Mindful Self-Compassion in Chicago

03/01/2026

Hi Friends, our MSC Core Skills Workshop is less than a week away. We are always so excited and honored to be able to bring this material to others.

One of the myths about Self-Compassion is that it is selfish. However, experience, as well as research, shows us that learning how to care for ourselves is one of the best ways we can stay engaged with people and issues that are most important to us.

Please join us on March 6 & 7 in Logan Square, Chicago, IL.

01/21/2026

Hello MSC community!

We are excited to announce that we will be facilitating a 2-day Mindful Self-Compassion Core Skills workshop on Friday, March 6th & Saturday, March 7th at Five Point Holistic in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago, IL.

This workshop is for anyone who is interested in learning about Mindful Self-Compassion, or for those of you who have previously taken a course and could benefit from a refresher of the material, practices, and being in community together. No experience in meditation or mindfulness is necessary, and we welcome participants from all walks of life and all career backgrounds. We offer CEs and CMEs for some mental health and healthcare workers*.

For more details, pricing (note: we never turn anyone away for financial reasons, and we offer our alumni a 50% discount), and to register, please visit our website or feel free to send us an email with any questions - we love to hear from you!

https://www.selfcompassionchicago.com/general-8

Reach out with any questions.

03/25/2025

I am proud to say that I just finished teaching our very first 10-week MSC course with 6 lovely participants! It was the same material we teach in the 8-week course with a different format.

We had our final session last Wednesday and it was a heart-warming one. My participants shared some of their take-aways, which included having new skills to protect oneself in relationships, feeling and internalizing the common humanity: "we are all in this together", and choosing oneself over pursuing someone or something that does not feel mutual.

One participant noted that as a psychotherapist, mother, wife, daughter, and friend, she excels at offering compassion to others but often struggles to extend that same compassion to herself. She further said that with all of the skills and tools she learned, she has developed a practice that will enhance her own health and well-being as well as positively impact those she cares about.

It was moving to witness the evolution of the self-compassion practices of each participant and to be connected in this way, on this adventure of learning, experimenting, and internalizing. This work can be a total paradigm shift -- one that we are all worthy of.

May we know our own strength
May we know that we belong
May we feel our inherent worthiness
May we live our lives with ease

❤️

12/30/2024

Hello Community! We are back with our winter 2025 MSC course. Please join us, and remember past participants receive a discount!

12/23/2024

Happy holidays, to our MSC community! 🌟

We will be teaching a virtual 10-week Mindful Self-Compassion course on Wednesdays, starting on January 15th from 12-2pm CST, with a retreat day on February 26th from 12-3pm CST. We would love to have you in our Course! Let us know if you have any interest or questions. Below is an overview of what one can expect. Note that CEs are available.

Mindful Self-Compassion is a skills based course, proven to increase emotional resilience and life satisfaction as well as decrease depression, anxiety and stress. Teachers Colleen O'Brien, LCPC, and Staci Berman, LMFT, are both Certified Teachers of Mindful Self-Compassion, trauma informed mental health therapists, and facilitate this work with intention and thoughtfulness.

Colleen and Staci have taught this course 10 times, to over 100 people from various backgrounds, including people residing outside of the United States. The feedback has ranged from "this was good" to "this was life changing". Scholarships available. No one will be turned away for financial reasons. Join us!

11/07/2023

We had the honor of teaching a 2-day MSC Core Skills workshop this past weekend and it was nothing short of amazing. Our 12 participants were an open-hearted and open-minded group who worked on allowing their hearts and bodies to guide them as we facilitated the work.

May we be happy
May we be healthy
May we be peaceful
May we live with ease.

Until next time!

10/18/2023

Staci and I were on WGN recently to talk about Mindful Self-Compassion and our upcoming workshop -- check it out!

We are often quick to offer compassion to friends and family members but hard on ourselves when we make mistakes or are going through tough times. Here today to teach us how to be kinder to ourselv…

09/19/2023

Hello MSC community!

We will be facilitating a 2-day Mindful Self-Compassion Core Skills workshop on Nov 3+4th at 5-Point Holistic Health in Logan Square.

If you have an interest in this work, or want to refresh your existing skill set, this weekend format is a great way to experience MSC in community.

Early bird pricing through this Wednesday, 9/20!! For more info or to register visit: https://www.selfcompassionchicago.com/general-8

Reach out with any questions.

01/05/2023

Our next 8-week Mindful Self-Compassion course starts on February 17, 2023. Join us!

For those of you who need CEs, we now offer them for this Course.

Feel free to contact us with any questions. www.selfcompassionchicago.com

10/12/2022

Staci and I will be teaching another 8-week virtual Mindful Self-Compassion Course, starting next Friday, 10.21.22. Feel free to reach out with any questions. P.S. We got a logo!!

02/21/2022

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/the-power-of-self-compassion

Forgiving and nurturing yourself can set the stage for better health, relationships, and general well-being. Self-compassion yields a number of benefits, including lower levels of anxiety and depre...