Fostering Self-Compassion: How IRRT Can Help

Self-compassion is increasingly recognised as a core ingredient of effective trauma therapy for PTSD, CPTSD, and anxiety.
There is growing awareness in psychology that the ability to feel our emotions, validate them, and soothe ourselves is a key element of modern therapy.

At the same time, this is often one of the hardest skills for clients to develop.

For many people, self-criticism feels far more familiar than self-kindness. Thoughts like “I’m not good enough,” “I should be stronger,” “I’m too sensitive,” or “I just need to try harder” can become automatic responses to distress.

What Is Self-Compassion?

Self-compassion has been widely researched and popularised by Kristin Neff. She describes three core components of self-compassion:

• Self-kindness: responding to yourself with care and understanding rather than harsh self-criticism

• Common humanity: recognising that suffering is a shared human experience, not a personal failure

• Mindfulness: being able to notice emotions without becoming overwhelmed or avoiding them

How Is Self-Compassion Learned in Therapy?

In therapy, self-compassion is rarely achieved through insight alone.

A therapist might invite you to reflect on how you would respond if a close friend were experiencing the same pain you are. Others may introduce mindfulness or compassion-focused meditations. While these approaches can be helpful, many clients find it difficult to feel compassion for themselves on a purely cognitive level.

This is where Imagery Rescripting and Reprocessing Therapy (IRRT) can be particularly helpful.

How IRRT Fosters Self-Compassion

I work with clients in Coffs Harbour and via telehealth across Australia, and I often see how challenging it is for people with PTSD, trauma, or anxiety to respond compassionately to their own experience.

IRRT is a trauma-focused therapy that uses imagery to help process distressing emotional experiences in a safe and contained way. Rather than relying primarily on logical discussion, IRRT works through imagery, allowing emotional understanding and self-soothing to emerge intuitively.

IRRT often incorporates inner child work, offering a deep emotional experience that supports trauma processing and the development of self-soothing skills. It can be helpful for people experiencing PTSD, CPTSD, anxiety, depression, grief, and other trauma-related difficulties.

One of IRRT’s strengths is creating an encounter with yourself.

In imagery, clients are able to observe their own experience from a slight distance. Paradoxically, this distance often creates greater emotional closeness, empathy, and compassion.

Instead of being overwhelmed or “drowning” in emotions, clients can:

• Acknowledge their emotional experience without being consumed by it

• Access empathy toward themselves that previously felt unavailable

• Engage in an inner, self-soothing dialogue that feels calming, warm, and regulating

This emotional encounter often unlocks compassion naturally, without forcing it. At other times, defence mechanisms or internal barriers may appear in the imagery. This is not a failure, but a valuable therapeutic opportunity to work through clinically meaningful material at a pace that feels safe.

IRRT, Emotional Regulation, and Trauma Recovery

Using IRRT in psychotherapy allows clients to explore intense emotional material with their eyes closed, supported by the therapist, rather than talking about emotions from a distance.

This process can:

• Support emotional regulation and self-soothing

• Reduce trauma-related distress and anxiety symptoms

• Strengthen a compassionate relationship with oneself

• Deepen emotional connection in a safe and contained way

For many clients, IRRT provides their first experience of responding to themselves with care rather than criticism.

Trauma Therapy in Coffs Harbour and Online

If you’re struggling with self-criticism, emotional overwhelm, or being kind to yourself, IRRT may be a valuable part of your journey.

If this sounds like something you’d find helpful, feel free to get in touch.

I offer telehealth psychology appointments Australia-wide and in-person sessions in Coffs Harbour.

Samantha Duroska is a Clinical Psychologist, trauma therapist, and certified Imagery Rescripting and Reprocessing Therapy (IRRT) therapist.