"CFT helps us understand the evolved function of harmfulness...it's not our fault that we have these drives and tendencies to harm, but it is our responsibility."

Today, I'm thrilled to have Dr. Karensa Hocken with me, a forensic psychologist who has spent over 20 years working with people convicted of serious offences. She’s a leader in her field, and today we dive into the challenging topic of working compassionately with individuals who have caused serious harm. We discuss the origins of human harmfulness, the role of CFT (Compassion Focused Therapy) in forensic work, and the importance of empathy, sympathy, and creating safer environments. Get ready for an impactful conversation on complexity, compassion, and change in forensic settings.

TIME STAMPS:

00:00 Introduction and Movember Update

00:29 Introducing Dr. Karensa Hocken

02:28 Understanding Human Harmfulness

08:06 The Role of Evolution in Harmfulness

16:20 Forensic Work and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)

22:46 Shame, Guilt, and Compassion in Forensic Populations

29:35 Applying CFT in Forensic Settings

32:47 Building Compassion in Forensic Therapy

33:25 Risk Assessment and Compassion in CFT

34:59 Creating Compassionate Cultures in Prisons

39:04 Understanding Community Reactions to Harmfulness

45:58 Empathy and Sympathy in Forensic Work

53:12 Challenges and Emotions arising as CFT progresses

58:52 Future Directions for CFT in Forensics

01:01:42 Resources and Connections for Forensic CFT

TARGETED PLAYLIST LINK:

Compassion in a T-Shirt: In Session

LINKS:

Find the Compassionate Mind Foundation Special Interest Groups here:

https://www.compassionatemind.co.uk/resource/special-interest-groups

For more from Kerensa and her colleague Jon Taylor, speaking with Professor Paul Gilbert, go here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvYy_e4SEes

The Forensic Psychology Podcasts:

On Apple

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-forensic-psychology-podcast/id1533101974

On Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/show/6RkkZsEFg8xkooawuXe8En?si=cb0654f577c2442c

If you would like to learn more about compassion focused therapy, you can find Dr Stan Steindl's book The Gifts of Compassion here:

https://www.amazon.com.au/Gifts-Compassion-understand-overcome-suffering/dp/1925644480

Say hi on social:

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stan-steindl-150a5264/

Website: https://www.stansteindl.com/

YouTube Video URL: https://youtu.be/g4HgbpK_QB8

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Video hashtags

forensic psychology, compassion focused therapy, cft, paul gilbert, harm, harmfulness, hurt people hurt people