Self Compassion Assessment
Here at Reclaim Therapy, self compassion is a skill that we work on and talk about quite a bit.
We provide eating disorder treatment in Pennsylvania and Trauma therapy in Pennsylvania. We also treat anxiety, depression and body image concerns. What we know to be true is that developing the skill of self-compassion is supportive in moving through recovery from eating disorders, trauma, complex trauma and is helpful while navigating how to care for yourself while struggling with anxiety and/or depression.
Learn a bit more about the importance of self compassion in eating disorder recovery and recovery from trauma, C-PTSD and PTSD:
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Self-compassion is a crucial aspect of eating disorder recovery for several reasons.
First, individuals with eating disorders often have a harsh and critical inner voice, which can contribute to feelings of shame, guilt, and low self-worth. Practicing self-compassion can help individuals to challenge and change this negative self-talk, replacing it with more positive and supportive self-talk.
Second, eating disorders often involve a great deal of self-judgment and self-blame. Self-compassion can help individuals to be kinder and more understanding towards themselves, recognizing that their struggles are not their fault and that they deserve care and compassion.
Third, self-compassion can help individuals to cope with the difficult emotions that often arise during the recovery process. Recovery from an eating disorder can be a challenging and emotional journey, and self-compassion can provide a source of comfort and support during these difficult times.
Finally, self-compassion can help individuals to develop a more positive and accepting relationship with their bodies. Eating disorders often involve a great deal of body dissatisfaction and negative body image, and self-compassion can help individuals to appreciate and care for their bodies in a more positive and nurturing way.
Overall, self-compassion is a critical component of eating disorder recovery, helping individuals to challenge negative self-talk, cope with difficult emotions, and develop a more positive relationship with themselves and their bodies.
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Self-compassion is a vital part of recovery from trauma because it helps individuals to feel safe, accepted, and supported in the process of healing from their traumatic experiences.
Trauma can have a significant impact on an individual's sense of self, leading to feelings of shame, guilt, and self-blame. Practicing self-compassion can help individuals to challenge these negative self-beliefs and develop a more positive and accepting relationship with themselves.
Self-compassion can also help individuals to cope with the intense emotions that often arise during the recovery process. Trauma can trigger a range of difficult emotions, including fear, anger, sadness, and shame. Practicing self-compassion can provide individuals with a sense of comfort and support during these challenging times, helping them to regulate their emotions and feel more grounded and connected.
Another crucial aspect of self-compassion in trauma recovery is that it can help individuals to develop a more positive and nurturing relationship with themselves. Trauma can lead to a significant loss of trust in oneself and others, making it challenging to feel safe and secure in one's own skin. Practicing self-compassion can help individuals to cultivate a sense of inner safety and security, fostering a more positive and accepting relationship with themselves.
Finally, self-compassion can help individuals to connect with others in a more authentic and meaningful way. Trauma can often lead to feelings of isolation and disconnection, making it difficult to form close and meaningful relationships. Practicing self-compassion can help individuals to develop a greater sense of empathy and compassion towards themselves and others, facilitating deeper and more meaningful connections with those around them.
Overall, self-compassion is a critical component of recovery from trauma, helping individuals to challenge negative self-beliefs, regulate their emotions, develop a positive and nurturing relationship with themselves, and form deeper and more authentic connections with others.
Interested in learning more? 🤔
Check out the self compassion assessment and scoring guide below! 👇🏼
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Self-Compassion Scale (SCS)
HOW I TYPICALLY ACT TOWARDS MYSELF IN DIFFICULT TIMES
Please read each statement carefully before answering. For each item, indicate how often you behave in the stated manner, using the following 1-5 scale.
Please answer according to what really reflects your experience rather than what you think your experience should be.
