Attachment-based compassion therapy

Abstract

Compassion therapy is a third-generation psychotherapy that has been used in association with mindfulness in recent years. Similar to mindfulness protocols, a number of compassion protocols have been developed in the United States and Britain. As these countries have cultural characteristics and health systems that differ greatly from those of Spain, it was necessary to develop compassion protocols which were more suited to the Spanish situation and which could be administered to both general population and to medical and psychiatric patients. This model is based on attachment styles, a psychoanalytical concept which describes the relationship children develop with their parents, and which will influence the interpersonal relationships and self-image they will eventually develop. This paper describes the scientific basis for this model, the structure of the protocol, the scientific evidence and the training programme for this model, which is the first such programme specifically developed for Spanish-speaking countries.