1 Hour / 1 CE

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on An Introduction to Compassion Focused Therapy is presented by Yotam Heineberg, PsyD.

It is well-known that shame and self-criticism can be difficult problems to treat in a range of psychological problems and may even prevent people from seeking help. Compassion Focused Therapy was developed by Professor Paul Gilbert. CFT was specifically developed with and for individuals with these difficulties, in part by helping them develop a compassionate orientation toward themselves and others by elaborating on cognitive-behavioral strategies. CFT is an evolutionary and neuroscience-based approach to psychotherapy that articulates how the evolution of attachment and affiliative emotion regulates threat processing and the emergence of our self-identities. CFT integrates evidence-based therapies with the basic insight that our emotions serve an evolutionary function and that recognizing this can help de-shame and de-pathologize painful symptomatic experiences towards greater engagement in therapy. CFT has growing empirical evidence to support its efficacy in a broad range of complex cases, including trauma and rigid personality structures. The program covers the basic concepts of CFT with PowerPoint presentations and describes experiential practices with the use of emotion-focused, cognitive-behavioral, and imagery practices.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

  • 1 Describe perspectives from the evolutionary model that underpins CFT towards psychoeducation, by offering clients insight into the three types of affect regulation systems (threat, drive, and soothing)
  • 2 Describe insight into the complexities and conflicts within the threat system processing
  • 3 Describe the Fears of Compassion scale, and framework towards assessment, psychoeducational, experiential, and behavioral treatment goals

  • Intended Audience

    This training is designed for mental health professionals who work with clients experiencing trauma, personality disorders, or challenges with emotional regulation. It is suitable for those specializing in psychotherapy, counseling, or clinical psychology, as well as healthcare and support professionals seeking to deepen their understanding and skills in these areas.

    Examples of Relevant Professionals:

    • Mental Health Professionals
    • Psychotherapists
    • Counselors
    • Clinical Psychologists
    • Healthcare professionals seeking to enhance their mental health expertise
    • Support professionals working with individuals facing trauma or emotional regulation difficulties

  • Experience Level

    This training is appropriate for a range of experience levels among licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals.

    • Beginner: Participants new to Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) or those with limited experience treating shame and self-criticism will gain foundational knowledge of CFT concepts, including the evolutionary model of affect regulation and basic experiential, cognitive-behavioral, and imagery practices.

    • Intermediate: Participants with some familiarity or prior training in CFT or related approaches will deepen their understanding of the complexities of threat system processing, learn to apply the Fears of Compassion scale, and integrate psychoeducational and experiential interventions into clinical practice.

    • Advanced: Participants with extensive experience in CFT or advanced clinical practice will refine their skills in addressing complex cases, such as trauma and rigid personality structures, and further develop strategies for integrating CFT with other evidence-based modalities.

  • Practice Setting

    Practitioners apply these skills in trauma-informed clinical environments that deliver assessment, psychotherapy, and coordinated care for clients with complex presentations. They work within multidisciplinary systems using evidence-based and experiential methods, delivered in person or via secure telehealth.

    Examples of Practice Settings:

    • Outpatient mental health clinics
    • Private practice psychotherapy offices
    • Community mental health centers
    • Hospital behavioral health units
    • Integrated primary care/behavioral health clinics
    • University and college counseling centers
    • Residential or partial hospitalization programs
    • Telehealth platforms and virtual clinics
Presented By

Yotam Heineberg, PsyD

Dr. Yotam Heineberg is a licensed clinical psychologist and a clinical faculty member at Palo Alto University’s Gronowski Center, where he offers supervision, clinical and didactic psychotherapy training in Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), and other compassion-focused approaches to healing and growth. Dr. Heineberg is also a Research Fellow at Stanford University with the Center for Compassion and Altruism, Research and Education (CCARE), where he develops various compassion programs to support personal and collective resilience, as well as compassion for self and others. He also designs and delivers compassion-based burnout reduction programs that support nurses, clinicians, leaders, and patients in large hospital settings.

Dr. Heineberg completed his doctorate at the PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. consortium at Palo Alto University, and his post-doctoral training at Stanford University’s CCARE. During that time, he trained with Professor Paul Gilbert, who developed the CFT model in the UK. He lives in San Francisco, runs a private practice, and offers workshops nationally and internationally.


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CE Sponsorship Information

Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here. 

  1. American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.

  2. Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.

  3. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  4. National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).


Sponsorship Provier Statement

Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7190. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Palo Alto University, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Palo Alto University maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits. Continuing and Professional Studies, Palo Alto University, is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0103. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies, is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073.