The Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program was developed by Chris Germer, leader in the integration of mindfulness and psychotherapy, and Kristin Neff, PhD, pioneering researcher in the field of self-compassion. MSC combines the skills of mindfulness and self-compassion, providing a powerful tool for emotional resilience. The program includes conceptual learning, meditations, and informal self-compassion practices designed to be used in daily life.
A number of randomized-controlled trials have shown that the MSC program greatly enhances mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. It boosts happiness, reduces anxiety and depression, decreases burnout, physical pain, and much more.
In MSC you’ll learn:
- how to stop being so hard on yourself
- how to handle difficult emotions with greater ease
- how to motivate yourself with encouragement rather than criticism
- how to transform difficult relationships, both old and new
- theory and research behind mindful self-compassion
- how to become your own best teacher
Program design: 3 days in April, 7 hours per day, a total of 21 hours MSC
Format: in person in Rwanda, including a daily online afternoon session on Zoom
Teachers:
Dr. Susan Gitau (Susan Gitau Counseling Foundation, Kenya):
– mHub is an inclusive and diversity rich organization like fight against homophobia, SGBV, femicide, poverty, child abuse and enhancing the dignity of all persons. mHub is the first organization in Rwanda to hold a training in MSC in person (December 2023) in collaboration with Susan Gitau Counseling Foundation. Rwanda is the second country to train in – person MSC after Kenya held a similar training in February 2018. The organization has networked with various organizations in Rwanda from the government, corporate to non – profit organizations bringing a wealth of diversity from a broader perspective, making it easier to spread MSC message to many people across the board.
Mirjam has worked. for CMSC with GEI since 2018 for the organisation and training delivery of MSC Intensives in Vietnam, Kenya and in preparation for Cambodia and India (canceled because of pandemics). With mHub through GEI, CMSC has offered a library material and training support in South Africa in 2020 through Mirjam with other MSC teachers. Two grants have supported Mirjam to collaborate with Dr. Susan Gitau to teach additional 8-week MSC groups in Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa (online) in the last 3 years. Dr. Gitau supported Mirjam in the “IDG Empathy and Compassion Hub” together with 4 other MSC teachers.
Number of participants: 25 participants from Rwanda (list xls attached to email), plus 12 Kenyan participants (xls list available next Wednesday, April 3rd), a total of 37 people.
Dates: 4/15/2024 to 4/17/2024
City: Rwanda and Kenya
Motivation:
Our goal is to build a strong MSC family in Africa by giving as many people as possible the opportunity to train in MSC and spread the same to others. We also use this opportunity as the Kenyan community of mental health practitioners to support our brothers and sisters during the 30th anniversary commemorations of genocide against the Tutsi people
Janvier Munhire (mHub Rwanda):
mHub is committed to reduce the burden of mental disorders through bridging gaps in promoting mental health care by engaging their local community in healthier behavior, like physical exercise stress release practices, eating healthy, and maintaining positive relationships with others. They are aware that their communities can do better because of the benefits of Mindful Self-Compassion training. They report after several MSC training exposures that everyone suffers (common humanity) and doesn’t need to exaggerate the extent of suffering (mindfulness), so through the MSC program people will be able to cope better with challenging life situations like trauma, relationship conflicts, divorce, chronic illness or chronic pain. Learning how to apply MSC in their lives and work places, is expected to help community members to support themselves and support their community as well. Also, mHub is interested in serving this group of participants during the 2024 Commemoration of the Genocide Against the Tutsi’s. The dates 15-17 April of 2024 fall during the second week of „Kwibuka“, which is a time of healing through relationships in Rwanda.
GROUP DESCRIPTION
At mHub, they regularly invite their community partners in Kigali for CPD trainings. Community partners include mental health professionals as well as non-professionals. Previous trainings that were offered to these community partners include the following:
- EMDR
- Relationship Coaching
- Relationships in Families
- Wellness strategies in counseling
- Therapeutic Methods
- EFT Training
- Trauma Coaching training
- Social and Emotional Literacy
- Using Mindfulness, Meditation, and Movement in Therapy
- Building Somatic psychotherapy
- And last, but not the least, we offer regular wellness classes at mHub (beginner yoga, BBM, restorative stretching, deep breathing, etc) for these partners.
Dr. Susan Gitau (Susan Gitau Counseling Foundation, Kenya):
One of the mHub employees, Janvier Muhire is an alumnus of MSC online 2023 training by Mirjam Luthe and Dr. Susan Gitau and he was willing to put up a training last year December 2023 sponsored by mHub and SGCF. It was very successful and full of hope for a neuro-flexibility approach to healing mental health pain for many people. It worked very well because most of the participants came from far and had to pay for accommodation and their meals from their pockets and some were busy at work, so 3 days was the maximum they could afford to be away.