Financial Support

Our mission is to make all of our programs accessible. Every fee-based offering has a limited number of pay-what-you-can spots available to support self-identified people of color, members of marginalized groups (queer people, transgender people, and  people with disabilities) and those in financial need (those for whom the cost to attend is not financially possible). 

These spots are offered on a first come, first served basis. Please pay at the highest level you can afford. In order for this support to be available, we rely on those who can afford to pay the full price to do so.

Find out if spots are available by clicking REGISTER NOW on the event you are interested in.

Safety 

We work to protect the safety of all students. We reserve the right to remove any student from any class, sitting group, retreat, or any event if the student is disruptive to the safe learning environment we maintain for all.

Cancellation & Refunds

We reserve the right to cancel a class or special event due to low enrollment or other circumstances which would make the event non-viable. If InsightLA cancels an event you’ve registered for, you will be offered a full refund. If an event has to be postponed for any reason, you will have the option to either receive a full refund or transfer your registration to the same event at the new, future date. If you cancel, we apply a 5% credit processing fee and the refunded amounts are listed below:

MBSR, MSC, & MBHC, Mindfulness for Beginners & Special Events

7 days – 95% Refund
<7 days – No Refunds – Credit given if requested or donation to InsightLA

Fee-Based Non-Residential Retreats (note: Donations are non-refundable)

>7 days – 95% Refund
<7 days – No Refunds – Credit given if requested or donation to InsightLA

Residential Retreats

> 8 weeks – amount paid less $100
4-8 weeks – amount paid less $175
2-4 weeks – amount paid less $300
< 2 weeks – No refund

Residential Retreats with Financial Support:

> 8 weeks – amount paid less $75
4-8 weeks – amount paid less $100
2-4 weeks – amount paid less $200
< 2 weeks – No refund

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction & Mindful Self-Compassion (Series)

Self-Compassion for Shame with Natalie Bell and JD Lloyd

Register Now Save for Later Please log in or create an account to be able to use this functionality.

Natalie Bell Visiting Teacher

JD Lloyd, MFA Teacher

Refund and Event Policies

“Shame strikes at the core of our being, but has nothing to do with who we really are.” – Chris Germer

Welcome to this groundbreaking new program developed by Dr. Chris Germer, Natalie Bell and the SC-Shame development team. In this course, we’ll take a unique, non-pathological look at shame through the eyes of mindful self-compassion and discover how self-compassion is the antidote to shame.

  • What would happen if you were able to care for yourself when you felt shame, rather than being immobilized by fear, attacking yourself, or zoning out?
  • How would your life be different if you could meet shame with compassion and stay connected, think in a balanced way, and make wise, healthy choices?

Prior participants of the SC-Shame 8-wk course reported:

  • 96% would recommend the course
  • 96% said their experience of shame changed as a result of the course
  • 89% would consider taking the course again
  • 85% had better mental and emotional wellbeing after the course

Throughout this course you will learn practices to manage shame with greater capacity for acceptance and authenticity. We will learn about the theory and research on shame and have an opportunity to explore the personal and cultural causes of shame in your own life within the context of self-compassion.

Who Should Attend

Prerequisite for registration: completion of 8 or 10-wk Mindful Self-Compassion Course or the 5-Day Intensive MSC Course.

This course is suitable for everyone who has completed the MSC prerequisite and who suspects, or recognizes, that shame may be limiting their full potential and who would like to learn new resources for shame in order to free up new ways of living.

This includes any human being who would like to take next steps, with the support of self-compassion, to discover personal and unique ways to work with shame, and ultimately, to loosen the grip of shame. 

All are welcome: the general public, mental health and healthcare professionals, meditation, mindfulness or  yoga instructors and practitioners, wellness coaches, and educators at all levels.

SC-Shame is a resource-building program, just like the MSC program itself, rather than psychotherapy. However, since we will be touching shame with self-compassion, challenging emotions may arise. The teaching team is committed to co-creating, along with the course participants, a safe and rewarding learning experience.

