Forgiveness.” It is a practical introduction to self-compassion for a general audience. Throughout the book, readers are invited to reflect on compelling questions and to practice short meditations that will bring more self-compassion into their lives. Downloadable, guided meditations are available through Guilford Press to support the readers’ personal practice. Co-authored by Kristin Neff and Chris Germer.
The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself from Destructive Thoughts and Emotions
Learn how to be kind to yourself when you need it the most. Written in 2009, this award-winning book shows how self-compassion is an important complement to mindfulness practice.
Mindfulness and Psychotherapy, 2nd Edition.
Landmark professional text on how to integrate the theory, research and practice of mindfulness into psychotherapy, including new material on compassion and practical ethics.
Wisdom and Compassion in Psychotherapy
Groundbreaking compilation of prominent scholars, scientists and clinicians on cultivating the resources of wisdom and compassion in psychotherapy.
Articles and Other Publications
| Date | Title | Publication | Author | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 2025 | "Mindful Self-Compassion for Veterans with Morally Injurious Experiences and Co-Occurring Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Substance Use Disorder: A Feasibility Study" | Journal of Dual Diagnosis | Erica Eaton, Christy Capone, Shannon Reese, M. Tracie Shea, J. Greg Serpa & |
 | 2025 | "A Model of Self-Compassion-Based Therapy" | Grounding Psychotherapy in Self Compassion | Christopher Germer |
 | 2024 | "Anxiety and Depression Association of America Patient Guide to Mood and Anxiety Disorders. (pp. 479-484)" | Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association | Germer, C. & Neff, K. (2024). Self-compassion-Based Psychotherapy. In C. Nemeroff and W. Craighead (Eds.) |
 | 2023 | "The role of self-compassion in psychotherapy" | Handbook of Self-Compassion (Mindfulness in Behavioral Health) | Edited by Amy Finlay-Jones, Karen Bluth, Kristin Neff; chapter by Christopher Germer |
 | 2022 | "Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy: Clinical Integration, Evidence Base, and Mechanisms of Change" | OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE WORLD PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION (WPA) | Chris Germer, Kristin Neff |
 | 2020 | "Brief Self-Compassion Training Alters Neural Responses to Evoked Pain for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Pilot Study" | Pain Medicine | Michael P. Berry, Jacqueline Lutz, PhD Zev Schuman-Olivier, MD Christopher Germer, PhD Susan Pollak, PhD Robert R. Edwards, PhD, Paula Gardiner, MD Gaelle Desbordes, PhD and Vitaly Napadow, PhD |
 | 2020 | "Neural activations during self-related processing in patients with chronic T pain and effects of a brief self-compassion training – A pilot study" | Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging | Jacqueline Lutza, Michael P. Berrya, Vitaly Napadowa, Christopher Germer, Susan Pollak, Paula Gardiner, Robert R. Edwards, Gaelle Desbordes, Zev Schuman-Olivier |
 | 2019 | "Principles for a Responsible Integration of Mindfulness in Individual Therapy" | Principles for a Responsible Integration of Mindfulness in Individual Therapy | Johannes Michalak Catherine Crane Christopher K. Germer Eluned Gold Thomas Heidenreich Johannes Mander Petra Meibert Zindel V. Segal |
![](https://chrisgermer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Practitioners-Guide-to-Ethics-and-Mindfulness-Based-Interventions.png") | 2017 | "Core Values in Mindful Self-Compassion" | Practitioner’s Guide to Ethics and Mindfulness- Based Interventions, Mindfulness in Behavioral Health, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-64924-5_11 | Edited by L.M. Monteiro et al.; Chapter by Pittman McGehee, Christopher Germer, and Kristin Neff |
 | 2017 | "Mindfulness and Compassion: Similarities and Differences" | Compassion: Concepts, Research and Applications | Edited by Paul Gilbert; chapter by Christopher Germer & Thorsten Barnhofer |
 | 2017 | "To Recover from Failure, Try Some Self-Compassion" | Harvard Business Review | Christopher Germer |
 | 2017 | "Self-Compassion and Psychological Well-being" | The Oxford Handbook of Compassion Science | Edited by Emma M. Seppälä et al. Article by Kristin Neff & Christopher Germer |
 | 2017 | "Compassion in Psychotherapy" | Advances in Contemplative Psychotherapy | Edited by Joe Loizzo, Miles Neale, and Emily J. Wolf. Article by Christine Brähler & Christopher Germer |
 | 2015 | Cultivating Self-Compassion in Trauma Survivors. | J. Briere, V. Follette, J. Hopper, D. Rozelle & D. Rome (Eds.). Transforming trauma: Integrating contemplative and Western psychological approaches. New York: Guilford Press. | Germer, C. & Neff, K. |
 | 2015 | When Moment-to-Moment Awareness Isn't Enough | Psychotherapy Networker | Christopher Germer |
| 2013 | Mindfulness: It’s not what you think. | N. Thoma & D. McKay (Eds.). Engaging emotion in cognitive behavioral therapy: Experiential techniques for promoting lasting change. | Germer, C. & Chan, C. | |
 | 2013 | Self-Compassion in Clinical Practice | Journal of Clinical Psychology | Christopher Germer & Kristin Neff |
 | 2013 | A Pilot Study and Randomized Controlled Trial of the Mindful Self-Compassion Program | Journal of Clinical Psychology, Volume 69 Issue 1 | Kristin Neff & Christopher Germer |
 | 2013 | The Mindful Self-Compassion training program. | In T. Singer & M. Bolz. Compassion: Bridging theory and practice: A multimedia book (pp. 365-396). Leipzig, Germany: Max-Planck Institute. | Germer, C. & Neff, K. |
| 2013 | Being kind to yourself: The science of self-compassion. | T. Singer & M. Bolz. Compassion: Bridging theory and practice: A multimedia book (pp. 291-312). Leipzig, Germany: Max-Planck Institute. | Neff, K. & Germer, C. |
 | 2008 | Mindfulness: What is it? Where did it come from? | Fabrizio Didonna (Ed.). Clinical Handbook of Mindfulness. New York: Springer. | Ronald Siegel, Christopher Germer, & Andrew Olendzki |
 | 2006, 2007 | Getting Along, Loving the other without losing yourself | The Best Buddhist Writing 2007 and Tricycle, Vol. 15 No. 3: Spring 2006 | Christopher Germer |
 | 2006 | You Gotta Have Heart | Psychotherapy Networker | Christopher Germer |
 | 2004 | What is Mindfulness? | Insight Journal, Volume 22 | Christopher Germer |
 | 2003 | A Discussion Among Psychologists | Insight Journal, Volume 20 | Trudy Goodman, Christopher Germer, et. al. |
The Center for Mindful Self-Compassion provides information about MSC, an 8-week program designed to cultivate self-compassion skills for daily life. Founded in 2012 by Chris Germer and Kristin Neff, the center is a place where people can learn about self-compassion, find out where to train in MSC, continue to practice MSC skills, and explore how to teach MSC to others. Please go to the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion for further details.