Catia Soares

Psychologist, Nutritional Therapist and Founder of Mindmoodpsychonutrition LTD

Abstract Title: How can self-compassion be used to enrich the practitioner-patient relationship and improve therapeutic outcomes?

Biography:

Catia Soares is a trained psychologist, nutritionist and group facilitator who integrates evidence-based approaches to support optimal wellbeing and mental health for individuals and organisations. She is skilled in personalised one-to-one and group interventions, empowering clients with practical tools grounded in psychological, nutritional and preventive lifestyle science. Her expertise spans brain and gut health, mindful and intuitive eating, addiction, trauma, and other areas of mental health and wellbeing, informed by rigorous academic training and clinical experience. Committed to advancing evidence-based practices, Catia also strives to promote mental and physical wellness and resilience through education and person-centered intervention.

Research Interest:

Compassion can be defined as basic kindness with a deep awareness of the suffering of oneself and others, coupled with the wish and effort to relieve it (Gilbert, 2019), whilst self-compassion can be understood as compassion directed inward or relating to oneself as the focus of care and consideration when faced with the experience of difficulty (Super et al. 2024). Studies have suggested that compassion is not only essential to improve patient care (Super et al. 2024) but also to enhance patient self-care as it promotes engagement and treatment adherence (Debets at al. 2024). However, many studies have been focused on the impact of compassionate care on patient safety and quality in healthcare systems (Ahmet et al. 2024), what does current research have to say about self-compassion and how it can be used to enrich the therapeutic relationship and its outcomes? Studies demonstrate that self-compassion can act as a defending factor against stress, emotional exhaustion and burnout in healthcare professionals (Super at al. 2024). Moreover, self-compassion may reduce self-critical tendencies, enhancing moral resilience and as a result improving practitioner's capacity to empathise with patients (Liu et al. 2025). Thus, educating health professionals in developing their inner self-compassion alongside their compassion can be key to enhance the practitioner-patient relationship and improve therapeutic outcomes. Key words: compassion, self-compassion, compassionate care, practitioner-patient relationship, moral resilience