Compassion Focused Therapy in Forensic Practice: An Overview
This webinar is for professionals working in the criminal justice system, particularly those involved in forensic practice. This includes individuals such as psychologists, therapists, and other practitioners who work with clients in the criminal justice system.
Originally pioneered by Paul Gilbert in the UK, compassion focused therapy (CFT) is an integrated, multi-modal approach to treatment that draws from evolutionary, social, developmental, and Buddhist psychology as well as neuroscience. CFT arose from an array of observations, including that people with high levels of shame and self-criticism can have enormous difficulty in being kind or compassionate toward others and even towards themselves (Gilbert, 2009). Further, practitioners realized that shame and self-criticism often result from trauma and adverse childhood experiences. CFT, therefore, dovetails effectively with other forms of trauma-informed care.
CFT is gaining currency in forensic practice and can be helpful in working with people who have committed acts of violence. Research has identified compassion, on its own, as an important element of treatment in psychotherapy and in well-known approaches such as motivational interviewing. CFT goes beyond other established approaches through its bio-psycho-social theoretical underpinnings and its focus on building the client’s capacity for compassion.
In this webinar, Drs. Hocken and Taylor discuss CFT and how it can be helpful in working with clients in the criminal justice system.
Who's Presenting
Kerensa Hocken
Dr Kerensa Hocken is a UK registered forensic psychologist. She has worked with people convicted of serious offences since 2000 and is a principal forensic psychologist in His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service. Her areas of interest include Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) in forensic settings, sexual offending and people with learning disabilities who offend. Kerensa is a cofounder of the CFT forensic special interest group within the Compassion Mind Foundation and a lead trainer for forensic CFT. Kerensa is a co-founder and former trustee of the Safer Living Foundation (SLF), a charity to prevent sexual abuse. She is a co-host of The Forensic Psychology Podcast and the BBC Radio 4 series Behind the Crime.
Jon Taylor
Dr. Jon Taylor is a consultant forensic psychologist and psychotherapist who has worked in range of prison, secure hospital, and community forensic settings for almost 30 years. With a keen interest in developing a rich understanding of the role of trauma in the lives of those who develop offending behaviors, Jon is committed to promoting and modelling a compassionate and co-operative approach to all aspects of forensic service provision. Jon is a member of the Compassionate Mind Foundation and cofounder of the CFT forensic special interest group.