The skills and resources in this course can be applied on both a personal and professional level. As is true with MSC, we encourage all who take this course to take it first for yourself and know that this will provide you with the foundation needed to share it with others.

Schedule (8-week class series):

This course meets every Thursday from March 5 – April 30, 2026 (Skip April 2), 6PM – 8:30 PM PT (2.5 hours) and an optional 1 hour per week with a practice group.
Includes optional weekly Practice Group, each Sunday 5:00pm -6:00 pm PT (skip Sunday Apr 5)
Includes 15 Downloadable Practice Recordings available to students

Special topics include how to use self-compassion to work with:

  • Mindfulness of Shame
  • Origins of Shame
  • Self-criticism
  • Body shame
  • Self-forgiveness
  • Hidden Parts
  • Social justice

Learning Objectives:

Participants will be able to:

  1. Explain the theory and research on shame and self-compassion
  2. Describe how self-compassion is an antidote to shame with the 3 paradoxes of shame
  3. Identify personal childhood and cultural disconnections that lead to shame
  4. Use self-compassion practices to alleviate body shame
  5. Direct self-compassion to relieve shame of hidden parts of ourselves
  6. Utilize self-compassion practices to reduce habitual self-criticism
  7. Apply new self-compassion practices to relieve the burden of shame in daily life

Course Structure:
8-week course with 28 hours of training—20 hours of class time with 8 hours of optional practice group
Classes occur weekly for 2 ½ hours each, with talks, exercises, meditation and group discussion
Small practice group (optional) – 1 hour weekly, facilitated by SC-Shame Teachers
Class size: 25-30 participants

Weekly Classes (Optional)
Self-compassion is best learned in community, especially when addressing shame. Practice groups are a key component of the 8-week course to help participants deepen what they learn and integrate it into their daily life.

Partial Scholarships
A limited number of partial scholarships are available. You can select “Financial Support” on the registration form. Please note that scholarships are based on personal financial need, separate from being financially over-extended or over-committed.

______________

Continuing Education for Participants in the US

Psychologists: Continuing Education Credit for this program is provided by UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness. The UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This course offers 20.0 CE credit.

California licensed MFTs, LPCCs, LEPs, LCSWs: Continuing Education Credit for this program is provided by UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness. The UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. 20.0 CE credit may be applied to your license renewal through the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. For those licensed outside California, please check with your local licensing board to determine if CE credit is accepted.

Nurses: UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP16351, for 24 CE credit.

Fees for CE credit: $75 *Must attend all classes live to receive credits.

If you would like to receive CEs for enrolling in this Shame course, please select the Class fee with CEs in the registration page.

 

Natalie Bell Visiting Teacher

PT, Certified MSC Teacher Natalie Bell is a Certified Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) Teacher, longtime mindfulness practitioner, and faculty advisor with the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion. She co-developed CMSC’s programs Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities, Fierce Self-Compassion, and Self-Compassion for Shame, and continues to teach and collaborate on select projects with co-founders Drs. Kristin Neff and Chris... Read more

JD Lloyd, MFA Teacher

JD Lloyd is a long-time member of the InsightLA Meditation Community, where he completed four years of dedicated Dharma study programs and received training to facilitate mindfulness classes. He completed additional training to conduct courses in Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC), and he has also received specialized education in chaplaincy support, contemplative caregiving, and trauma-sensitive mindfulness. JD... Read more

Pricing Options
Class fee $695
Class fee with CEs $770

Register Now

Need Financial Support?

Financial Support

Our mission is to make all of our programs accessible. Every fee-based offering has a limited number of pay-what-you-can spots available to support members of marginalized groups (people of color, queer people, people with disabilities) and those in financial need (those for whom the cost to attend is not financially possible).

These spots are offered on a first come, first served basis. Please pay at the highest level you can afford. In order for this support to be available, we rely on those who can afford to pay the full price to do so.

Register Now

 

Questions or comments about this class? We love hearing from you.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sign up for our newsletter to hear about new events and we’ll send you a FREE GIFT “Guided Meditations to Steady the Heart” by Trudy Goodman and Jack Kornfield

Sign-Up for Our Newsletter

Subscribe