Glossary of methods & abbreviations

A meditation practice generating warm, caring feelings first toward yourself, then loved ones, neutral people, difficult people, and all beings. Lutz et al. (2008): increases insula and anterior cingulate activity (empathy, emotional regulation); reduces amygdala threat-reactivity. Fredrickson et al. (2008): a 7-week course increased all 10 positive emotions measured, simultaneously.

A self-study spiritual curriculum channeled by Helen Schucman and William Thetford (1976). Core premise: every negative emotion is rooted in fear; every positive state expresses love. Widely used in integrative psychotherapy. No large RCT; extensive clinical and experiential report.

A four-question self-inquiry process (2002): Is it true? Can you absolutely know it's true? How do you react when you believe it? Who would you be without it? Followed by the Turnaround. Widely used clinically for dissolving cognitive stories that sustain anger, guilt, grief, envy. No large RCT.

Developed by Marsha Linehan (1993). Core skills: Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, Interpersonal Effectiveness. Key technique: Opposite Action — identify the emotion's action urge and deliberately do the opposite. One of the highest-evidence emotion-regulation frameworks available.

Developed by Steven Hayes (1999). Acceptance (stop fighting internal states) + Defusion (see thoughts as events, not truths) + values-based action. 500+ RCTs across nearly every diagnostic category.

Developed by Richard Schwartz (1995). The mind contains multiple parts — Managers, Firefighters, Exiles — and a core Self (clarity, compassion, curiosity, calm) that can lead the system once parts step back. Growing RCT base.

Developed by Paul Gilbert (2006). Activates the affiliative/soothing regulation system to counteract the threat-focused system. Particularly effective for shame and self-criticism. Multiple RCTs.

Developed by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer (2013). Self-Kindness, Common Humanity, Mindfulness. Meta-analysis across 79 samples shows strong negative correlation with depression, anxiety, and shame.

Developed by Everett Worthington Jr. (1998). Recall, Empathise, Altruistic gift, Commit, Hold on. 30+ RCTs; medium-to-large effect sizes on anger reduction.

Developed by Francine Shapiro (1989). Bilateral stimulation while holding a traumatic memory. WHO-recommended for PTSD; large effect sizes in meta-analyses. Bilateral trauma processing belongs alongside a trained clinician — see our practices page for the gated access policy.

Developed by Peter Levine (1997). Guides completion of interrupted survival responses through titration, pendulation, and discharge. Initial RCTs positive for PTSD.

Developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn (1990). An 8-week program: body scan, sitting and walking meditation, yoga, daily informal mindfulness. Khoury et al. (2013) meta-analysis: large effect sizes for depression, anxiety, and stress.

Developed by Sarah Bowen et al. (2014). Integrates MBSR with CBT relapse prevention for addiction. Key technique: Urge Surfing — observing a craving as a wave that rises and falls.

The central practice of Michael Brown's Presence Process (2010). Continuous breathing with no pause between inhale and exhale, ~15 minutes twice daily. Largely experiential/anecdotal; approach gently.

Tapping on specific acupressure points while voicing acceptance statements. Church et al. (2013): can significantly reduce cortisol in a single session. Evidence base growing.

The gold-standard behavioural treatment for fear and OCD (Foa et al.). Uses the SUDS 0–100 scale across in-vivo, imaginal, interoceptive, proprioceptive, and auditory exposure types.

Developed by Marshall Rosenberg (2003). Observation, Feeling, Need, Request — behind every complaint is an unmet need. Adapted here for internal self-talk as well as interpersonal use.

A standalone depression treatment: depression is maintained by avoidance of rewarding activity; treatment means deliberately re-engaging with it. Wang & Feng (2022): as effective as full CBT for depression, more effective for moderate–severe cases.

A Heart-centred self-inquiry framework (Irynka Kis). Core metaphor: the family soup — the emotional conditioning absorbed in childhood. Asks what's been oversalted, and what needs more. Primary tools: Acceptance Statements, Un-shoulding, the archetypal patterns.

Aware rest with deep autonomic restoration, distinct from sleep. Reported to restore dopamine and activate the parasympathetic system faster and more completely than unstructured rest. 10–20 minutes.

A body-centred healing tradition (Taras Plachynda). Audio-guided meditations addressing specific emotional holding patterns through somatic awareness. Anecdotal clinical evidence; audio-guided in Ukrainian/Russian.