An Eight-Week Self-Compassion Course Was Linked to Lasting Gains in Wellbeing
A randomised trial of the Mindful Self-Compassion program found increases in self-compassion, mindfulness and life satisfaction that held up a year later.
Study title: An Eight-Week Self-Compassion Course Was Linked to Lasting Gains in Wellbeing — Neff, K. D., & Germer, C. K., Journal of Clinical Psychology, 2013
- Study type
- Randomised trial
- Population
- Adult community members, mostly women, USA (Study 2: 52 randomised to program or waitlist)
- Published
- 2013
- Evidence confidence
- Moderate confidence
The short version
An eight-week self-compassion training program was linked to lasting increases in wellbeing and drops in stress in a randomised trial.
Why it matters
Structured practice in treating yourself with kindness rather than harsh judgment appears to be trainable, not just a fixed personality trait, and the resulting changes in wellbeing may be reasonably durable.
01
The question
02
How it was studied
03
What they found
04
Limitations
05
What it may mean
In real life
In real life that might mean that consistently practising a kinder internal voice — even through a structured short course rather than willpower alone — is something that can shift over weeks, not just something people either 'have' or don't.
Try this
When you catch harsh self-criticism after a mistake, try pausing and asking what you'd say to a friend in the same position — then say that to yourself instead.
Evidence confidence
Moderate confidence
This is one well-designed randomised trial with a modest, non-diverse sample rather than a large multi-site replication, though it sits within a broader, fairly consistent body of self-compassion research.
Source
Neff, K. D., & Germer, C. K. (2013). An Eight-Week Self-Compassion Course Was Linked to Lasting Gains in Wellbeing. Journal of Clinical Psychology.
Peer-reviewed · Free full text available · Last reviewed 2026-08-14
Read the original research →One study isn't the whole storyOne study gives us a piece of the picture. Selfey looks for patterns across the broader evidence rather than treating a single finding as a rule.
Read this in everyday terms
The Research on Self-Compassion (And Why It's Not the Same as Being Soft on Yourself)Selfey research briefs are educational summaries, not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Research describes patterns across groups; it cannot tell you what is right for your situation.
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