Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In this week's episode, host Laura Reagan LCSW-C interviews Dr. Kristin Neff, the researcher and author who has made Self Compassion a familiar concept. Dr. Neff has a new book out this week called Fierce Self Compassion: How Women Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power and Thrive. In this conversation you will hear: How Fierce Self Compassion differs from the tender Self Compassion we are more familiar with How both fierce and tender Self Compassion are needed Why it is uncomfortable for many women to tap into the fierce energy inside us  Guest bio: Kristin Neff is currently an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. She is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research, conducting the first empirical studies on self-compassion almost twenty years ago. In addition to writing numerous academic articles and book chapters on the topic, she is author of the book Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself. In conjunction with her colleague Dr. Chris Germer, she has developed an empirically supported training program called Mindful Self-Compassion, which is taught by thousands of teachers worldwide. They co-authored the Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook and Teaching the Mindful Self-Compassion Program: A Guide for Professionals. Her newest work focuses on how to balance self-acceptance with the courage to make needed change. In June 2021, her newest book, Fierce Self-Compassion: How Women Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power, and Thrive was published.  Go to Kristin Neff's website: www.self-compassion.org for free Self Compassion guided meditations, including working with Fierce Self Compassion. To be in the know about Laura's new podcast, Trauma Chat, which is launching in June 2021,  go to www.traumachatpod.com and sign up for the email list! You'll receive a free gift for signing up! New website coming soon: www.traumatherapistnetwork.com - a community for finding information, resources and help for trauma. Sign up for the email list to be notified when the website goes live and receive a free gift! Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - https://petebailey.net/audio