Kathryn Lovewell

on Teaching Self-Compassion to Children
(and Working Compassionately
with the Inner Critic at Any Age)

When children make a mistake or feel less-than, they sometimes hear the critical inner voices likes adults often do. Voices that tell them they’re incapable and unworthy. So, what is the best way to counter that criticism and cultivate a compassionate inner voice in our kids? How can we help them connect with their hearts and afford themselves a little kindness in difficult times?

On this episode of Noble Mind, Kathryn Lovewell joins Kate and Alex to discuss her work in teaching self-compassion to children and teens, explaining how her background in education and personal struggle with the inner critic informs her work. She introduces us to the main characters in The Voices in My Head, describing how the book offers families a shared language for practicing self-compassion and what parents can do to help their children cultivate a compassionate inner voice. Listen in for Kathryn’s insight on practicing self-compassion informally in our daily lives and learn how to connect your mind, body and heart, reflecting the love and kindness you give others back on yourself.

About Kathryn Lovewell

Kathryn Lovewell is the Creative Director at the Kind Mind Academy, a training platform that introduces students to mindful self-compassion with the goal of inspiring emotional health and wellbeing across the globe. She is a dedicated Mindful Self-Compassion Certified Teacher who has been teaching meditation and self-inquiry since 2006. She trained with Kristin Neff PhD and has supported Chris Germer PhD, both world leading experts in self-compassion and co-founders of the Mindful Self-Compassion Programme.

Kathryn is the best-selling author of The Little Book of Self-Compassion: Learn to Be Your Own Best Friend  and Every Teacher Matters: Inspiring Wellbeing through Mindfulness.  She is also co-author of the Positive Edge Journal and has recently published her first children’s book about Self-Compassion, The Voices in My Head!

Kathryn is an award-winning emotional health and wellbeing specialist, speaker and trainer.  For over fifteen years she has combined meditation, mindful awareness, therapeutic practices and positive psychology to create personal and professional development programmes for schools and prison education, in the UK, USA & Australia. She has written well-being training programmes for Optimus Education and Pivotal Education as well as articles for The Huffington Post, The Telegraph, SecEd and for other respected organisations such as The Teacher Development Trust and The Education Support Partnership.

Kathryn is an experienced Senior Journey™ Therapist, having trained with and supported, Brandon Bays, internationally acclaimed mind/body healing expert for over 14 years. She continues to deepen her self-development and personal self-compassion practice through voluntary service with the Center of Mindful Self-Compassion and developing provision for Graduates to sustain their practice.

Kathryn fervently believes that mindful self-compassion, acts of loving kindness and being a contribution to the world are pivotal to mind-health, wellbeing and happiness. Her mission is to inspire mindful self-care and loving self-kindness across the globe.

Key Takeaways

• How Kathryn’s personal struggle with the critical inner voice led to her discovery of self-compassion
• How Kathryn’s background in education informs her commitment to give children the tools of self-compassion
• How Kathryn’s children’s book portrays our critical and compassionate voices as the characters Crusher and Booster
• Kathryn’s hope that The Voices in My Head will afford families a shared language for practicing self-compassion
• What parents can do to help their children bring the love and kindness they give others to themselves
• Why many adults resist letting go of our self-critical voice
• The protection, safety and love that’s just underneath our critical voice
• How kids can reach out to their compassionate voice when they make a mistake or feel less-than
• The anchor Kathryn uses as a reminder to be kind to yourself and how it serves as a beautiful way to introduce self-compassion to people who are struggling
• The programs Kathryn’s team offers through the Kind Mind Academy and how the community helps graduates practice self-compassion in their daily lives
• How Kathryn leverages sense + savor walks, mini-meditations and a to-BE list (rather than a to-do list) to cultivate self-compassion
• How mindful self-compassion facilitates the mind-body-heart connection and allows us to see the silver lining—even in a moment of suffering

Connect with Kathryn

• Kind Mind Academy
• Kind Mind Academy Course Offerings
• Kind Mind Academy on Facebook
• Kathryn at the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion

Resources Mentioned

• The Little Book of Self-Compassion: Learn to Be Your Own Best Friend by Kathryn Lovewell
• Every Teacher Matters: Inspiring Well-Being through Mindfulness by Kathryn Lovewell
• Positive Edge Journal
• The Voices in My Head by Kathryn Lovewell
• Mindfulness for Dummies by Shamash Alidina
• Shamash Alidina
• Edwina Ricci
• Chris Germer
• UK National Health Service
• Liz Walker
• Dr. Kristin Neff
• Kindness Bracelet
• Self-Compassion Book Club
• The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook: A Proven Way to Accept Yourself, Build Inner Strength, and Thrive by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer
• Center for Mindful Self-Compassion
• Stephen Covey’s Urgent-Important Matrix
• Museum of Happiness
• No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering by Thich Nhat Hanh