Non-denominational education and care for living and dying inspired by the wisdom and compassion of the Tibetan Buddhist teachings

The Programme was created in 1993 as an international training programme in response to requests from health care professionals for practical ways to bring the compassion and methods of the Buddhist teachings described by Sogyal Rinpoche in the best-selling The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying into their work and lives.

The Programme’s non-denominational approach emphasizes universal spiritual principles that resonate with people from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds. Over the past 19 years, we have offered courses to more than 30,000 health care professionals and volunteers worldwide, and supported many people and their families. We have also recently begun to realise a dream of creating dedicated centres of spiritual care for those facing difficulties, illness, loss or dying.

Professional Education

We offer an integrated approach to the emotional and spiritual dimension of caring for others and how to care for ourselves as caregivers. Our courses provide:

• guidance on how to integrate and sustain mindfulness, meditation, and empathy appropriately in any setting; and
• practical methods that complement conventional medical models, such as listening and communications skills training.

Participants report experiencing greater confidence and joy in their work, improved ability to deal with difficult situations, and enhanced self-care to prevent and heal stress. A number of studies have confirmed the benefits of our courses and this kind of training.

In June 2010, we launched Compassion and Presence, a new international professional training curriculum, for those working in all areas of health care, social work, and psychology. These courses introduce mindfulness, meditation, and training in compassionate presence, and communication. This curriculum can also be adapted for specialised “in-service” training for hospitals, hospices, universities and other health care organisations.

For many years, we have offered a certificate programme through Naropa University in the USA on Contemplative End-of-Life Care. This online and short residential programme attracts a wonderful group of professionals from around the world.  In May 2012, we launched our first fully on-line course for professional carers and volunteers called Cultivating Compassionate Presence, Integrating Meditation in Care.

Public Courses

The Programme has developed a number of seminars and groups to support people facing difficulties, particularly in the areas of healing relationships, illness, facing dying, and bereavement and loss. Making these courses as widely available as possible will be a focus for the coming years.

Care Centres

To support people in need we established a Care Centre in Ireland and we are currently developing one in Germany.

International Conferences

We are pleased to have been a partner in hosting an international conference, Empathy and Compassion in Society, which brought together nearly 800 professionals, scientists, and leaders in the public sector from the fields of health and social care, education and social action to hear international experts and participate in a unique day of practical workshops in November 2012 in London.

You can watch the main presentations at http://compassioninsociety.org/videos

You can also find out more about previous conferences we have organised, or been involved in, by visiting the following websites, where you can also order the Conference talks. See:

• 2010 Meditation and Health, Third International Forum on Buddhism and Medicine, France.
• 2009 Compassion and Presence Conference in Ireland, which was attended by over 500 professionals and key international speakers in health and social care, spiritual or contemplative care.