A pilot exploration of the use of compassionate images in a group of self‐critical people

“Previous work had suggested to us that daily dairies of this form were not well kept (Gilbert & Irons, 2004).”

“Therapists also help patients examine the function of self-judgments (Gilbert & Irons, 2004).”

“Furthermore, clinical psychologists are beginning to design interventions that rely heavily upon selfcompassion (Gilbert & Irons, 2004; Gilbert & Procter, 2006).”

“…were generally lengthier and more in-depth than those using non-clinical populations, ranging in duration from four 1-h sessions over 7 weeks (Gilbert & Irons, 2004) to 20 sessions over 10 weeks (Laithwaite et al. 2009), 24 sessions over 20 weeks (Gale et al. 2014) and 16 weeks of therapy…”

“…clinical imagery in PTSD (Conway, Meares, & Standart, 2004; Ehlers, Hackmann, & Michael, 2004), bipolar disorder (Mansell & Lam, 2004), depression (Gilbert & Irons, 2004), psychosis (Morrison, 2004), and social phobia (Hirsch et al., 2004; Stopa & Bryant, 2004), as well as for the first time…”

“As a group-based therapy, the Compassionate Mind Training (CMT) programme has been designed as a compassion-focused therapeutic approach to help people with high levels of shame and self-criticism (Gilbert & Irons, 2004).”

“Within a detailed and well-informed evolutionary framework, Gilbert and colleagues consider “self-attacking” a process that maintains symptoms across a wide range of disorders through exacerbating feelings of subordination, shame, and threat (Gilbert & Irons, 2004).”

“In non-oncology populations, interventions designed to promote self-compassion [61–63] have proven effective in reducing depression, anxiety, self-criticism, shame and negative emotions in general while increasing self-soothing.”

“In a recent pilot study using daily diaries, Gilbert and Irons (2004) explored the ease by which self-critical, depressed people attending a self-help group could generate soothing and warmth images for the self in contrast to harsh critical ones.”

“In contrast, individuals who criticize themselves harshly find it difficult to get relief (Gilbert, Baldwin, Irons, Baccus, & Palmer, 2006; Gilbert, Clarke, Hempel, Miles, & Irons, 2004; Gilbert & Irons, 2004; Gilbert & Procter, 2006; Neff, Kirkpatrick, & Rude, 2007).”

“Gilbert and Irons (2004, 2005) have also outlined various compassionate mind training exercises to help cope with shame and self-criticism, including the use of writing and imagery.”

“The intervention outlined in the current study is less involved than the majority of the interventions involving self-compassion to date (e.g., Gilbert & Irons, 2004; Gilbert & Procter, 2006; Kelly et al., 2010; Neff & Germer, 2013).”

“found significant changes following CFT: decrease in self-criticism [44,45] increases in self-compassion [45,46], and an increase in calmness and post-”

“Nevertheless, our research questions should be tested in a psychiatric sample in which self-criticism might be more pathological (Gilbert and Irons 2004).”

“…studies have begun to test the salutary effects of compassion and SC on mood and anxiety-related outcomes (i.e., Fredrickson et al. 2008; Gilbert and Irons 2004, Gilbert and Procter 2006; Neff et al. 2007; Shapira and Mongrain 2010), as well as on responding to stress or trauma-related…”

“If so, this might have implications for therapy, such as that helping people from difficult backgrounds become self-reassuring could be a focus for therapy (Gilbert & Irons, 2004, 2005; Gilbert & Procter, in press).”

“Similarly, compassion-focused therapy [4], grounded in an evolutionary approach to depression, endeavors to alter critical self-to-self relations through the use of compassionate imagery aimed at soothing and reassuring the ‘‘experiencing self’’ [6].”

“Prior work has suggested that highly self-critical individuals struggle with fostering self-compassion (Gilbert & Irons, 2004; Shahar et al., 2012).”

“Building on recent pilot studies that found compassionate images to reduce self-criticism, anxiety and depression in self-critical persons (Gilbert and Irons 2010; Gilbert and Proctor 2006) this study set out to test the impact of CF imagery on paranoid thoughts.”

“…such as self-compassion and/or mindfulness intervention strategies (e.g. Kabat-Zinn et al. 1992, Segal et al. 2002, Gardner and Moore 2004, Gilbert and Irons 2004, Gilbert and Procter 2006, Leary et al. 2007, Kelly et al. 2010) to the sport domain, as well as continue to refine the coping…”

“In clinical settings, self-compassion has been used effectively as part of the Compassionate Mind Training (Gilbert and Irons 2004), which has been shown to reduce depression, anxiety, paranoia, and obsessive compulsive disorder (Gilbert and Procter 2006; Mayhew and Gilbert 2008).”

