12 Hours / 12 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Compassion Focused Therapy for Distressing Experiences In Psychosis is presented by Charlie Heriot-Maitland, PhD.

This program introduces the CFT model of compassion and describes how to apply this model in interventions for people with psychosis. Specifically, participants learn how to help their clients establish a bodily experience of safeness through:

  1.  The practice of soothing rhythm breathing, which activates the parasympathetic system
  2.  Learning to recognize what postures and activities ground and center the person
  3.  Using mindfulness and imagery exercises.


In this program, participants learn how to create external contexts (e.g., interpersonal and environmental) in which the safeness experience can flourish. Dr. Heriot-Maitland also discusses how to develop a ‘compassionate self,’ which is a part of them with the qualities required to explore and engage with their fears, voices, and dissociated parts; essentially, a self-identity that organizes the mind and provides a secure base (or grounding) from which to do the therapeutic work. He demonstrates how to use these compassionate qualities and skills to manage internal conflicts and to initiate supportive dialogue between voices and different emotional parts. This is achieved through techniques such as voice dialoguing/talking with voices, imagery, chair work, and letter writing.

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe and critique the Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) model and its relevance for people with psychosis
  • 2 Describe the evidence base that underpins the CFT model
  • 3 Describe psychosis to establish safeness and connection
  • 4 Describe psycho-education about evolved brains, emotion systems, and multiple selves
  • 5 Describe CFT formulations with their clients (threat-based formulation / 3 circles formulation / function of voices)
  • 6 Describe how clients cultivate/deepen their compassionate self
  • 7 Describe how clients put their compassion self to work in daily life
  • 8 Describe techniques to facilitate compassionate relating to self, others, voices (eg. chair work and compassionate voice dialogue)
  • 9 Describe the CFT model to address difficulties within therapeutic relationships
  • 10 Describe processes to ensure personal practice improvement in the use of the CFT model for psychosis

  • Intended Audience

    This training is designed for mental health and allied professionals who work with individuals experiencing psychosis, with a focus on applying compassion-focused interventions. It is suitable for those specializing in psychology, social work, counseling, and related fields who support clients with psychosis.

    • Mental Health Professional
    • Psychologist
    • Social Worker
    • Counselor
    • Allied Mental Health Professional

  • Experience Level

    This program is designed for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at all experience levels who wish to integrate Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) principles and techniques into their work with individuals experiencing psychosis.

    • Beginner: Participants have limited or no prior experience with CFT or its application to psychosis. They are seeking foundational knowledge of the CFT model, including its basic principles, evidence base, and introductory interventions such as soothing rhythm breathing, grounding techniques, mindfulness, and imagery exercises. Participants will learn how to establish safeness and connection, introduce psychoeducation, and begin facilitating compassionate self-development in clients.

    • Intermediate: Participants have some experience using CFT or related compassion-based approaches in clinical practice. They seek to deepen their understanding of compassion-focused case formulation, apply CFT techniques more flexibly with clients experiencing psychosis, and address barriers such as self-criticism, shame, or fear of compassion. This level emphasizes integrating compassion practices into existing treatment plans and adapting interventions to diverse cultural and clinical contexts.

    • Advanced: Participants are experienced clinicians or supervisors who are familiar with CFT principles and have applied them in practice. They aim to refine their clinical formulation skills, use advanced imagery and chairwork interventions, and conceptualize complex psychosis presentations through a compassion-focused lens. Emphasis is placed on enhancing supervision, developing training competence, and contributing to ongoing research and clinical innovation in CFT for psychosis.

  • Practice Setting

    Mental health and allied professionals who support individuals experiencing psychosis typically practice in environments that prioritize client safety, therapeutic engagement, and multidisciplinary collaboration. These settings are designed to provide structured, supportive, and recovery-oriented care, often integrating evidence-based interventions and fostering a compassionate, nonjudgmental atmosphere. Professionals may work individually or as part of a team, delivering services in both inpatient and outpatient contexts, and may also provide community-based or outreach support to clients in their homes or other community locations.

    • Community mental health centers
    • Outpatient psychiatric clinics
    • Inpatient psychiatric units or hospitals
    • Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams
    • Early psychosis intervention programs
    • Residential treatment facilities
    • Private practice offices specializing in severe mental illness
    • School-based mental health services
    • Nonprofit organizations supporting individuals with psychosis
    • Crisis intervention and stabilization units

Presented By

Charlie Heriot-Maitland, PhD, Researcher at University of Glasgow

Dr. Charlie Heriot-Maitland is a clinical psychologist, researcher and trainer (University of Glasgow; Balanced Minds). He is currently researching the social context of anomalous experiences and the application of CFT for people experiencing distress in relation to psychosis. He provides psychological therapies in NHS psychosis services, and in private practice. He also runs various compassion training workshops for practitioners and the general public.

View More Programs from this Presenter
Charlie Heriot-Maitland, PhD

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).



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) maintains responsibility for this program and its content. 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), SW CPE 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 and 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. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6811. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CONCEPT Professional Training, #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. CONCEPT Professional Training 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.