The two latest books I am reading have a similar focus. The Empathic Civilization, by Jeremy Rifkin, focuses on the historical development of empathy in our world and how it is desperately needed at this time on our planet. The Compassionate Mind, by Paul Gilbert, looks at psychotherapy from the perspective of compassion. They are really both talking about almost the same thing, just calling it by different terms. I highly recommend them both.

Of course, compassion is a key attribute of the Self in IFS, and therefore a central component of the way I do therapy and the way I think about psychological healing. Maybe this is just where my interests are going, but I hope these books are a sign that our culture is waking up to the importance of compassion.