“…compassionate mind training (CMT) (Gilbert & Irons, 2005); cognitive based compassion training (CBCT) (Reddy et al., 2013); imagery building (Gilbert & Irons, 2004; Lee, 2005), the Gestalt two chair technique (Gilbert & Irons, 2005; Neff et al., 2007) and mindfulness based stress reduction…”

“Gilbert and his colleagues (Gilbert, 2005; Gilbert & Irons, 2004; Gilbert & Procter, 2006) identified several core components of compassion, including caring and concern for the well-being of others; empathy and sympathy, which are the cognitive abilities to understand and be moved by another's…”

“Wallmark et al., 2013; Pace et al., 2009; van den Brink and Koster, 2015; Gilbert and Irons, 2004; Gilbert and Procter, 2006).”

“A growing body of research shows that specific interventions may have the potential to increase the level of SC in clinical as well as in non-clinical subjects in the long term (Gilbert & Irons, 2004; Neff & Germer, 2012; Neff et al., 2007).”

“…(Gale, Gilbert, Read, & Goss, 2012); CFT as an adjunct to CBT for trauma (Judge, Cleghorn, McEwan, & Gilbert, 2012), and group-based CFT interventions within community mental health settings (e.g., Gilbert & Irons, 2004; Laithwaite et al., 2009; Lucre & Corten, 2012; Mayhew &Gilbert, 2008).”

“…(Matos and Pinto-Gouveia 2010) and may present traumatic features, such as intrusion, emotional avoidance, flashbacks, hyperactivation, fragmented states of mind and dissociation (Ehlers and Clark 2000; Gilbert 2002; Gilbert and Irons 2004; Gilbert and Procter 2006; Matos and Pinto-Gouveia 2010).”

“, 2011) and psychological interventions (Gilbert and Irons, 2004).”

“Here, voice-hearing becomes “psychotic voice hearing” (e.g. Gilbert & Irons, 2004, p. 507).”

“The implication for clinical intervention would be a need to train a new skill of compassionate self-soothing (Gilbert & Irons, 2004; Lee, 2005).”

“A brief foursession intervention to enhance self-compassion was associated with reduced self-critical thought (Gilbert & Irons, 2004).”

“…in clinical populations for treating individuals who are self-critical and report feelings of shame (Beaumont & Hollins Martin, 2013, 2015; Gilbert & Irons, 2004; Gilbert & Procter, 2006; Harman & Lee, 2010; Mayhew & Gilbert, 2008), teaching the method to student therapists could develop…”

“Compassion has been found to prompt a distinct physiological and psychological appraisal process encouraging approach, rather than avoidance behavioral responses (Gilbert & Irons, 2004; Goetz, Keltner, & Simon-Thomas, 2010).”

“A strategy that is conceptualized as particularly efficient in reducing shame and self-criticism is self-compassion (Gilbert and Irons 2004; Gilbert and Procter 2006).”

“Scientifically, practices that strengthen the capacity to receive care are studied in relation to outcomes like social fears and self-criticism, which, though the evidence is limited, are reduced by such practices (e.g., Gilbert & Irons, 2004).”

“…Self-compassion has been found to be positively associated with the experience of soothing emotion, while Self-criticism has shown a negative association with soothing emotion, (Gilbert, Baldwin, Irons, Baccus, & Palmer, 2006; Gilbert & Irons, 2004; Judge, Cleghorn, Gilbert, & McEwan, 2012).”

“To achieve this, compassion-focused interventions are used which focus on helping individuals to employ self-soothing techniques and create affiliative feelings towards themselves and others (Gilbert & Irons, 2004; Gilbert & Proctor, 2006; Gilbert, 2010).”

“…described as a personality trait that enhances people’s frustrations and anger toward themselves in reaction to failures and setbacks (Blatt, 2004; Gilbert et al., 2004; Gilbert and Irons, 2004) while in the meta-emotional problem patients only criticize themselves for having negative emotions.”

“Guided visualizations that emphasize receiving care have been shown to induce parasympathetic activity and reduce cortisol (Rockliff, Gilbert, McEwan, Lightman, & Glover, 2008) and reduce social fears and self-critical thoughts (Gilbert & Irons, 2004).”

