CFT Made Simple: A Clinician’s Guide to Practicing Compassion-Focused Therapy (The New Harbinger Made Simple Series)

This book is probably the most accessible and practical introduction available to Compassion-Focused Therapy. As Paul Gilbert (founder of CFT) says in the foreword of this book, CFT is actually not a “simple” therapy as its theoretical underpinnings integrate a rich variety of ideas and research (including evolutionary psychology, CBT, Jungian psychology, attachment theory and Mahayana Buddhism) and the clinical practice of CFT asks from the therapist a broad set of skills, from empathic micro-skills to guiding visualizations. The prowess of this didactic and entertaining book is that it organizes this potentially daunting CFT theoretical framework and therapeutic skills into what Kolts presents as a set of layered processes and practices. These four layers include: the therapeutic relationship as the context where compassion can be experienced and trained; an evolutionary and contextual understanding of the mind and the brain; the cultivation of mindfulness of one’s own motivations, thoughts, emotions, and behavior; and compassionate mind training through a variety of exercises and home practices. As a CFT trained clinician, I have found this way of organizing the practice of CFT very useful for myself and my clients, and I think it will also be very appreciated by future CFT trainees. Additionally, and in a very coherent manner, the author’s voice throughout the book is warm, friendly, and clear, weaving together key concepts, relevant research, practical exercises, and clinical vignettes, offering a lively idea not only of what this therapy is about but also how this therapy might “feel” as a therapist or as a client.I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about compassion and bringing it as a core motivation in their clinical work.Gonzalo Brito, Ph.D. Co-author of The Mindfulness-Based Emotional Balance Workbook.

I had Kolts as a professor and reading the book alone explained enough to do well in the class. Material is excellent and fascinating even as a non-psychology major and even outside of the course has helped me to become an even more compassionate listener to friends and family which is an extra plus!

Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) is a cutting edge psychotherapy with a simple name, and a comprehensive approach. Do not let the name fool you, this an integrative therapy that takes seriously the criticisms of traditional CBT, as well as the demands of evidence-based practice and is worth your read.Dr. Russell Kolts is a world class explicator and his writing makes an honest title of the book. Dr. Kolts takes the complexities of an approach that includes CBT, attachment theory, evolutionary psychology, and compassion, and makes it accessible without ever condescending to the reader. This is hard to accomplish writing on such subjects, but he does so gracefully.Whether you are new to the field of psychotherapy or an experience veteran, CFT Made Simple is an accessible read with a unique perspective and wealth of clinical interventions for all therapist and case managers.

Einstein said: "If you can't explain something simply, then you don't really understand it." If that's the criteria, then Dr Kolts is an extremely brilliant man. This is, by far, my favorite book on Compassion Focused Therapy. He writes from both the head and the heart, making it easy to not only understand the framework but to implement his words.I highly recommend this book to anyone - clinician or lay person - who wants to implement the concepts of compassion into daily living.

The breadth and depth of CFT is captured here with an accessible structure for those interested in finding out more. Russel Kolts has a deep appreciation of the research that informs the theory while providing us with illustrations putting the theory into practice.

This is a highly accessible introduction to compassion-focused therapy -- so clear that even a non-therapist like me can understand it and see how its concepts are applicable to work outside the clinic. At this historical moment, I cannot think of more important work than teaching people to overcome their anger, treat themselves and each other with kindness, and heal relationships and communities. This book is a path forward.

One of the best use of my time and money :)Really easy to follow the layered approach to CFT.Also, I'm really happy for the free hand outs and audios available with the book (there is a link included for download).

This is a great guide. It consistently informs my treatment of clients with myriad problems in living. Easy to read too.

CFT, as a movement, is still set back by the broad question of "how to". While this guide does not offer a manualised approach - which many might argue would be neither appropriate nor helpful - it does offer good, solid guidance on the pragmatics of compassion focused approaches to therapy, presented in a way that can be nicely integrated into other "brand name" frameworks. I still find the mercurial nature of CFT challenging, but that is no fault of this book, which I would thoroughly recommend as a first stop and constant companion to anyone interested in this wonderful approach.

Very interesting and can be adapted to help others help themselves - a typical Dummies book and I mean this in the best sense of the word

This book is so readable and accessible. I’ve read it TWICE, cover to cover, and regularly return to it when running CFT groups. It really helped me clarify key CFT concepts and find ways to share them and bring them to life for clients. Brilliant.

Bought because I love the ACT made simple book. Not as good as ACT made simple.

Russell brings heart and soul to the evidence for personal transformation through self-compassion. Russell provides useful and challenging pathways for therapists to assist those seeking insight and strategies to make their lives work.