What if you don't have to work so hard to feel better?
(and what if you don't have to fix yourself, either?)
If you're like many of my students, you've tried lots of things to feel more grounded and calm ~ therapy, podcasts, books, journaling, meditation ~ and yet you're still really hard on yourself, especially when you feel overwhelmed.
When life feels overwhelming, the inner critic often gets louder. Not because we’re actually doing something wrong, but because it’s trying to find a sense of control and protect us from getting hurt, failing, or being judged by others.
When that critical voice takes over, many of us respond by trying harder. We push ourselves to do better, get it right, "grow up" ~ believing that we have to earn a sense of relief.
But you've probably noticed that pushing harder often leaves you feeling even more stuck and worn down. And you may have also sensed that underneath all the self-judgment, there’s another part of you that’s scared, tired, and discouraged ~ an inner child who tries so hard and just wants to feel safe and accepted.
This is why, even with all the tools and insight you’ve gathered, there are times when talking, thinking, and trying to “do it right” just don't bring the relief you’re hoping for.
What actually helps at times like this isn’t more effort, but a softer way of being with ourselves.
Creativity can be a gentle and powerful ally when we’re learning to meet ourselves with care. Simple art journaling practices give us a way to slow down and offer ourselves comfort and kindness, without needing to analyze, explain, or fix anything.
I discovered this for myself during a season of my life when stress felt constant, and all the tools I had couldn't comfort the parts of me that were struggling most.
That’s when I found art journaling, and it opened up a new way of relating to myself ~ one that felt more effective, colorful, and supportive than anything I’d tried before.
As I practiced with this new approach, I shared it with my students and clients, and I watched the same softening and steadiness emerge for them, too. Again and again, creativity became a doorway back to compassion.
Over time, I began translating the self-compassion skills and lessons I’ve taught for years into creative art journaling practices. These practices eventually became Everyday Self-Compassion ~ a creative self-compassion program centered on art journaling.
JoAnne T.
"I've been meditating for years, and I've been studying self compassion for years. But taking Lea's course and doing these simple heart-centered drawings of my inner experience helped me actually experience self compassion on a visceral level. It was like going from reading about swimming to actually diving into the water."
Welcome to Everyday Self-Compassion
an 8-week live online group program where you’ll learn accessible and creative ways to find calm and kindness when you feel overloaded, self-critical, or unsure what comes next.
16 units of continuing education credit are available, too!
How Everyday Self-Compassion
is different
Art Journaling
Rather than a focus on explaining or analyzing what you’re feeling, art journaling invites you to slow down and explore your inner experience through accessible drawings and gentle reflection. It’s a creative way to practice and embody self-compassion, not just think about it.
You don’t need any art experience to participate ~ this isn’t about making something “good,” it’s about meeting yourself with kindness and curiosity. And many students are surprised by how calming and meaningful these easy creative practices can feel.
Uncertainty
When life feels unpredictable or unsettled, it’s easy to feel on edge and unsure about how to cope. In this program, you’ll learn simple, grounding practices that help you feel more centered and supported, even when you don’t have all the answers. It’s about building and strengthening an inner steadiness, not trying to make uncertainty disappear.
Instead of pushing yourself to “figure it out”, you’ll find ways to meet uncertainty with more calm and creativity. Over time, this can help you feel more confident navigating whatever life brings, one moment at a time.
Community
Practicing self-compassion in a group helps make common humanity real. Instead of feeling alone with your struggles, you’ll be alongside other thoughtful, imperfect humans who are learning to meet themselves with more kindness, just as they are.
The community is warm, respectful, and supportive ~ there’s no pressure to share more than you want or have things figured out. Many students find that being witnessed, and witnessing others, brings a deep sense of relief, connection, and belonging that’s hard to find on your own.
students say...
"the missing ingredient"
"I've been in somatic therapy and a Zen student for the last decade, and it wasn't until self-compassion practice with Lea that I found the missing ingredient of my healing journey. I realized I was searching for more 'contact' and warm connection with myself. Even in therapy, I could somehow avoid being warmly accepting of myself. Creative self-compassion has been a tremendous gift. Thank you, Lea!" ~ Cat S.
