Abstract
Self-compassion entails holding a kind, emotionally balanced, and connected attitude toward one’s difficult emotions and perceived weaknesses. This orientation is linked to substantial benefits for personal well-being, but it may also be rooted in and contribute to healthy, supportive close relationships. This chapter explores both theory and evidence regarding the link between high self-compassion and a wide variety of adaptive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors relevant to relationships. Some examples include relationship satisfaction, family functioning, empathy, and increased ability to resolve conflicts, forgive transgressions, tolerate flaws in and criticism from others, communicate effectively, and meet one’s own needs. In the second part of the chapter, evidence regarding the role of self-compassion in parenting and other types of caregiving – including in both family and professional settings – is discussed. In these contexts, self-compassion is linked to lower levels of caregiver stress, guilt and shame, more positive attitudes and behaviors toward care recipients, and an inward shifting of care provision toward the caregiver that ultimately revitalizes caregiving capacities. This chapter concludes with a discussion of the benefits of offering self-compassion programming widely, with a dual focus on individual and relational well-being, to promote cultures of compassionate support in clinical health care, families, and communities.
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Lathren, C. (2023). Self-Compassion in Relationships and Caregiving Contexts. In: Finlay-Jones, A., Bluth, K., Neff, K. (eds) Handbook of Self-Compassion. Mindfulness in Behavioral Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22348-8_15
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