❣️[In Person Core Skills]❣️Join Dr. Kristin Neff and Dr. Christopher Germer In-Person Core Skills Workshop!


In Person MSC Core Skills Workshop with Chris Germer and Kristin Neff

May 30th & 31st, Los Angeles, CA

Register before May 8th and save $50 with the code Core50LA

Join Chris Germer and Kristin Neff for this unique in person opportunity this May!

Friday, May 30, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Saturday, May 31, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Location: Presbyterian Church, 1220 2nd St, Santa Monica, CA
(This is a secular event)

For the first time in three years, MSC founders Dr. Kristin Neff and Dr. Chris Germer are offering a rare in-person Core Skills Workshop, co-sponsored by CMSC and Insight LA! This unique opportunity allows participants to experience their guidance firsthand in a live setting. The MSC Core Skills workshop, is designed for individuals who want to integrate self-compassion into their personal lives and professional work. It is open to the general public and provides a total of 12 hours of training over two days.

When we fail, make mistakes, or we’re faced with life challenges, it's easy to feel overwhelmed, inadequate, and disconnected from ourselves and others. In these moments, self-compassion, especially when practiced in community, can serve as a powerful tool for grounding, healing, and connection.

By offering ourselves the same kindness, understanding, and care that we would a close friend, we can navigate the imperfection of life with greater self-acceptance, resilience and clarity. Practicing self-compassion in community helps us reconnect with our inner and collective wisdom, fostering a sense of inner peace and strength.

Dr. Neff and Dr. Germer are pioneers who created the empirically-supported Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program, which teaches the skills needed to cultivate self-compassion and enhance emotional well-being.

What You’ll Learn:

MSC helps you develop self-compassion through three core elements:

  • Mindfulness – Turning toward difficult emotions, sensations, and thoughts with awareness and an open mind.
  • Common Humanity – Recognizing that feelings of inadequacy and disappointment are universal and that suffering is part of the shared human experience.
  • Self-Kindness – Offering warmth and understanding to ourselves when we suffer, fail, or feel inadequate.

Benefits of Self-Compassion:

Research shows that self-compassion is strongly associated with:

  • Greater emotional well-being
  • Enhanced ability to cope with life challenges
  • Lower levels of anxiety and depression
  • Healthier habits such as good nutrition and exercise
  • More satisfying and compassionate relationships

Self-compassion not only helps us comfort, soothe, and validate ourselves but also empowers us to protect, provide, and motivate ourselves toward achieving our goals.

This workshop is an empowering introduction for those new to self-compassion and a valuable refresher for MSC graduates looking to deepen their practice.

Scholarships are available, if you would like to apply please do so here.

Please Note: This is an in person event, accommodations are not included in the price. A break for lunch is provided each day for participants to have time to leave the event space and purchase lunch at local businesses.

Register before May 8th and save $50 with the code Core50LA

Center for Mindful Self-Compassion

The Center for Mindful Self-Compassion is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to alleviating suffering and improving the collective well-being of the planet through self-compassion training and practice. Our vision is a world where each person matters and everyone belongs. We welcome your presence. Join us at www.centerformsc.org

Read more from Center for Mindful Self-Compassion

Dear CMSC Community, This month, I celebrate the heart of our community—all of you—with a special focus on our incredible volunteers, who show how self-compassion and compassion for others go hand in hand. Thank you to everyone who shows up with genuine care, whether you’re leading Circles of Practice, serving on our board, or offering support in other meaningful ways. Your dedication creates a community that actively reduces suffering and spreads joy through everyday acts of kindness. To our...

Self-Compassion in Action: How to Stay Kind to Yourself in Uncertain Times In a world that feels increasingly uncertain—whether from work stress, relationship challenges, or global unrest—it’s easy to turn our struggles inward, meeting them with self-judgment instead of understanding. Self-compassion helps us to see these inner conflicts and respond with support rather than self-criticism. By practicing self-compassion, we quiet the battles within and create space for inner peace—so that no...

As Black History Month comes to a close, it’s a meaningful time to reflect on the power of self-compassion in the journey toward resilience and healing. Research shows that self-compassion can buffer against the effects of discrimination, reduce stress, and promote emotional well-being (Neff, 2011; Munjee et al., 2023). By fostering kindness toward oneself, recognizing shared humanity, and practicing mindfulness, individuals can cultivate inner strength that extends far beyond this month....