chris@balancedminds.com

Dr Chris Irons is a clinical psychologist, researcher, writer and trainer specialising in Compassion Focused Therapy. He is co-director of Balanced Minds (www.balancedminds.com), a London based organisation providing compassion-focused psychological interventions for individuals and organisations. He is also co-director of BalO (www.balo.uk), a company focusing on bringing greater compassion and balance to all levels of organisations. Chris works with Compassionate Mind Foundation, and as a Visiting Lecturer at University College London (UCL).

For over 20 years, Chris has worked with Professor Paul Gilbert and other colleagues on research and clinical developments linked to CFT. He was involved in some of the initial research papers and book chapters on CFT (Gilbert & Irons, 2004, 2005), and has published many articles and book chapters on compassion, attachment, shame and self-criticism. He has authored five books, including ‘The Compassionate Mind Workbook’ (with Dr Elaine Beaumont) and ‘CFT from the Inside Out’ (with Russell Kolts, James Bennett-Levy and Tobyn Bell), and ‘The Compassionate Mind Approach for Difficult Emotions’. Alongside Elaine Beaumont, he recently released the first CFT based app called ‘The Self Compassion App’.

Chris regularly provides CFT teaching, training, workshops and retreats across the world. Chris is an experienced clinician, having worked in the NHS and in independent practice for many years. He has recently been leading on the development of compassion based approaches for the general public, and in integrating these approaches in organisations