"A moment of self-compassion can change your day. A string of them can change your entire life." — Christopher Germer

Be kind to yourself — on purpose, with science.

Mindful Self-Compassion coaching, workshops, and the standard 8-week MSC course in New York City and virtual. Taught by a trained MSC teacher who's also a social psychologist — Buddhist-psychology-informed, evidence-based, no spiritual-bypass woo.

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Michael W. Magee, PhD — founder of Self-Compassion NYC

Credentials

  • Trained MSC TeacherCenter for Mindful Self-Compassion
  • PhD, Social PsychologySt. Joseph's University, New York
  • 15 years of daily practiceMindfulness & lovingkindness
  • Active researcherSelf-compassion, masculinity, helping
  • Director of Undergraduate ResearchFive years as IRB chair
  • 7-day silent retreatLovingkindness with Sharon Salzberg
What is MSC

Three movements of mind, practiced together.

At the heart of Mindful Self-Compassion are three components — mindfulness, common humanity, and self-kindness — that train you to meet your own difficulty the way you'd meet a good friend's.

i.

Mindfulness

Notice what's happening — including the hard part — without bracing against it or piling on. Awareness is the first move; everything else follows from it.

ii.

Common Humanity

Suffering, failure, and limitation are part of being a person. You are not alone in your struggle, and you are not uniquely broken because of it.

iii.

Self-Kindness

Speak to yourself the way you'd speak to someone you actually care about. Warmth instead of contempt — not because you've earned it, but because you're human.

Free · ~2 minutes

How self-compassionate are you?

Take the validated Self-Compassion Scale and get your score, subscale breakdown, and a plain-language interpretation — what the number says, and just as important, what it doesn't.

Take the test

Work together

Three ways in.

Same teacher, same evidence base — different shapes for different lives. Everything offered in person in NYC and virtual.

1:1 Coaching

$75 / hour Zoom · $150 / hour in-person

Free 20-min discovery call

Tailored work on the specific places where you're hardest on yourself. Self-compassion practice woven into where your life actually lives.

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8-Week MSC Course

By inquiry

Live cohort · in-person or virtual

The standard Center for Mindful Self-Compassion curriculum, run on request when a group of 6–12 forms. Join the interest list and I'll set a start date that works.

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Custom & Corporate

By inquiry

Workplaces · schools · clinics · teams

Half-day intros and tailored multi-session programs for organizations, helping professionals, parenting groups, recovery groups, runners — whoever needs it.

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From the people I've worked with

In their words.

"Testimonial coming soon." — Client name forthcoming
"Testimonial coming soon." — Client name forthcoming
The science

Not feel-good — measurable.

Two decades of research show self-compassion is linked to lower anxiety and depression, more resilient stress recovery, healthier behavior, and warmer relationships. It's a skill, and it's trainable.

Read the research summary →

"Participants who completed the 8-week Mindful Self-Compassion program reported significant reductions in symptoms of anxiety and depression." Neff, K. D., & Germer, C. K. (2013). A pilot study and randomized controlled trial of the Mindful Self-Compassion program. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 69(1), 28–44. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.21923