Compassion Focused Wellbeing (CFW) 8 Week Programme

Compassion Focused Wellbeing 8 Week Programme

The Compassion Focused Wellbeing (CFW) Programme was developed by Nick Cooke and Madeleine Agnew as a way to support mindfulness participants and teachers in developing a kinder, more compassionate attitude toward themselves.

CFW builds upon the foundations of mindfulness to explore how compassion can be cultivated — both for ourselves and for others — as a pathway to deeper wellbeing, emotional resilience, and inner peace.

What is Compassion Focused Wellbeing CFW?

Compassion Focused Wellbeing (CFW) is an approach that emphasises applying compassion for yourself, your loved ones, strangers, and the wider world in the pursuit of a healthy and happy life.

It combines the concept of wellbeing with the practice of compassion, encouraging participants to create a nurturing inner environment that supports personal growth, mental health, and emotional balance.

When we develop compassion as a mindset and daily practice, we strengthen our capacity to cope with life’s challenges and foster a greater sense of connection and understanding — both inwardly and outwardly.

Research shows that compassion-based living has significant benefits for mental, emotional, and physical health (Gilbert, 2010; Neff, 2003; Pace et al., 2009; Seppälä et al., 2017).

Developed with Mindfulness in Mind

The CFW 8 week programme offers an integrative approach

The CFW Programme draws from a rich blend of evidence-based and experiential methods. It incorporates key learning from:

Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC)
The Mindfulness Now Programme

This integrative framework offers participants a holistic and accessible way to explore compassion — blending psychology, mindfulness, and reflective practice into a cohesive wellbeing journey.

The Attitudinal Framework – The 10 Attitudes of Compassion

At the heart of CFW lies a unique attitudinal framework: The 10 Attitudes of Compassion.
Developed by Madeleine Agnew and Nick Cooke, these attitudes help clarify the deeper principles of compassion and form the foundations of all CFW teaching.

The attitudes — such as kindness, courage, acceptance, and wisdom — encourage participants to embody compassion in thought, word, and action. They also complement and enrich every element of the CFW programme, supporting ongoing personal growth and mindful awareness.

Flexible and Accessible

The CFW Programme is designed to be both structured and adaptable, allowing it to meet the needs of a wide range of individuals and settings.

It can be delivered as:

An 8-week structured programme for groups
A 1:1 personalised course
A drop-in style support group offering informal, ongoing guidance
Compassion based retreats

This flexibility makes it suitable for individuals at all stages of their mindfulness or wellbeing journey

The UK College of Mindfulness Meditation: the UK’s leading provider of vocational teacher training. Training centres across the UK and online.

Nick Cooke - Course Creator

The founder of the UK College, Nick Cooke, based the original ‘Mindfulness Now’ training programme around his own considerable experience of using mindfulness to help him with recovery and rehabilitation following two serious illnesses.

Join the Compassion Focused Wellbeing 8 Week Programme

If you’d like to develop a kinder, more compassionate relationship with yourself and others, the CFW 8 Week Programme offers a practical, research-informed, and heart-centred approach.

Whether you’re a mindfulness practitioner, a wellbeing professional, or simply someone seeking greater peace and balance, CFW provides the tools and guidance to help you flourish — both personally and professionally.

For further information or to book on one of our courses please contact the UK College on 0121 444 1110 or email us.

CFW 8 WEEK PROGRAMME 2026:

14th Oct - 9th December 2026 / Retreat 6th December 2026 -Evenings 6.30pm

Children and Young People

As part of our approach, CFW also offers a 4-week programme for children and young people.
This specially adapted course introduces compassion-based practices in an age-appropriate and engaging way, supporting emotional literacy, resilience, and kindness from an early age.

CFW Retreats

A key element of the 8-week programme is the opportunity to deepen practice through retreat.
We typically offer a CFW Retreat between weeks 6 and 7, providing space for reflection, integration, and connection with others on the same journey.

Retreat experiences often include guided meditations, mindful movement, reflective journaling, and group dialogue — all within a supportive and nurturing environment.

Trauma-Informed Teaching

The CFW approach is built upon trauma-informed principles, recognising that compassion must always be offered safely and sensitively.
CFW incorporates the NIA Trauma Language Model, ensuring that all teaching and facilitation is grounded in psychological safety, inclusion, and respect for participants’ lived experiences.

This trauma-sensitive approach allows participants to engage at their own pace and fosters trust, empowerment, and self-compassion.

Core Elements of the CFW Approach

Self-Compassion – Learning to relate to yourself with kindness and understanding, often by cultivating an inner “compassionate voice.”

Compassion for Others and the World Around Us – Extending empathy and care outward, fostering connection and shared humanity.

Mindfulness – Developing awareness of the present moment to respond with care rather than react from habit (Teasdale et al., 2002; Brown & Ryan, 2003; Hölzel et al., 2011).

Emotional Regulation – Understanding and balancing the three emotional systems — Threat, Drive, and Soothe — to promote calm, balance, and resilience (Klimecki et al., 2013).

Why Compassion Matters

Compassion is recognised across traditions and modern science as a vital human strength. Leaders such as the Dalai Lama and Pope Francis have spoken of compassion as essential to human flourishing — and psychological research confirms its transformative impact.

Practising compassion enhances wellbeing, strengthens relationships, reduces stress and anxiety, and supports physical health. Like ripples in water, each act of compassion extends outward — changing not only ourselves, but the world around us.

Evidence and Inspiration

The CFW Programme draws inspiration and evidence from leading thinkers and researchers in mindfulness and compassion science, including:

Paul Gilbert (2010) – Founder of Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
Kristin Neff (2003) – Co-creator of the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) programme
Tania Singer & Olga Klimecki (2013) – Research into compassion and emotional regulation
Teasdale, Segal & Williams (2002) – Founders of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
Emma Seppälä (2017) – Research on compassion, connection, and wellbeing