Nov 11 2026 - Nov 12 2026
Compassion Focused Therapy Training
Are you interested in learning about how the power of compassion can transform lives in therapy?Â
Are you a professional seeking to deepen your therapeutic skills, and expand your toolkit? Are you passionate about promoting emotional wellbeing and growth in your clients?
Look no further! Our CFT Training courses are designed to equip you with the knowledge and practical techniques to effectively integrate compassion into your therapeutic and professional practice.
Compassion Focused Therapy Training - Options
At Balanced Minds, we have five main pathways for our CFT Training
Our Compassion Focussed Therapy Training Programme
Our comprehensive CFT Training program has been developed to help professionals of all levels, from beginners to experienced practitioners. Led by leading experts in the field, our training provides a supportive and interactive learning experienced designed to help you develop the skills and knowledge necessary to integrate CFT into your practice.
We have a number of different CFT trainings, but key aspects of these include:
- In-depth Theory: Gain a solid understanding of the theoretical foundations of CFT, including its evolutionary basis, neurobiology, and core concepts.
- Practical Techniques: Learn a wide range of techniques and interventions to use in your therapeutic and clinical work. Learn how to incorporate mindfulness, breathing, body posture, and imagery exercises that help to cultivate the compassionate mind, and enhance self-compassion and compassion for others.
- Case Studies: Learn about the application of CFT through case examples
- Self-Reflection and Self-Practice: Learn about CFT by applying the ideas and exercises to yourself from the ‘inside out’
- Supervision and Support: Benefit from regular supervision sessions and ongoing support as you navigate the challenges and successes of integrating CFT into your practice.
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD): Receive a certificate following training, including number of hours attended to meet requirements for CPD and professional accreditation.Â
CFT Training Calendar
Our CFT Training and Compassionate Mind Training Workshops are scheduled regularly through the year, so you’ll have the best chance to book something that fits with your busy diary
Take a look below at our calendar to find out more information about our scheduled trainings, or contact us directly at info@balancedminds.com if you’d like to find more details about our bespoke trainings
November 2026
June 2027
Jun 23 2027
Compassionate Mind Training (CMT) Facilitator Training – PART 3 – The 8-week protocol
Online
No event found!
Who provides our CFT Training?
Our main Compassion Focussed Therapy Training is led by Dr Chris Irons and Dr Charlie Heriot-Maitland. Both Chris and Charlie are international trainers of CFT, having presented in in over 20 countries. Chris and Charlie have a long history in writing and researching CFT, alongside using this as an approach to work with a variety of client groups and in a number different settings.
They have both authored CFT books, developed CFT resources (like apps and videos) as well as having trained over 20,000 healthcare professionals across the world
Dr Chris Irons
Hi, I’m Chris. I’m a clinical psychologist specialising in CFT and Compassionate Mind Training (CMT).
I’ve got many years of experience in helping individuals, groups and organisations cultivate their compassionate minds – becoming more compassionate with themselves and others.Â
I’ve published lots of research on the benefits of compassion, and have authored a number of compassion-related books, including the Compassionate Mind Workbook & Compassionate Mind Approach to Difficult Emotions.
I was also involved in releasing the first CFT app, The Self-Compassion App
Hi, I’m Charlie. I am a clinical psychologist specialising in CFT and Compassionate Mind Training (CMT).
For 13 years, I provided psychological therapies in NHS mental health services, and since 2012, have been a director of Balanced Minds. I provide supervision, training, and consultancy in the NHS, as well as other organisations across multiple sectors, including healthcare, social care, education, and charities.
I have authored a number of research papers and book chapters on CFT, have given numerous invited talks, and have run over a hundred compassion training workshops both nationally and internationally. I have co-authored, with Dr Eleanor Longden, a book aimed at helping voice-hearers with their distressing experiences, called ‘Relating to voices using CFT’.
Dr Charlie Heriot-Maitland
Dr Korina Ioannou
Hi, i’m Korina. I’m a Clinical Psychologist who, for many years, has used CFT with clients presenting with a variety of severe and enduring mental health problems.
