Tim Desmond – författare

This lucidly written guide integrates cutting-edge neuroscience with mindfulness and traditional Buddhist practices to show mental health professionals how they can help clients develop a more loving, kind and forgiving attitude towards themselves.Researchers now understand that self-compassion is a skill that can be strengthened through deliberate practice, and that it is one of the strongest predictors of mental health and wellness. The brain’s compassion centre, which neuroscientists call the Care Circuit, can be targeted and fortified using specific techniques. Filled with illuminating case examples, Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy shows readers how to apply self-compassion practices to treat depression, anxiety, trauma, addiction, relationship problems, self-sabotage and more.Readers do not need to have any background in mindfulness in order to benefit from this book. However, those that do will find that self-compassion practices have the capacity to add new layers of depth to mindfulness-based therapies such as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).

Do you struggle with stress or negativity? Learn how self-compassion can help you find greater health, peace, emotional stability and joy. Cutting-edge research shows that self-compassion is not only a skill anyone can strengthen through practice but also one of the strongest predictors of mental health and wellness. The practices in this book have been specially formulated to target and fortify what neuroscientists call the "care circuit" of the brain.Devoting thirty minutes a day for just fourteen days to these simple practices can have life-changing results. Tim Desmond’s “Map to Self-Compassion” will engage your mind, heart and spirit. It will improve your ability to motivate yourself with kindness; regulate and defuse intense emotions, anxiety and depression; be resilient during life’s challenges; let go of self-criticism and destructive behaviour; heal painful experiences; and be more present and compassionate with others. Experience the benefits firsthand! Features downloadable audio recordings for on-the-go practice.

Drawing on early Buddhist psychology, the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, and contemporary self-compassion research, Tim Desmond shows how depression grows from patterns of self-criticism, shame, and learned helplessness, as well as how these patterns can be transformed with clarity and tenderness.Each short chapter offers a concrete practice, from recognizing the energy of difficult emotions in the body to cultivating the small joys and connections that strengthen resilience. Interwoven with teachings on loving-awareness, impermanence, and nurturing wholesome mental formations, the book supports a shift in how readers hold themselves and their experience.For anyone seeking depression recovery through authentic Buddhist practice—not just Buddhist-flavored therapy—this is a rare resource of hope.

While many mental health books draw on secular mindfulness, Buddhist Practices for Healing Trauma offers something deeper: a comprehensive healing path grounded in the full breadth of Buddhist wisdom. Drawing from ancient sutras, traditional metaphors, and modern psychology, Tim Desmond—a psychotherapist and longtime student of Thich Nhat Hanh—guides readers through a journey of strengthening, acceptance and transformation.Each short chapter offers a concrete practice, from visualising your five–year–old self to embracing suffering as compost for growth. Interwoven with teachings on non–self, the Discourse on Happiness and the transformational power of loving–awareness, this book goes beyond symptom relief to support deep spiritual and emotional healing. Gentle, profound and accessible, this is not just a guide to feeling better—it’s a path towards liberation. For readers seeking trauma recovery through Buddhist practice—not just Buddhist–flavoured therapy—this book offers a rare and authentic resource.