Live Online Mindful Self-Compassion (LOMSC) Course

To err is human, and no matter how hard we try, we all make mistakes—whether it's snapping at a family member, making a work error, or forgetting to pay a parking ticket. In these moments, we often turn to self-criticism, believing that being hard on ourselves will somehow make us "better" or "good enough."

Research over the past decade has shown the opposite: we can’t criticize ourselves into better health, happier relationships, or career success. Instead, self-compassion—treating ourselves with kindness when we face challenges, just as we would a close friend—is far more effective in fostering long-term well-being.

LOMSC offers around 95% of the material from the MSC program developed by Kristin Neff, PhD and Christopher Germer, PhD. The course is run weekly for 10 consecutive weeks (there may be a break for a week to accommodate holidays and teacher availability). MSC is an opportunity to explore how we typically respond when difficulties arise in our lives and to learn tools for becoming a warm and supportive companion to ourselves.

Although MSC offers conceptual learning it is designed to be more experiential than theoretical. MSC is therapeutic, but it’s not therapy. The emphasis of the program is on enhancing emotional resources to meet emotional challenges, old and new. MSC is also not primarily a type of mindfulness training; MSC is mindfulness-based compassion training in which the quality of warmth is emphasized more than awareness itself.

Upcoming LOMSC Courses

About the Course

This program has the same content as an MSC program offered in person and is taught only by Certified MSC teachers over 10 weeks. LOMSC offers a virtual classroom with additional learning materials as well as a discussion board for community engagement. LOMSC is also appropriate for those people who do not have access to MSC in their area, who have commitments or mobility issues that make it difficult to leave home to do a course, or who have already done MSC and would like a refresher.

Participants will be invited to view reading material and informational videos before each class so that our precious class time can be saved for meditations, exercises and group sharing. Classes are 2 hours long, however one session will be a 3-hour online retreat.

Free Information Session! 

Free 1-hour information session here. You can receive $100 off the full registration fee of $595 for coming to the Introductory Session (when not using the Early Bird discount or the Compassionate Discount). Once your intro session has been completed you will receive a link for the reduced price to register. Please note you may take any of the intro sessions offered to receive this discount, it does not need to be with the teacher you intend to take the course with.

If you would like to learn more about our scholarships you can find more information here.

Free Intro Session

  • LOMSC Offers:

    • Pre-course reading/viewing material
    • Live sessions once weekly
    • Post-course reading/viewing material
    • 24/7 online discussion board
    • Optional small group meetings between classes
    • Home practice suggestions
    • Email contact with the teacher (online one-to-one chats if necessary)
    • The opportunity to join online graduate groups to support ongoing practice

  • LOMSC Objectives:

    At the completion of this activity, participants will begin to:

    • Describe the theory and research supporting mindful self-compassion
    • Develop and apply self-compassion practices to motivate themselves with encouragement rather than self-criticism
    • Assess and manage difficult situations and emotions with greater moment-to-moment acceptance
    • Develop and apply self-compassion practices to respond to feelings of failure or inadequacy with self-kindness
    • Transform difficult relationships, old and new, through self-validation
    • Utilize the art of savoring and self-appreciation to overcome negative attention bias
    • Apply core mindfulness and self-compassion practices into daily life
    • Demonstrate simple self-compassion practices to patients, students, or clients
Register for an LOMSC