Objective: A core aspect of compassion focused therapy (CFT) is addressing fears, blocks, and resistances (FBRs) to compassion. How CFT therapists do this with clients remains unclear. This study aims to explore the perspectives of well‐trained, experienced CFT therapists regarding how they work with FBRs in the context of CFT.Methods: A qualitative study was conducted. Participants were asked five open‐ended questions regarding (a) their experiences of working with FBRs to compassion, (b) how they understand and formulate FBRs, (c) specific ways they address FBRs, (d) how other therapists might learn about working with FBRs, and (e) their top recommendations. A total of 64 participants completed the online questionnaire, and the qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis.Results: The analysis produced four interrelated superordinate themes: (a) Getting “alongside” and “behind”: The central role of formulation, (b) “It's not your fault”: Psychoeducation, (c) “Get experiential”: An emphasis on experiential interventions, and (d) “Respect the wisdom”: The importance of therapeutic process.Conclusions: Working with FBRs to compassion is critical in CFT. Understanding the wisdom in the client's FBRs, and validating and de‐shaming the client's FBRs are crucial. We provide clinical recommendations regarding working with FBRs as part of CFT.

Objective: While motivation and action are core components of compassion and self-compassion, no other measure thoroughly assesses these aspects, or offers a measure of change in compassionate action over time. In a novel application of the language of motivation and action described in motivational interviewing theory and research, this study developed the Compassion Motivation and Action Scales (CMAS), and examined its psychometric characteristics. Method: A sample of 621 participants was recruited to conduct exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on the CMAS for both Compassion and Self-Compassion Scales. Results: The analyses supported a factor structure of the CMAS of three subscales, Intention, Distress Tolerance, and Action, for Compassion (12-items) and Self-Compassion (18-items) Scales. The confirmatory factor analysis supported stability of the factor structures of the CMAS scales. Psychometric evaluation revealed that the CMAS scales had good internal consistency, and satisfactory construct and concurrent validity with other psychometrically valid measures of compassion and mental health. Conclusion: The CMAS offers a brief, user friendly, public domain measure of compassionate and self-compassionate motivation and action, which was psychometrically strong. Potential uses of the measure as both a research and clinical tool, and implications for further research, are discussed. Key Points What is already known about this topic: What this paper adds:

Background: The COVID‐19 pandemic is a massive global health crisis with damaging consequences to mental health and social relationships. Exploring factors that may heighten or buffer the risk of mental health problems in this context is thus critical. Whilst compassion may be a protective factor, in contrast fears of compassion increase vulnerability to psychosocial distress and may amplify the impact of the pandemic on mental health. This study explores the magnifying effects of fears of compassion on the impact of perceived threat of COVID‐19 on depression, anxiety and stress, and social safeness.Methods: Adult participants from the general population (N = 4057) were recruited across 21 countries worldwide, and completed self‐report measures of perceived threat of COVID‐19, fears of compassion (for self, from others, for others), depression, anxiety, stress and social safeness.Results: Perceived threat of COVID‐19 predicted increased depression, anxiety and stress. The three flows of fears of compassion predicted higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress and lower social safeness. All fears of compassion moderated (heightened) the impact of perceived threat of COVID‐19 on psychological distress. Only fears of compassion from others moderated the effects of likelihood of contracting COVID‐19 on social safeness. These effects were consistent across all countries.Conclusions: Fears of compassion have a universal magnifying effect on the damaging impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on mental health and social safeness. Compassion focused interventions and communications could be implemented to reduce resistances to compassion and promote mental wellbeing during and following the pandemic.