“…those with SAD engage with various ways of cultivating self-compassion, including those based on writing (Leary et al., 2007), imagery (Gilbert & Irons, 2004), and meditation (see Hofmann et al., 2011), to evaluate the possibility that written self-compassion inductions, such as the one used…”

“Gilbert and his colleagues (Gilbert, 2005; Gilbert & Irons, 2004; Gilbert & Procter, 2006) introduced different components of compassion including caring and concern for the well-being of others; sympathy and empathy; recognition and tolerance of others’ pain without any judgmental behaviors toward…”

“Insecure children become more focused on others as sources of threat and seem to be more likely prone to internalize a critical style (Gilbert and Irons, 2005; Mikulincer and Shaver, 2004, 2005).”

“Although evidence is still being generated, it seems such interventions can decrease self-attacking and self-critical ways of relating to oneself (Gilbert & Irons 2004) and increase self-compassion and self-reported well-being (Neff & Germer 2013).”

“…an impact is consistent with evidence that positive imagery interventions may be beneficial for people with BPD (Arntz & Weertman, 1999; Giesen-Bloo et al., 2006) and depression (Gilbert & Irons, 2004), and an initial study with people vulnerable to psychosis (Lincoln, Hohenhaus & Hartmann, 2012).”

“The client is encouraged to employ self-soothing actions, with the therapist focused on identifying strengths and positive attributes or skills such as good coping strategies, courage, and acts of kindness (Gilbert et al., 2006; Gilbert & Irons, 2004).”

“…the field of psychology in general, there are examples of a variety of intervention strategies with evidence of effectiveness including compassionate imagery (Gilbert & Irons, 2004), compassionate writing (Leary et al., 2007; Shapira & Mongrain, 2010), and psychoeducation (Adams & Leary, 2007).”

“The experience of blocks within the process of trainee/professional development of compassionate imagery is in line with the blocks experienced by clients in clinical studies (e.g., Gilbert & Irons, 2004).”

“Gilbert and Irons (2004) posit that self-criticism can influence one’s ability to recall the self-reassuring and self-soothing inner voice.”

“Self-criticism is considered as a form of internal harassment that causes stress (Gilbert & Irons, 2004).”

“Previous research has noted participants finding it difficult to hold on to more than a fleeting compassionate image (Gilbert & Irons, 2004), difficulties generating an image that is not also self-critical (Mayhew & Gilbert, 2008), and a range of fears or blocks, including thoughts that…”

“In accordance with the literature (Alizadeh et al., 2018; Bluth et al, 2018; Gilbert & Irons, 2004; Hayter & Dorstyn, 2014; Nery-Hurwit et al, 2018; Salimi et al., 2025; Souza & Hutz, 2016; Tesh et al., 2015) having an attitude of kindness and understanding toward oneself in the face of…”

“It is very helpful to cultivate a caring and self-supporting attitude towards oneself (Gilbert & Irons, 2004 ).”

“3 This session involved learning to switch from a “threat mind”, to a “compassion mind”, and further develop self-compassion through compassionate imagery (see [9, 20, 34].”

“According to Gilbert and Irons (2004), it is essential to focus on self-criticism during an intervention and it can be treated by learning compassion and self-compassion.”

“This confirms previous assertions (Albertson, Neff, & Dill-Shackleford, 2015; Gilbert & Irons, 2004; Neff & Costigan, 2014; Shapira & Mongrain, 2010; Smeets et al., 2014) arguing that self-compassion can be cultivated and learned through intervention programs.”

“…forerunner and founder of compassion-focused therapy, studied how to develop and balance the soothing/contentment system by cultivating compassion, because clients suffer from shame and self-criticism (Gilbert & Irons, 2004; Gilbert & Procter, 2006) if their soothing system does not function well.”

“It may be an excellent means of cultivating self-compassion and unconditional self-acceptance, given that self-compassion enhancement often involves imagery ( Gilbert and Irons 2004; Mayhew and Gilbert 2008).”

“Gilbert and his colleagues (Gilbert, 2005; Gilbert & Irons, 2004; Gilbert & Procter, 2006) provided several components of compassion including caring and concern for the well-being of others; sympathy and empathy; recognition and tolerance of others’ pain without judgmental behaviors toward that…”

“For example, CMT is suggested to influence changes in self-criticism (Gilbert & Procter, 2006) or self-compassion (Gilbert & Irons, 2004), whilst others found that CMT to impact both self-compassion and self-criticism (Judge, Cleghorn, McEwan, & Gilbert, 2012; Matos et al., 2017).”