Kristin Neff

Kristin Neff, PhD, is an associate professor of educational psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and a pioneering researcher in the field of self-compassion. She received her bachelor’s degree in communication studies from the University of California, Los Angeles and her doctorate in moral development from the University of California, Berkeley, followed by postdoctoral work at the University of Denver on self-concept development. Neff conducted the first empirical studies on self-compassion more than twenty years ago and has since authored numerous academic articles and book chapters on the topic.

Neff is the author of the bestselling book Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself and Fierce Self-Compassion: How Women Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power, and Thrive. Together with psychologist Christopher Germer, she developed the empirically supported Mindful Self-Compassion training program and co-founded the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion. Neff and Germer are co-authors of The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook: A Proven Way to Accept Yourself, Build Inner Strength, and Thrive, which brings this program to a general audience.