About Compassion Cultivation Training
Compassion Cultivation Training © (CCT™) is an eight-week program designed to develop the qualities of compassion, empathy, and kindness for oneself and for others.
CCT integrates traditional contemplative practices with contemporary psychology and scientific research on compassion. The CCT protocol was developed at the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University by a team of contemplative scholars, clinical psychologists, and researchers.
Compassion
Compassion is a process that unfolds in response to suffering. It begins with the recognition of suffering, which gives rise to thoughts and feelings of empathy and concern. This, in turn, motivates action to relieve that suffering.
Cultivation
Humans have a natural capacity for compassion. However, everyday stress, social pressures and life experiences can make it difficult to fully express this capacity. Each of us can choose to nurture and grow the compassionate instinct, like a plant that is carefully cultivated from a seed. This process requires patience, steady care, helpful tools, and a supportive environment.
Training
The process of cultivating compassion involves training our own minds, developing specific skills in how we relate to others and ourselves, and intentionally choosing compassionate thoughts and actions.
In CCT, the training process includes:
- Daily meditation practices to develop loving kindness, empathy, and compassion.
- A two-hour weekly class that includes teaching, discussion, and in-class exercises.
- Practical applications to explore and develop compassionate thoughts and actions in real life.
Why cultivate compassion?
Cultivating compassion goes beyond feeling more empathy and concern for others. It develops the strength to be with suffering, the courage to take compassionate action, and the resilience to prevent compassion fatigue. These qualities support a wide range of goals, from improving personal relationships to making a positive difference in the world. Compassion cultivation can also support one’s own health, happiness, and well-being. Preliminary research suggests that CCT and similar programs can increase self-compassion and self-care, reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, and enhance connection with others.
Who can benefit?
CCT is designed to support anyone who wants to cultivate compassion for themselves and for others. This includes parents, caregivers, educators, healthcare professionals, therapists, executives, public servants, and people in a wide range of professions and life contexts.
Learn more
If you are interested in learning more about Compassion Cultivation Training, please contact Laura or consider joining a free information class before the next session of CCT begins. Learn more here.
To learn more about upcoming sessions of CCT and register as available, click here.
A Fearless Heart: How the Courage to Be Compassionate Can Transform Our Lives , Thupten Jinpa, Lead Author, Compassion Cultivation Training©
Compassion Cultivation Training© classes
“I think being human is about being in the right kind of relationships. I think being human is a process. It’s not something that we just are born with. We actually learn to celebrate our connection, learn to celebrate our love.
And the thing about it — if you suffer, it does not imply love. But if you love, it does imply suffering.
So part of the thing that I think what being human means — to love and to suffer; to suffer with, though, compassion, not to suffer against.
So, to have a space big enough to suffer with, and if we can hold that space big enough, we also will have joy and fun, even as we suffer. And suffering will no longer divide us. And to me, that’s sort of the human journey.”
Upcoming course
Spring 2026 online Compassion Cultivation Training©
Compassion Cultivation Training© (CCT™) is an 8-week personal and professional development course designed at Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) and now housed at the Compassion Institute. The program includes practical tools and exercises designed to enhance your awareness, compassion, social connection, and resilience.
Tuesdays, May 5 - June 23, 2026 · 12PM - 2PM ET
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First class
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
12:00 PM EDT - 2:00 PM EDT
Final class
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
12:00 PM EDT - 2:00 PM EDT
Weekly sessions stay at 12:00 PM EDT - 2:00 PM EDT in your time zone during this course.
Course schedule source: Tuesdays, May 5 - June 23, 2026, 12 PM - 2 PM ET.
Click below to learn more and/or register
How does CCT work online?
Online CCT classes take place in real time in a virtual classroom environment and include:
- Large and small group discussions to share learning experiences
- Guided meditation to improve awareness
- Listening and communication exercises to build compassionate interactions
- Access to online guided meditations to support a daily practice of developing loving kindness, empathy, and compassion.
- Practical applications to explore and develop compassionate thoughts and actions in real life
This class is live and interactive in a group learning environment. To participate, you will need a quiet location, a reliable internet connection, and a computer or tablet with a webcam and a microphone.
CCT classes can be arranged for groups of 8 or more depending on Laura’s availability. Please contact Laura for more information.