Compassion Cultivation Training

taught by Maya Nader

Course Description

Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) is an eight-week course designed to develop the qualities of strength, courage and resilience. We meet once a week for 2 hours to learn how to integrate meditation into our urban, busy lives. Through in-class interaction, we pause and reassess the business and meaning of our lives. Scientific research and contemporary psychology on compassion reconnect us to our innate compassion and inform a mindful state of mind. We engage in group exercises and discussions to seek ways to let our empathy arise without feeling overwhelmed. The program was developed at Stanford University Medical School's Center for Compassion and Altrusim Research and Education (CCARE) by a team of contemplative scholars, clinical psychologists and researchers.

Research indicates that CCT increases compassion for others, from others, and for self. It also 

• increases mindfulness skills, self-efficacy, care for self and others, and mind wandering toward pleasant topics.
• decreases worry and mind wandering onto unpleasant topics.

The CCT program consists of 6 steps over 8 sessions:

Step 1, Session 1 involves settling the mind and neutrally observing one's own thoughts and emotions

Step 2, Session 2, teaches participants how to cultivate loving-kindness and compassion for a loved one

Step 3, Session 3 & 4, helps the participant develop loving-kindness and compassion for oneself

Step 4, Session 5, establishes our shared common humanity, recognizing the interdependence of all living creatures and our fragile blue planet

Step 5, Session 6, deepens the ability to cultivate compassion toward all others, including those we perceive as difficult

Step 6, Session 7, involves visualizing transforming others' pain and suffering and offering them one's own happiness and joy

Session 8, the course culminates with an integrated daily compassion meditation practice

Class size: 6-15 participants 

Pricing, Scholarship Fund & Scholarships 

$275 registration fee

Our goal is to increase accessibility of mindfulness and compassion training for individuals who have limited resources to obtain such opportunities. If you are able to pay more, we encourage you to consider donating to the Mindfulness Outreach Fund. The Mindfulness Outreach Fund allows CCFW to offer 50% and 100% scholarships to community members to aid in the cost of registration fees for mindfulness courses.  To make a donation towards the scholarship fund, please visit http://giving.uw.edu/mindfulness.

CCFW offers discounted rates and a limited number of scholarships for mindfulness classes: 

• To apply for a scholarship, please review and complete the application form at https://catalyst.uw.edu/webq/survey/mindful/237140  Note: Applicants will be notified no later than 3 weeks prior to the first day of class, and must wait to register for the course until a decision has been made in order to qualify. Registered applicants will not be considered for a scholarship. 
• To inquire about an income-based reduced fee for individuals with an annual household income from all sources of $60,000 or less, please email mindful@uw.edu.

Continuing Education Credits

To receive a Certificate of Completion for 16 credit hours for licensed psychologists, marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, and social workers in Washington State, please pay a $5 fee at registration. 

Class Schedule

8-Class Sessions: Thursdays from 6:00pm - 8:00pm between July 21 and September 8, 2016 at CCFW

Thursday, July 21, 2016: 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Thursday, July 28, 2016: 6:00pm - 8:00pm  

Thursday, August 4, 2016: 6:00pm - 8:00pm  

Thursday, August 11, 2016: 6:00pm - 8:00pm  

Thursday, August 18, 2016: 6:00pm - 8:00pm  

Thursday, August 25, 2016: 6:00pm - 8:00pm 

Thursday, September 1, 2016: 6:00pm - 8:00pm 

About the Instructor

Maya Nader is a certified instructor by CCARE, Stanford University. A native of Beirut, Lebanon, Maya earned her B.A. in Political Science from American University of Beirut. She moved to the US in 1989 at the height of the Lebanese war. As she continued her quest for peace in her country and region, Maya obtained a Master's degree in Communication and Marketing from Boston University. She speaks French, Arabic and English and is grateful for the cultural richness these languages encompass. Through this lens, Maya views compassion as a bridge between cultures and religions and as the cornerstone of a more peaceful world. In her teaching CCT, Maya continues to practice self-help and assist others in broadening compassion, which ultimately creates opportunities for peace. More on Maya Nadar https://mayanader.com/

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