"it got me to slow down"
"I knew I needed to learn how to be kind to myself. I had read about self-compassion and tried to do meditations, but something wasn't sinking in. Art journaling got me to slow down and absorb what self-compassion means ~ especially common humanity. The practices we did in class helped me. Thank you for everything. This changed my life. I highly recommend this course to anyone!" ~ Patricia C.
"truly life-changing"
"I learned to let go of my perfectionism and the need to 'stay strong' and to instead give myself a break ~ treating myself as I would treat a friend. This was truly life changing. Lea’s expert teaching was supported by her gentle, firm guidance and ongoing encouragement to 'be curious.' Since taking the course, my relationship with myself and with others is more authentic, connected and human. I’m extremely grateful." ~ Kelly R.
"pure solace"
"The poetry practices and the helpful drawings (speaking as someone who failed art in grade 1) stand out as pure solace as I learned what self-compassion is and how to bring it into my own life. The most striking aspect of this course is how Lea embodies everything she teaches. I learned what self-compassion feels like simply by being in her presence. I can state that everyone in this course is unequivocally accepted as they are." ~ Trudy B.
"I recommend it to everyone!"
"Everyday Self Compassion was one of those rare experiences when I both learned a lot and had fun. Every single thing that Lea presented was simple, clear, wise, warm, and backed by science. Plus, learning through art journaling helped me integrate each insight deeply. Lea really is a true healer, and this class is her unique, cutting-edge vehicle. I recommend it to everyone!" ~ Jared M.
"a safe and nurturing space"
"This was a safe and nurturing space for me to release the stressors of my day and shed the personal armor that I put on to go out into the world, and to experiment with being incredibly tender with myself. These self-compassion techniques have completely changed the way I see my early painful experiences and helped me heal old wounds that I didn't realize were still impacting me." ~ Katie V.
what if you could be kind to yourself
even on hard days?
Imagine having simple, creative ways to care for yourself when you're feeling stretched thin, unsure or self-critical ~ instead of pushing yourself to “do better” or figure it all out.
From that place, it would feel natural to respond to yourself with less judgment.
You’d feel more:
❤️ grounded, steady, calm and understanding
🔗 connected with yourself and others
You’d have more:
🌟 energy to care for yourself and the people you love, without running yourself into the ground
💡 clarity about what really matters to you, and how to take steady, meaningful steps in that direction
🌱 space to grow, create and rest
🌻 capacity to accept what you can't change
👉 it would be easier to see and live the truth: that you're human, you're whole, and you belong 👈
everyday self-compassion
will teach you how to...
🌿 respond to stress and uncertainty with self-compassion practices you can use in difficult moments
🌿 use accessible, creative tools to stay flexible and feel more grounded when things don’t go as planned
🌿 find a gentler way to motivate yourself
🌿 develop healthier and more realistic expectations of yourself
🌿 meet challenges with deeper self-trust
… so you can feel more calm, creative, connected and confident in daily life.
The Heart-First Way
In Everyday Self-Compassion, we practice returning to a straightforward, centering way of relating to ourselves.
I call this approach The Heart-First Way, and it’s the foundation of how I teach and practice creative self-compassion in this program.
It has three steps:
Question ~ get curious about yourself and your experience
Connect ~ reconnect with yourself, with others, and with life
Create ~ experiment with what helps
These three elements work together to help you move from self-judgment and overwhelm toward understanding, compassion and meaningful action.
what to expect
in the program
Each week, we’ll explore a different dimension of self-compassion, guided by The Heart-First Way. Our live classes are a mix of reflective and creative ~ serious and playful ~ with space to slow down and simply be human together.
In the first half of each class, we’ll do a short guided meditation and explore the week’s theme through a short talk. The second half of class is a guided art journaling practice. There’s time for reflection and optional sharing, but no pressure to speak if you’d rather just listen.
Before each class, you’ll watch a brief video to help you arrive feeling oriented and supported. You’ll also have home practices each week ~ all designed to help you bring self-compassion into your daily life, rather than give you more stuff to do.
