Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) was developed for people who struggle most with shame and self-criticism — and for whom standard cognitive approaches do not fully work because the problem is not just ‘thinking errors’ but the harsh, punishing way they relate to themselves.
Our registered psychologists in Melbourne offer CFT and compassion-based approaches across four clinic locations and via Telehealth.
WorkCover, NDIS or TAC approved? YOU PAY NOTHING.
If your claim has been approved, we bill your funder directly. Zero out-of-pocket cost — no gap, no upfront payment, nothing.
Compassion Focused Therapy was developed by Paul Gilbert, drawing on evolutionary psychology, neuroscience, and Buddhist philosophy. CFT proposes that the human brain has three emotion regulation systems — threat/protection, drive/achievement, and soothing/affiliation — and that many psychological difficulties involve an overactive threat system and an underdeveloped soothing system (Gilbert, 2010).
CFT develops the capacity for self-compassion — not as self-indulgence or letting yourself off the hook, but as a more effective and kinder way of motivating and regulating the self.
CFT is particularly helpful for people who:
CFT produces significant improvements in self-criticism, shame, depression, and anxiety — particularly in populations with high shame where standard CBT is less effective (Leaviss & Uttley, 2015).
Many people with high self-criticism have a threat-dominated neurological pattern — their stress response system is highly sensitised and their soothing system is underdeveloped, often because they never experienced consistent warmth and care (Gilbert, 2010).
CFT develops the soothing system through:
Meta-analyses confirm CFT produces significant improvements in self-compassion, self-criticism, depression, and anxiety (Leaviss & Uttley, 2015).
Our psychologists deliver CFT using its core components:
The core CFT component — systematic training in developing the compassionate mind through imagery, voice tone, body posture, and attention. Builds an internal experience of being cared for and cared about, often missing from early experience (Gilbert, 2010).
CFT is often integrated with CBT and ACT in clinical practice. The CFT framework provides the ‘warming’ of insight and behavioural change — making cognitive and behavioural work more emotionally impactful for high-shame presentations.
Direct therapeutic work with shame — exploring its origins, its current function, and building a compassionate relationship with the parts of the self that feel most defective or unworthy. Draws on CFT, Schema Therapy, and EFT.
Many people find it easier to be compassionate to others than to themselves. CFT uses this as a starting point — extending to the self the same compassion the client naturally offers others. CFT is often integrated with other approaches — your psychologist will recommend the combination most suited to your presentation.
Your first appointment explores your experience of self-criticism, shame, and what brings you to therapy.
CFT involves active practice between sessions — including audio-guided compassionate imagery exercises. These are provided as part of your treatment.
CFT treatment typically involves 12–24 sessions. Many people notice significant shifts within the first 8.
We offer appointments in-clinic at our Mooroolbark, Wheelers Hill, Reservoir, and Melbourne CBD locations, as well as Telehealth sessions from anywhere in Australia.
WorkCover, NDIS or TAC approved? YOU PAY NOTHING.
If your claim has been approved, we bill your funder directly. Zero out-of-pocket cost — no gap, no upfront payment, nothing.
No. Self-compassion is not self-indulgence or letting yourself off the hook. Research shows self-compassionate people are more motivated, more resilient, and more willing to take responsibility for mistakes than self-critical people — because they can face the truth without being destroyed by it.
Yes. CFT is delivered within the context of psychological therapy for depression, anxiety, eating disorders, or other conditions within the scope of Medicare-rebated items via a Mental Health Care Plan.
Yes — very. This is called compassion resistance and it is extremely common in people who grew up in critical environments. CFT specifically addresses this — working gently with the discomfort and exploring what it means.
Being kinder to yourself is not weakness — it is one of the most powerful things you can do for your mental health.
Our psychologists are trained in a wide range of evidence-based approaches. Browse all the therapies we offer to find the right fit for you.
Leaviss, J., & Uttley, L. (2015). Psychotherapeutic benefits of compassion-focused therapy: An early systematic review. Psychological Medicine, 45(5), 927–945. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291714002141
Millard, L. A., Wan, M. W., Smith, D. M., & Wittkowski, A. (2023). The effectiveness of compassion focused therapy with clinical populations: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 326, 168–192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.01.010