Almost always Almost never
1 2 3 4 5
1. I’m disapproving and judgmental about my own flaws and inadequacies.
2. When I’m feeling down I tend to obsess and fixate on everything that’s wrong.
3. When things are going badly for me, I see the difficulties as part of life that everyone goes through.
4. When I think about my inadequacies, it tends to make me feel more separate and cut off from the rest of the world.
5. I try to be loving towards myself when I’m feeling emotional pain.
6. When I fail at something important to me I become consumed by feelings of inadequacy.
7. When I'm down, I remind myself that there are lots of other people in the world feeling like I am.
8. When times are really difficult, I tend to be tough on myself.
9. When something upsets me I try to keep my emotions in balance.
10. When I feel inadequate in some way, I try to remind myself that feelings of inadequacy are shared by most people.
11. I’m intolerant and impatient towards those aspects of my personality I don't like.
12. When I’m going through a very hard time, I give myself the caring and tenderness I need.
13. When I’m feeling down, I tend to feel like most other people are probably happier than I am.
14. When something painful happens I try to take a balanced view of the situation.
15. I try to see my failings as part of the human condition
16. When I see aspects of myself that I don’t like, I get down on myself.
17. When I fail at something important to me I try to keep things in perspective.
18. When I’m really struggling, I tend to feel like other people must be having an easier time of it.
19. I’m kind to myself when I’m experiencing suffering.
20. When something upsets me I get carried away with my feelings.
21. I can be a bit cold-hearted towards myself when I'm experiencing suffering.
22. When I'm feeling down I try to approach my feelings with curiosity and openness.
23. I’m tolerant of my own flaws and inadequacies.
24. When something painful happens I tend to blow the incident out of proportion.
25. When I fail at something that's important to me, I tend to feel alone in my failure.
26. I try to be understanding and patient towards those aspects of my personality I don't like.
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SCORING KEY
Self-Kindness Items: 5, 12, 19, 23, 26
Self-Judgment Items (reverse scored): 1, 8, 11, 16, 21
Common Humanity Items: 3, 7, 10, 15
Isolation Items (reverse scored): 4, 13, 18, 25
Mindfulness Items: 9, 14, 17, 22
Over-identification Items (reverse scored): 2, 6, 20, 24
To reverse score items (1=5, 2=4, 3=3, 4=2, 5=1).
To compute a total self-compassion score, first reverse score the negative subscale items - selfjudgment, isolation, and over-identification. Then take the mean of each subscale, and compute a total mean (the average of the six subscale means).
When examining subscale scores, higher scores on the self-judgment, isolation and over-identification scale indicate less self-compassion before reverse-coding, and more self-compassion after reverse coding.
You can consider scores 1.0-2.49 to be low, between 2.5-3.5 to be moderate, and 3.51-5.0 to be high. When trying to determine whether self-compassion levels are high or low relevant to a particular sample, some researchers use a median split.
(Neff, K. D. (2003). Development and validation of a scale to measure self-compassion. Self and Identity, 2, 223-250)
There are several ways to offer yourself self-compassion. Here are some examples:
Practice self-kindness: Treat yourself with the same kindness and understanding that you would offer to a friend who is going through a difficult time.
Mindful awareness: Pay attention to your thoughts and emotions without judgment. Mindful awareness can help you to become more aware of your internal experiences and respond to them with greater compassion.
Self-soothing: Engage in activities that promote relaxation and calmness, such as taking a warm bath, practicing deep breathing exercises, or listening to soothing music.
Affirmations: Use positive self-talk to affirm your self-worth and acknowledge your strengths and abilities. Repeat positive affirmations such as "I am enough," "I am worthy of love and respect," and "I am doing the best I can."
Gratitude: Practice gratitude by focusing on the positive aspects of your life, even when facing challenges. This can help shift your perspective and increase feelings of positivity and self-compassion.
Seek support: Reach out to supportive friends, family members, or professionals for help and guidance. Remember that seeking support is a sign of strength, not weakness.
Remember that self-compassion is not a one-time event but rather an ongoing practice. It takes time and effort to cultivate self-compassion, but with persistence and patience, it can become a natural and integral part of your daily life.
Hi! We’re the Reclaim Therapy Team!
We’re a group of therapists who specialize in treating trauma, eating disorders, body image concerns, depression and anxiety.
We’re passionate about helping people reclaim their lives while recovering from trauma, body shame and eating disorders.
We hope that this blog invites you to learn more about how you treat yourself and gives you insight into how to move toward a self compassion practice.
Need some help?
We’d be honored to support you in your journey toward reclaiming YOU in the wake of all that life has brought your way.
🧡,