The program is designed to give you a felt experience of creative self-compassion as something that can be nurturing, steadying, and even joyful ~ with practical tools you can return to when you need them.
This class is appropriate for healthcare professionals as well as the general public. Healthcare professionals will be able to incorporate the tools and practices offered in this program in ways beneficial to clients or patients.
Over eight weeks, we’ll build self-compassion skills, deepen awareness, and come back, over and over, to what helps you feel more at ease and steady in everyday life.
Here’s an overview of how the weeks unfold:
PRE-PROGRAM
Before our first class, you'll do some guided, reflective art journaling to clarify your intentions and learn about the basics of self-compassion.
WEEK 1: DISCOVERING SELF-COMPASSION
In our first class, we get to know each other to create safety in the group, and we explore the foundations of self-compassion.
WEEK 2: NAVIGATING UNCERTAINTY
Next, we focus on normalizing uncertainty as a part of life, and we find ways of meeting uncertain times with more steadiness and confidence.
WEEK 3: FEELINGS & NEEDS
Most of us learned to ignore our feelings and needs. This week, we'll learn how feelings and needs show us how to be self-compassionate.
WEEK 4: BOUNDARIES & CONNECTION
This week we'll learn about how healthy boundaries help us honor the universal needs for connection and autonomy ~ in ourselves and others.
HALF-DAY RETREAT
The retreat is time to immerse yourself in familiar meditations and new self-compassion practices with mindfulness, creativity, and movement.
WEEK 5: IDENTITY & SELF-ESTEEM
If we look to outer achievements for our identity or self-esteem, we can get lost. This week we'll explore sources of unconditional self-esteem.
WEEK 6: PARTS & WHOLENESS
This week, we'll explore the perspective of having various parts, and how we can learn to listen to them and care for them so that we feel more whole.
WEEK 7: SELF-JUDGMENT & SELF-KINDNESS
We'll explore the inner workings of the critic even more deeply, and we'll learn a step-by-step process for accessing the voice of self-kindness.
WEEK 8: YOUR COMPASSIONATE SELF
We'll explore the qualities of the compassionate self and look back on the journey, identifying the practices that we want to keep bringing into our daily lives.
when and where we'll meet in 2026
Spring 2026
Thursday Evenings:
Feb. 19 - April 9, 2026
6pm - 8pm PT
Friday Mornings:
Feb. 20 - April 10, 2026
10am -12pm PT
Sunday retreat for both:
March 15 ~ 9am-12pm PT
Fall 2026
Thursday Evenings:
Oct. 22 - Dec. 17, 2026
6pm - 8pm PT
Friday Mornings:
Oct. 23 - Dec. 18, 2026
10am -12pm PT
Saturday retreat for both:
Nov. 15 ~ 9am-12pm PT
Summer 2026
Thursday Evenings:
July 9 - Aug. 27, 2026
6pm - 8pm PT
Friday Mornings:
July 10 - Aug. 28, 2026
10am -12pm PT
Saturday retreat for both:
Aug. 1 ~ 9am-12pm PT
program logistics
Location: on Zoom
Supplies: You will need a watercolor set, waterproof black pen and mixed media or watercolor spiral-bound pad. I will share a suggested materials list when you register.
Fee: $697 (register early from the waitlist for a discount). Payment plans and a limited number of scholarships are also available.
CE units: 16 units of continuing education credit available for purchase
Note: You must attend the live classes to earn CE credit. You can miss the retreat or one class and still earn CE. See below for more information.
"There was a point in my life when I became more aware of my own self-talk, which at times wasn’t very kind. I could be very empathic toward others, and I realized that I wanted and needed to be my own best friend.
As the saying goes, ‘When the student is ready, the teacher appears.’ The art journaling practices Lea taught became the road to my compassionate self. The tools, resources, and research she shared opened doorways to the Self that feel deeply transformative.
If you're ready to practice self-compassion, you're in the right place."
hello
I'm Lea Seigen Shinraku
I’ve been a licensed therapist and have been leading self-compassion groups, workshops, and trainings for over 14 years. I’m also a Zen practitioner with more than 20 years of practice.
