Compassion Cultivation Training© - FAQs

What is Compassion Cultivation Training©?
Compassion Cultivation Training-CCT© is an 8-week course designed to develop the qualities of compassion, empathy, and kindness for oneself and others. The course, developed by a team of contemplative scholars, clinical psychologists, and researchers at Stanford University, combines traditional contemplative practices with contemporary psychology and scientific research on compassion.
Who is the Compassion Cultivation Training program designed for?
CCT is designed to support anyone who wants to cultivate compassion for themselves and for others. The class is taught from a secular and universal perspective and is appropriate for adults of any age or background.
What is the CCT course format?
Participants meet 2-hours once a week for a total of 8-weeks. This class is experiential in nature and requires active participation. The classes include meditation, lecture, discussion, and in-class listening and communication exercises with partners and small groups. Participation in the course requires regular attendance and adhering to basic classroom policies.
Is there required or recommended reading?
There is no prerequisite reading required. Your instructor will provide you with a list of recommended readings in class. For a more in-depth understanding of the CCT protocol, we suggest reading the book, A Fearless Heart: How the Courage to Be Compassionate Can Transform Our Lives, by the course’s principal author, Thupten Jinpa, PhD.
Is there homework for this class?
Yes. Homework includes daily meditation, visualization, and breathing practices to develop loving-kindness, empathy, and compassion (suggested 30 minutes per day). There will also be occasional journaling exercises and optional readings.
How many people are in a CCT class?
A CCT course will have between 12 and 25 participants to allow for sufficient student participation and to maintain an intimate group experience. Pre-registration is required.
Is there a minimum age to enroll in a CCT class?
Yes, students must be at least 18 years old to participate in the course.
Are the CCT course materials available for purchase?
Course materials include guided meditation recordings, syllabus and handouts and are provided to registered students.
I want to register for the class but will need to miss a class or two. Is that ok?
It’s to the students’ advantage to attend all eight classes in order to get the most out of the course, as each class involves lectures and group discussions that are key components of the training process. The suggestion is to register for the course if you can commit to attending at least 6 of the 8 classes. This is both for your benefit, as each week builds on the previous one, and helps maintain continuity of the learning community. If you’re an enrolled student and know you will miss the first class in advance, please contact the instructor by sending an email to: info@genuinecompassion.com
Can I attend the first class and see how I like it before registering?
Space is only guaranteed to those who have registered for the 8-week course.
Is there a fee for this class?
The tuition fee is $395 and includes 16 hours of classroom instruction, handouts, guided meditation recordings, and all coursework. CE credit fee (if applicable) $85.
What’s the cancellation policy for course registration and how do I receive a refund?
The cancellation policy varies from class to class, depending on the host organization. See the registration page for the specific 8-week course you are interested in for the cancellation policy for that course. In some cases, the host organization controls and sets the cancellation policy. In cases where Genuine Compassion LLC controls the cancellation policy, it is as follows:
A full refund will be issued if requested more than 2 weeks prior to the first-class meeting. If the cancellation request is received between 2 weeks and 3 business days prior to the first-class meeting, a $75 cancellation fee is retained from the refund. No refunds will be issued if the cancellation request is made fewer than 3 business days prior to the first-class meeting. All cancellation/refund requests must be submitted via email to info@genuinecompassion.com. A full refund will be issued if class is cancelled by the organizer. Registered participants who wish to transfer to a different class may cancel their registration according to this policy and register separately for the alternate class.
If the class is full, where do I apply for the next course?
You can submit a form and add yourself to the Wait List or to stay informed of all Compassion Cultivation Training opportunities as they arise, please subscribe to the monthly newsletter at the bottom of this website.
What is the format of the audio meditation recordings?
Participants will have access to audio recordings which can be played directly via this website or downloaded directly onto a personal device. Enrolled participants must have the ability to listen to MP3 files in order to complete the required daily practices. Virtually all personal computers and smart phones are capable of playing MP3 files.
How much meditation experience is required?
No previous meditation experience is required, although willingness to practice daily meditation is a key component of the training.
Is the goal of CCT stress-reduction/creating a calm mind/relaxation?
While some of the CCT practices may induce a calm or a relaxed state, CCT’s primary goal is to cultivate compassion, empathy and kindness. Potential participants whose primary goal is stress reduction, calming or relaxation may wish to evaluate whether another program with a stress-reduction, relaxation, and calming focus (like MBSR) is more appropriate for them at this time in their lives.
What are the risks and benefits of taking CCT?
There are no known risks associated with CCT. Benefits may include developing enhanced compassion, mindfulness, and an overall improvement in well-being.
Is CCT meant to treat psychological disorders?
Compassion Cultivation Training courses are educational and are not meant to treat psychological disorders.
Does taking the 8-week CCT course certify me to teach CCT?
The intellectual property that constitutes the CCT course is managed and licensed by the Compassion Institute™ and the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University’s School of Medicine. Participants interested in teaching CCT can learn about the process of becoming a Certified Compassion Educator and licensing the course materials at the website of the Compassion Institute™ (www.compassioninstitute.com). Taking the 8-week CCT course does not qualify participants to teach CCT.
Are Continuing Education (CE) and (CME) credits available for taking the Compassion Cultivation Training course?
Yes. CE credits are available through SCRC for Psychologists, LCSWs, LPCCs, LEPs, LMFTs, and Nurses. Participants can earn 14 CE credits for the 16-hour Compassion Cultivation Training class for a fee of $85.

