Our lab uses diverse methods to study theoretical models that help to explain the variation in well-being and psychopathology we see both across people and within a given person based on context. The theory behind compassion-focused therapy (see Gilbert, 2005) has inspired a great deal of our research. We have examined shame and self-criticism as contributors to psychopathology, particularly eating disorders, and the role self-compassion and associated interventions play in preventing and alleviating psychopathology. Given the established benefits of self-compassion, our lab is currently interested in identifying the factors that influence self-compassion in daily life, e.g., the characteristics of the people we interact with, the behaviours we engage in, and so on. We are interested in testing our ideas in a range of populations who experience psychological distress (e.g., people with mental illness or other marginalized identities, people working in emotionally demanding professions, people navigating a profound loss). Through our research, we aim to inspire novel, implementable interventions and strategies that can support the self-compassion of individuals, groups, and organizations. Our greatest current interrelated research interests include:
- Social factors that support versus undermine self-compassion, and that heighten versus soften self-criticism;
- Behaviours in daily life that support versus undermine self-compassion, and that heighten versus soften self-criticism;
- Accessible interventions to support self-compassion in daily life;
- Ways of promoting self-compassion in individuals who are highly self-critical and fearful of self-compassion.
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News
Emily Fuller awarded OGS funding
Congratulations to Emily Fuller for being awarded the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)! This funding will support her MA research examining whether self-compassion is shaped by social comparison processes, specifically whether perceiving one’s emotional distress as shared or unshared with peers influences momentary levels of self-compassion.
Monica Grove awarded SSHRC CGRS-D
Congratulations to Monica Grove for being awarded funding for her PhD from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), which will support her research on the influence of social context and relationships on self-compassion.
Aleece Katan graduates from UW with her PhD
Congratulations to Aleece Katan for graduating with a PhD from the University of Waterloo's Clinical Psychology program!