A comprehensive self-help guide for new mothers and mothers-to-be

-Learn tried and tested compassion techniques
-Contains case studies and practical exercises

THE COMPASSIONATE MIND APPROACH

The self-help books in this series are based on the Compassionate Mind Approach. This approach brings together an understanding of how our human mind can cause us difficulties but also provides us with a powerful solution in the shape of mindfulness and compassion. It teaches ways to stimulate the part of the brain connected with kindness, warmth, compassion and safeness. This is key in supporting us through our suffering, and also in calming the part of the brain that makes us feel anxious, angry, sad and, ultimately, depressed.

HOW THIS BOOK WILL HELP YOU TO MANAGE POSTNATAL DEPRESSION

Having a baby can be a time of joy, but it can also be a time of anxiety and even depression for new mothers. Indeed it is very common for new mothers to experience a short period of distress following childbirth, often referred to as 'baby blues'. Usually this passes quite quickly, however, for more than 1 in 10 women this distressing experience can be more prolonged.

If you are a new mother or a mother-to-be, this practical self-help book can help guide you through the maze of confusing feelings that can arise, using Compassion Focused Therapy to help you understand and manage these feelings in a particular way, thereby alleviating your distress. It is designed to help you develop skills in a step-by-step manner that have the potential to make profound and life-changing differences to the way you view yourself, your baby and others around you.

Not only does this book cover the experiences of anxiety, depression and bonding issues, it also gives an evolutionary and neuroscience perspective on why these occur, and guides you through a series of exercises that you can use yourself to develop your compassionate mind.

MICHELLE CREE is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist in the Beeches Perinatal Mental Health Service, Derby, where she has worked for the past fourteen years. She uses Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) with all of her clients and travels the country presenting talks and delivering workshops on CFT. She has also been commissioned by the Department of Health to deliver master classes to Family Nurses, a national intensive health visiting programme for young first time mothers, on using the Compassionate Mind Approach.

Series Editor PROFESSOR PAUL GILBERT is world renowned for his work on depression, shame and self-criticism. He is the author of The Compassionate Mind and integrated the techniques used in Compassion Focussed Therapy.