CE credits for psychologists are provided by the Spiritual Competency Resource Center (SCRC) which is co-sponsoring this program.
The Spiritual Competency Resource Center is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Spiritual Competency Resource Center maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
SCRC is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN Provider CEP16887) for licensed nurses in California.
The California Board of Behavioral Sciences accepts CE credits for LCSW, LPCC, LEP, and LMFT license renewal for programs offered by approved sponsors of CE by the American Psychological Association.
For questions about receiving your Certificate of Attendance, contact Genuine Compassion LLC at info@genuinecompassion.com
For questions about CE accreditations, visit www.spiritualcompetency.com or contact David Lukoff, PhD at CE@spiritualcompetency.com

CE Requirements

It is the sole responsibility of the participant to arrive on time, sign in and out at each class, and submit a separate course evaluation form at the end of the final class.
No partial CE credit is available if more than one class is missed. Participant must attend at least 7 of the 8 classes.
Participants interested in obtaining CE Credits for this course, must enroll when registering for the class.
Participants may not add CE credits to the registration after the registration is complete. CE credits for other professions are not available at this time.

At the end of the program, participants will be better able to: Describe the three elements of compassion; Describe empathy, compassion and empathy fatigue; Apply learned compassion skills in everyday and professional life; Describe three sources of resistance to the cultivation of compassion; Describe how to establish a daily compassion practice; Describe basic mindfulness skills; how to stay present to self and clients, while teaching clients how to do this for themselves; Utilize cognitive re-framing with oneself and others from a compassionate stance of common humanity; Utilize compassion practice with oneself and others for emotional regulation in the face of distress; Describe judgmental patterns of the mind with oneself and others; Utilize mindfulness meditation in order to cultivate compassion; Utilize self-compassion meditation with oneself and others.

In addition, CE/CMEs are available through Affinity CE, which has approved CCT for 14 CEs and CMEs in all US States and internationally. Who is eligible for CE/CME?

Affinity provides CE/CME for the following professions and licencing bodies:

Physicians: Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) AMA PRA
Physician Assistants: (ACCME) AMA PRA Category 1 Credit
Nurses: American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
Nurse Practitioners: American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
Psychologists: American Psychological Association (APA)
Case Managers: Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC)
Physical Therapists: (ACCME) AMA PRA Category 1 Credit
Social Workers: National Association of Social Workers (NASW)

21. I'm a yoga teacher. Can I earn Continuing Education Contact Hours?
Yes. For Registered Yoga Teachers (RYT) who are members of Yoga Alliance: “Completion of the Compassion Cultivation Training - CCT will earn you “16” contact hours in “Yoga Philosophy, Lifestyle and Ethics (YPLE)” education category with Yoga Alliance”.

If you attend and complete the total 16 hours, 8-week CCT, you will receive a certificate of participation at the end of the program.

To update Yoga Alliance Contact Hours: RYT who complete CCT need to log the hours in the Yoga Alliance website and submit the CCT certification earned at the end on the 16 Hrs, 8-week CCT course. It is the sole responsibility of the participant to submit their hours to earn the YA contact hours.

22. Where do you offer the Compassion Cultivation Training-CCT?
Genuine Compassion LLC offers CCT to workplaces, health, wellness and community organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area, California in English and in Spanish. Also in Costa Rica. If you are interested in a compassion workshop, scheduling a CCT course or would like to include compassion related content to an existing event, please contact us.

23. When are course schedules and registration information announced?
CCT course schedules and registration information are announced through this website and monthly newsletter.

Please note recordings and handouts from this class may not be reproduced, distributed, published, displayed, modified, or used to create derivative material. If you would like permission to use any of the material contained in the recordings or handouts you must contact Compassion Institute™ and the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University.

© The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University 2008-2013, and Compassion Institute 2017. All rights reserved. All or portions of this course’s material include copyrighted materials belonging to Stanford University.”