Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
in Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan
At LIV Mental Wellness, we offer Compassion-Focused Therapy for women in Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan to help you develop a kinder, more supportive relationship with yourself. Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) is designed to help you work with self-criticism, shame, and feelings of inadequacy by building the skills of self-compassion.
When You're Your Own Harshest Critic
You hold yourself to impossible standards. When you make a mistake, the voice in your head is relentless. You can be kind and understanding toward others, but when it comes to yourself, that same compassion disappears.
The self-criticism might feel like it’s keeping you accountable or pushing you to do better, but in reality, it’s exhausting. It keeps you stuck in patterns of perfectionism, low confidence, and chronic stress.
Compassion focused therapy helps you shift that internal voice from one of judgment to one of support. Instead of battling yourself, you learn to work with yourself in a way that’s grounded, steady, and sustainable.
At LIV Mental Wellness, our licensed therapists provide CFT for women. Our goal is to help you build self-compassion, challenge shame-based thinking, and create a more secure sense of self-worth that isn’t dependent on constant achievement or approval.
Compassion Focused Therapy | Online in Ontario, Manitoba, & Saskatchewan
Who Can Benefit From Compassion Focused Therapy?
Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) was developed to help people who struggle with shame, self-criticism, and harsh self-judgment. It’s built on the understanding that many of us have threat systems that are overactive and compassion systems that are underdeveloped. CFT works to strengthen your ability to be kind to yourself, especially when things feel hard.
CFT is especially helpful for women navigating:
- Insecure attachment patterns
- Difficulty receiving care or support from others
- Chronic anxiety
If these experiences resonate, know this:
Self-compassion isn’t about letting yourself off the hook or lowering your standards. It’s about treating yourself with the same care you’d offer someone you love, so you can actually grow and heal instead of staying stuck in cycles of shame.
CFT Therapy | Online in Ontario, Manitoba, & Saskatchewan
Patterns CFT Therapy Can Help Shift
- Feeling like you're never doing enough, no matter how much you accomplish
- Beating yourself up over small mistakes or perceived failures
- Struggling to accept kindness or reassurance from others
- Avoiding challenges because the fear of falling short feels unbearable
- Feeling unworthy of rest, care, or support unless you've "earned" it
- Being able to show compassion to others but not to yourself
CFT helps you notice these patterns without adding more judgment to them. Through building self-compassion, you create space for growth, connection, and a steadier sense of your own worth.
Compassion Focused Therapy | Online in Ontario, Manitoba, & Saskatchewan
How Compassion Focused Therapy Works
At LIV Mental Wellness, we view self-compassion as a necessary aspect of being mentally well. It’s not a luxury or an add-on. It’s foundational. That’s why we integrate compassion-focused work into our sessions often, even when we’re also using other therapeutic approaches.
CFT is built around the three pillars of self-compassion:
Self-Kindness
Treating yourself with warmth and understanding instead of harsh criticism, especially when you’re struggling.
Common Humanity
Recognizing that imperfection, mistakes, and difficult emotions are part of being human, not evidence that something is wrong with you.
Mindfulness
Noticing your thoughts and feelings without getting swept away by them or trying to push them down.
With Compassion Focused Therapy, you’ll practice these skills in ways that feel real and applicable to your daily life. Over time, self-compassion becomes less of a concept and more of a lived experience.
Founder, Registered Psychotherapist
Online Therapy In ON, MB, & SK
Why Work With
LIV Mental Wellness
At LIV, we specialize in supporting high-capacity women who look like they have it together on the outside but feel overwhelmed inside.
We understand how draining anxiety, perfectionism, and self-doubt can be – and how much pressure comes with constantly showing up for everyone else.
Our therapists are warm, compassionate, and trained in CFT, IFS, somatic therapy, and mindfulness-based approaches. This integrative model helps you create real, lasting change.
At LIV, therapy isn’t just about coping. It’s about building a foundation of self-compassion that supports everything else.
Meet Our Team
Meet the CFT therapists at LIV Mental Wellness. Virtual appointments available across Ontario, Manitoba, & Saskatchewan.
Julia Finetti
Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC), Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC)
Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) | Online in Ontario, Manitoba, & Saskatchewan
Frequently Asked Questions About Compassion Focused Therapy
What is Compassion Focused Therapy?
Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) is an evidence-based approach developed by psychologist Paul Gilbert to help people who struggle with shame, self-criticism, and harsh self-judgment. CFT is grounded in neuroscience and evolutionary psychology, focusing on how our threat systems can become overactive while our compassion systems remain underdeveloped. The therapy helps you build self-compassion through three core pillars: self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness. CFT is particularly effective for people who are highly self-critical or who find it difficult to be kind to themselves, even when they can easily offer compassion to others.
Is Compassion Focused Therapy available online?
Yes. At LIV Mental Wellness, all of our CFT therapy sessions are conducted online via secure, HIPAA-compliant video. Research shows that online therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy for treating self-criticism, shame, perfectionism, and anxiety. Virtual therapy allows you to access specialized care from the privacy of your own space, without the need to commute.
How is CFT different from CBT?
While Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on challenging and changing unhelpful thoughts, Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) takes a different approach. CFT doesn’t ask you to argue with your inner critic or prove it wrong. Instead, it helps you develop a compassionate relationship with yourself so that self-criticism loses its power. CFT recognizes that for many people, especially those with shame-based patterns or insecure attachment, challenging thoughts alone isn’t enough. Building self-compassion creates a foundation that allows other therapeutic approaches to work more effectively.
Can Compassion Focused Therapy help with perfectionism and self-criticism?
Absolutely. Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) was specifically designed to address chronic self-criticism and shame-based thinking. Perfectionism often stems from a belief that you’re only worthy when you’re achieving or performing at a certain level. CFT helps you recognize that your worth isn’t conditional on what you accomplish. Through building self-compassion, you learn to respond to mistakes and imperfections with kindness instead of harsh judgment. This doesn’t mean lowering your standards. It means developing a steadier, more supportive internal voice that allows you to grow without being paralyzed by fear of failure.
Therapy for women | Online in Ontario, Manitoba, & Saskatchewan
Shifts That Can Happen Through Compassion Focused Therapy
With CFT, clients often describe feeling:
- Less controlled by their inner critic
- More able to treat themselves with kindness when things are hard
- A deeper sense of worthiness that isn't tied to achievement
- Less shame about being imperfect or making mistakes
- More connected to themselves and others
- Capable of receiving care and support without guilt
CFT therapy can help you stop treating yourself like the enemy and start building a compassionate foundation for the life you actually want.
LIV Mental Wellness
How To Get Started
We know that reaching out for support can feel vulnerable, so our goal is to make the process feel welcoming and easy. Whether you’d like to book online or connect with us first, we’re here to support you in taking the next step.
We offer a free 20-minute consultation so you can ask questions and get a feel for whether we’re the right fit for your needs.
You can schedule your free consult or first session directly through our secure online booking platform. Choose a time that works for you, from the comfort of your own space.
LIV Mental Wellness is a fully virtual practice offering secure therapy across Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. No commute, no waiting room; just compassionate, expert care from wherever you are.
647-776-8020
admin@livmentalwellness.com
We’re proud to support clients across Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Regina, and throughout Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan with accessible, trauma-informed care.