Most of us never learned how to be kind to ourselves, and it can be hard to figure out on our own. The habit of self-judgment runs deep. I know what it’s like to struggle with an intense inner critic and to navigate ongoing uncertainty.
Through my own experience and my work with students and clients, I’ve seen how powerful the combination of creativity and self-compassion can be, and how it can be practiced in daily life. I’ve also discovered that uncertainty can be a gateway to feeling more at home with ourselves and with others.
Creative self-compassion feels quietly revolutionary, and nothing means more than helping people truly accept themselves and have more fun doing it. That’s why I created Everyday Self-Compassion.
now is the time
for more kindness and creativity
Life is a lot right now. There’s uncertainty, constant change, and big things happening in the world that can leave us feeling on edge and worn down ~ even when we’re just trying to handle everyday responsibilities.
And many of us are pretty tough on ourselves, pushing to handle things better and not be so affected, which can make stress feel even heavier.
Relief doesn’t come from trying harder or fixing what’s “wrong” with you. It can look like having creative, doable ways to slow down, check in, and care for yourself right in the middle of real life.
If you’re longing for more steadiness and a kinder way to meet whatever life is bringing, I would love to share Everyday Self-Compassion with you. This work is about learning how to show up for yourself with more warmth, creativity and ease ~ even when things aren’t perfect.
Because caring for yourself doesn’t have to feel like another thing on your to-do list. It can be something that helps you breathe again, feel more grounded, and remember that you’re human, and you belong.
FAQs
Is this program right for me?
What if I'm not an artist and I can't draw?
What if I am an experienced artist?
Is this a kind of group therapy? Groups can be scary. 😬
Will live classes be recorded?
Do I need to know how to meditate?
How is Everyday Self-Compassion different from Mindful Self-Compassion?
What's a typical live class like?
Is there homework?
I'm so tired of being on Zoom ~ is there any way to make it easier?
How much time will I need each week for this program?
Do I need special supplies?
Information on continuing education credit for healthcare professionals:
- CE credits for psychologists are provided by the Spiritual Competency Academy (SCA) which is co-sponsoring this program. The Spiritual Competency Academy is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Spiritual
Competency Academy maintains responsibility for this program and its content. - The California Board of Behavioral Sciences accepts CE credits for LCSW, LPCC, LEP, and LMFT license renewal for programs offered by approved sponsors of CE by the American Psychological Association.
- LCSW, LPCC, LEP, and LMFTs, and other mental health professionals from states other than California need to check with their state licensing board as to whether or not they accept programs offered by approved sponsors of CE by the American Psychological Association.
- SCA is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN Provider CEP16887) for licensed nurses in California. RNs must retain their certificate of attendance for 4 years after the course concludes.
- For questions about receiving your Certificate of Attendance, contact Lea at [email protected]
- For questions about CE, contact Spiritual Competency Academy at [email protected].
at the end of the program
participants will be better able to:
- Describe the three components of self-compassion.
- Describe three benefits to practicing self-compassion.
- Utilize self-compassion meditation for oneself in the context of personal and professional relationships.
- Apply basic self-compassion and creativity skills as a response to the everyday needs and demands of one’s personal and professional life.
- Explain the proven health benefits of a regular journaling practice.
- Describe how to transform difficult emotions using mindfulness and self-compassion practices.
- Utilize self-compassion practices to meet unmet relational needs in one’s personal and professional life.
- Apply basic mindfulness skills to stay present to self and others.
- Demonstrate simple self-compassion practices to patients, students, or clients.
- Apply self-compassion practices to respond to feelings of failure or inadequacy with self-kindness.
- Apply self-compassion practices to motivate themselves with encouragement rather than self-criticism.
- Describe the research supporting the effectiveness of creative practice in managing stress.
- Compare the effectiveness of self-criticism vs. self-compassion as a source of motivation.
Questions about Everyday Self-Compassion?
Email Lea at [email protected]
disclaimer: enrollment in Everyday Self-Compassion is not group therapy, and it is not a substitute for mental health services. Enrollment in Everyday Self-Compassion does not constitute a therapist-client relationship.
