‘Like I'd been listened to without actually saying words’: Picturing the nurturer in compassion-focused therapy

Abstract

Objective: A core component of compassion-focussed therapy (CFT) is imagery. This study aimed to explore the experiences of ‘compassionate other’ imagery practice in individuals with social anxiety. Method: Eight individuals were interviewed about their experiences of the imagery practice as part of CFT in NHS primary care services, and interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the data. Results: Three group experiential themes were identified as follows: uncovering obstacles and resistances, revealing compassionate other qualities and imagery as a vehicle to self-discovery. Conclusions: The results highlighted not only the challenges in developing and utilising an imaginal caring figure but also the benefits of self-discovery, specifically in terms of identifying unmet emotional needs. Links between the themes and processes underpinning the results are explored in relation to the existing theories and literature. Clinical implications and suggestions for further research are also discussed.