I’m passionate about developing body-based approaches (drawn from physical practices and the creative arts) to foster growth in her professional work, and personal life.
Alongside a professional actor, I have developed and run workshops on using acting skills to help to develop ‘compassionate self’, and find creative ways of giving and receiving compassion.
Why choose our Compassion Focused Therapy Workshops?
CFTis an evidence-based approach developed by Professor Paul Gilbert.Â
It’s a highly integrated approach, and combines ideas and practices from (amongst others) cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic, attachment theory, evolutionary psychology, neuroscience and neurophysiology, along with Buddhist psychology, to help foster compassion and alleviate distress.
By focusing on cultivating compassion towards oneself and others, CFT offers a powerful framework for addressing a wide range of psychological challenges, including anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship difficulties.
Compassion Focused Therapy Training – Reviews
We’ve trained over 25,000 professionals across the world, in over 25 countries! Check out a few of the testimonials of our Compassion Focused Therapy Courses below
Who is the Compassion Focused Therapy Workshops for?
Our CFT and Compassion Mind Training has been developed to be widely applicable to professionals from a variety of backgrounds. Although many who attend are therapists or psychologists, we also regularly have psychiatrists, nurses, OTs, social workers, teachers, GPs, coaches, probation workers and other professionals too.Â
Our trainings are suitable for people working in a variety of services, including primary care, secondary mental health services, eating disorders, health settings (e.g. diabetes, pain, cancer), forensic settings, inpatient units, children and adolescents and older people to name a few.Â
We also provide bespoke training for teams and services – please get in touch if you’re interested in this (info@balancedminds.com)
What will I receive following the CFT training?
After the training, you’ll have access to the recording for two weeks to re-watch and allow learning to settle.
You’ll receive a certificate of attendance from Balanced Minds, highlighting that you’ve attended our training including the commensurate Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours
You will receive an details of a variety of CFT resources – reading, videos, audio guides – to support your ongoing development in CFT
Provided with options for supervision and support of your clinical practice
What will I be left with after the Compassion Focussed Therapy training?
Depending on the type of workshop you do with us, at the end of Compassion Focused Therapy Courses you’ll:
Have a clear understaindg about what compassion is, what competensies form it, what makes it difficult, and how it comes in three flows
- Have a clear understanding about the fears, blocks and resistances to compassion (FBRs), and how to work with these in CFt
- Understand more about how and why human beings suffer and struggle in life
- Learn about how key ideas linked to evolution, attachment theory, developmental psychology, neuroscience and neurophysiology are integrated in to a biopsychosocial approach in CFT to understand human distress and wellbeing
- Have an opportunity to use the model for self-reflection and self-practice, learning how to cultivate your own compassionate mind
- Understand how to do basic CFT formulations using the three system model
- Learn how to direct compassion in three flows – to others, from others and to self
- Have experience of key CFT interventions, like letter writing, imagery and multiple selves (parts work)
How do I book?
There are a number of ways to book:
Â
Through our online payment portal using your debit or credit card
Â
Through us raising an invoice for you service or organisation to pay (email info@balancedminds.com for this option)
Compassion Focused Therapy Courses
We’ve been providing Compassion Focused Therapy courses since 2012.Â
So far we’ve taught in:
- England
- Wales
- Scotland
- Northern Ireland
- Ireland
- Norway
- Denmark
- Sweden
- France
- Germany
- Netherlands
- Portugal
- Serbia
- Romania
- Russia
- Italy
- Israel
- Singapore
- Hong Kong
- Japan
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Australia
- New Zealand
- USA
We’ve provided:
- Compassion Focused Therapy Training 2019 London
- compassion focused therapy training Scotland
- Compassion Focused Therapy Training Derby
- Compassion Focussed Therapy Training Online
- Compassion Focused Therapy Course 2020
- Compassion Focused Therapy Courses
Our Compassion Focused Therapy Training 2019 London was a fantastic event. Over 100 people attended, all keen to learn how to use and implement the CFT model in a variety of different contexts. Â
