Table 1.

Treatment outline of compassion focused therapy for pain management group.

Week	Session content (Each weekly session = 3 hours)
1	Information session: Evolution of our tricky brains – why we need self-compassion, biopsychosocial understanding of pain, 3 systems approach and the evolution of compassion as a new approach to pain management
2	Stress and pain: Understanding how autonomic arousal exacerbates pain, behavioural stress reduction with breathing and relaxation, calming body and mind
3	Striving and pain: Understanding how dopamine drive triggers flare-ups of pain, using mindfulness to observe our reactions to events, notice those unhelpful urges
4	Compassionate imagery: Understanding how soothing can balance stress and striving, creating a safe place, compassionate companion and compassionate self
5	Multiple selves ‘threat’ - understanding our anxious and angry selves, recognising how those side of our tricky bodies and minds link to past coping
6	Multiple selves ‘drive’ - understanding our critical self and building our compassionate self, again link to past coping, when did I learn to criticise myself?
7	Working with our inner critic: Applying compassionate selves to pain-related suffering: Hanging out in the green zone to reduce risk of flare-ups and burnout
8	Maintaining change: The longer term benefits of adopting self-compassion and the pain journey, flare-up management and maintaining progress
**	Quarterly booster drop-in sessions: A follow-up opportunity to consolidate CFT-PM skills, problem solve and further practice (every 3 months)

^aQuarterly booster drop-in sessions (offered in March, June, September and December).