Brief Compassion Focused Therapy Reduces Fears of Compassion Irrespective of Individual Differences in Attachment

The present study evaluated the efficacy of a brief compassion focused imagery intervention for reducing fears of compassion. This study also examined whether individual differences in attachment would influence treatment effectiveness. We randomly assigned a non-clinical sample of 125 community-dwelling adults to a control group or an intervention group. Those in the intervention group completed a brief intervention involving daily compassionate imagery exercises for one week. Those who completed the intervention demonstrated significant reductions in fears of compassion for others, fears of compassion from others, and fears of self-compassion, irrespective of differences in attachment. These findings support the efficacy of compassion focused imagery exercises in reducing fears of compassion across attachment patterns, suggesting their potential value in therapeutic settings for enhancing mental wellbeing and therapeutic outcomes.