Compassion Cultivation Training is an 8-week training course developed at Stanford University Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) by principal author and Compassion Institute Co-Founder Thupten Jinpa Ph.D with contributions from CI’s Founding Faculty.

The evidence is compelling. While compassion is an inherent quality we all possess as human beings, research from neuroscience, contemplative science, and psychology show that it is an orientation and skill that can be cultivated and strengthened to increase the well-being of individuals, communities and society. 

What does Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT™) look like?

CCT™ is an 8-week course, including:

• Weekly 2-hour class, with lectures, discussions, and interactive exercises
• Meditation practices that progress from week to week
• Real-world assignments for practicing compassionate thoughts and actions

What effects can I expect?

While everyone will have their own unique experience, research has shown CCT can lead to:

• Support for your health, happiness, and well-­­being
• Reduction of stress, depression, and anxiety
• Improvements in relating to others and the world

The 8-week CCT journey 

Week 1 Settling and focusing the mind

Week 2 Loving-kindness & compassion for a loved one

Week 3 Compassion for oneself

Week 4 Loving-kindness for oneself

Week 5 Embracing shared common humanity and developing appreciation for others

Week 6 Cultivating compassion for others

Week 7 Active compassion practice

Week 8 Integrated daily compassion cultivation practice

This course will specifically focus on cultivating compassion for people in the health field, including addressing barriers and enablers in our current environment. The class time will allow for discussion of issues specific to working in health amongst a group of peers.

Continuing Education

This course offers 16 hours of continuing education through our joint providership with AffinityCE. This activity provides continuing education credit for Physicians, Physician Assistants, Nurses, Psychologists, as well as a statement of participation for other attendees. There is no additional fee for claiming your continuing education. Attendance and participation in all sessions is required to claim any continuing education for this course.

Absence & Refund Policy

We understand that life happens and we want to work with you to make sure you’re able to get the most out of your class. Before registering, please consider the following:

• Absences: If you are planning on claiming continuing education, attendance and participation in all 8 sessions is a requirement to be eligible to claim any continuing education hours. For those who do not intend to claim continuing education, full participation and attendance remains the most beneficial, however, we do understand that this is not always possible.  For 8 week CCT, we recommend you attend at least 7 of the 8 sessions. If you need to miss more than 2 sessions during the 8 weeks we recommend that you wait to take it at a time when you can attend at least 6 sessions. This will allow you to obtain as much information as possible and get the most out of the course. 
• Refunds: Unfortunately, we are unable to issue refunds or transfers for CCT classes.

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