Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)

Name: Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
Creator: Dr Becky Spelman
Published: December 29, 2025

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Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)

Solution-focused Therapy | Private Therapy Clinic

by Dr Becky Spelman on December 29, 2025

What is Compassion Focused Therapy?

Compassion focused therapy (CFT) brings together elements of cognitive behavioural therapy and insights from a range of fields, including neuroscience, Buddhist psychology and evolutionary psychology to help patients to train their minds in compassion. In the process, they acquire the ability to feel compassion towards themselves, and to self-soothe when times are difficult.

When we see the world, and ourselves, through a lens of compassion we can become enabled to change difficult behavioural patterns relating to negative thoughts and feelings into more positive ones. Negative thoughts and feelings can include a sense of shame, anger, or the tendency to be critical of oneself. When we tell ourselves that we are “stupid” or “lazy” when we do not achieve our goals as easily or as quickly as we like, we are reinforcing a negative world view that impacts on our ability to change our lives for the better. People who lack compassion for themselves frequently also struggle to feel compassion for others, often with profound repercussions for their ability to form and maintain healthy relationships.
Understanding the Human Mind
An understanding of how the human mind evolved, and how it still functions today, is at the root of CFT. Our brains have three distinct, basic ways to regulate our emotions:
- Threat or protection
- Drive or resource-seeking
- Soothing
By understanding the role of each of these functions, which evolved over time to help us to survive an often very hostile environment, we acquire a more detailed understanding of how and why we react to stressors in the environment the way we do. For example, because we evolved in a risky environment, our brains are highly attuned to anything perceived as “risky” in our contemporary setting. This can sometimes result in us focusing excessively on encounters or events experienced as negative or upsetting. Your therapist can work with you to help you to understand how these systems impact on your behaviour, and how you can use a range of techniques to modulate your response to the things you see and experience.
Who is it Good For?

While CFT has a wide range of applications, it is especially useful for people who tend to be very self-critical and to experience feelings of shame and anger. These people often struggle to feel and demonstrate compassion to either themselves or others, frequently due to a personal history of being neglected, bullied, or not experiencing affection in their family of origin. By learning how their minds work and the origins of their negative feelings, they can learn about compassion, and start to experience feelings of compassion towards others, and towards themselves.
How does it work?

Your therapist will use special training techniques and exercises, as well as mindfulness, that will help you to develop the skills you need to feel compassion. This includes the ability to tolerate distress and experience sympathy and sensitivity towards yourself and others. Over time, you will be able to step away from judgement and condemnation and to embrace more useful attitudes. By learning how to focus more on our positive experiences, we can learn how to see and appreciate compassion in the world around us. Steadily, we can learn how to recognise positivity more, giving us a brighter outlook as we face the challenges of everyday life.

What are our fees?

Other Diagnostic Assessments	Fees	Duration	Online/In-person	Details
General Assessment and Short Report from a Psychologist	£340	50 minutes	Online via video call or in person	This General Psychological Assessment is limited in scope. It’s suitable for mood/anxiety disorders, mitigating circumstances, or emotional support animal letters. Some diagnoses like BPD or PTSD may require multiple appointments with additional costs. Learning disorders like ADHD or Dyslexia need specific assessments.
General Assessment with Consultant Psychiatrist	from £290	50 minutes	Online via video call or in person	Fees are £340 for same week appointment, £290 if booking 1+ week(s) in advance. This is for all common mental health conditions, such as Anxiety, Depression, BPD, PTSD, Bipolar and Schizophrenia. Not including ADHD, Autism or other Learning Difficulties, but may use screening tools to suggest a full assessment if required. Prescription included if appropriate.
Psychological Assessment and short report for BPD/PTSD/C-PTSD with HCPC Accredited Psychologist	£510	100 minutes	Online via video call or in person	Includes a BPD,PTSD or C-PTSD assessment and working diagnosis (if appropriate). Please note only one disorder can be assessed within this assessment, though the Psychologist will consider other common conditions such as Anxiety/Depression. Not including ADHD, Autism or other Learning Difficulties. In some occasions further investigation may be required to meet a diagnosis.

Other Diagnostic Assessments

General Assessment and Short Report from a Psychologist

Fees

£340

Duration

50 minutes

Online/In-person

Online via video call or in person

Details

This General Psychological Assessment is limited in scope. It’s suitable for mood/anxiety disorders, mitigating circumstances, or emotional support animal letters. Some diagnoses like BPD or PTSD may require multiple appointments with additional costs. Learning disorders like ADHD or Dyslexia need specific assessments.

Other Diagnostic Assessments

General Assessment with Consultant Psychiatrist

Fees

from £290

Duration

50 minutes

Online/In-person

Online via video call or in person

Details

Fees are £340 for same week appointment, £290 if booking 1+ week(s) in advance. This is for all common mental health conditions, such as Anxiety, Depression, BPD, PTSD, Bipolar and Schizophrenia. Not including ADHD, Autism or other Learning Difficulties, but may use screening tools to suggest a full assessment if required. Prescription included if appropriate.

Other Diagnostic Assessments

Psychological Assessment and short report for BPD/PTSD/C-PTSD with HCPC Accredited Psychologist

Fees

£510

Duration

100 minutes

Online/In-person

Online via video call or in person

Details

Includes a BPD,PTSD or C-PTSD assessment and working diagnosis (if appropriate). Please note only one disorder can be assessed within this assessment, though the Psychologist will consider other common conditions such as Anxiety/Depression. Not including ADHD, Autism or other Learning Difficulties. In some occasions further investigation may be required to meet a diagnosis.

General Psychiatry (Under 18s)	Fees	Duration	Online/In-person	Details
General Assessment with a Consultant Psychiatrist	from £290	50 minutes	Online via video call or in person	Fees are £340 for same week appointment, £290 if booking 1+ week(s) in advance. This is for all common mental health conditions, such as Anxiety, Depression, BPD, PTSD, Bipolar and Schizophrenia. Not including ADHD, Autism or other Learning Difficulties, but may use screening tools to suggest a full assessment if required. Prescription included if appropriate.

General Psychiatry (Under 18s)

General Assessment with a Consultant Psychiatrist

Fees

from £290

Duration

50 minutes

Online/In-person

Online via video call or in person

Details

Who do I speak to about Compassion Focused Therapy?

If you would like to talk to someone about Compassion Focused Therapy in London or online, please get in touch with the Private Therapy Clinic on Whatsapp message at: +447511116565 email, chat bot or book online to arrange an appointment.