A practical and reflective full day workshop for people who are looking to reconnect to the principles of compassionate care for their clients, colleagues and community.



A compassionate thriving workplace starts here.
Compassion Labs bring people together in a room to explore interactive, compassionate practices and tools. Prioritising compassion for ourselves is the foundation for compassionate care for others.
Why this works
“This training was different in that it was self-focused; recognising that we are not the sum of our clinical skills but human beings. And that to give great care, we have to have the tools to look after ourselves.”
Nadia—Music therapist, Melbourne – Naarm
Why this works
- Creating a compassionate culture in health buffers against burnout and moral injury for staff, and improves the delivery of care for clients, patients and communities.
- We help health organisations support their staff teams with evidence-based training in compassionate practices.
- Compassionate practices help with:
- staff wellbeing and workforce retention
- increased capacity for self-care in challenging situations
- more confidence in person-centred relationships at work
- improved patient outcomes
FAQs about Compassion Labs
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What happens in a Lab?
Lou Pyman, our Director of Learning and Activation for Social Change will help your people explore:
- how the mind and body work in stressful situations
- the science behind emotional regulation
- the difference between empathy, sympathy and compassion
- how to manage the voice of self-criticism
- how to develop a more loving relationship with ourselves
- SUMA—a four-step framework for compassion
- enlisting mindfulness
- building cohesive teams
Lou promotes psychological safety and inclusivity in all Labs.
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How many people in a Lab?
Inviting 12—26 people supports a dynamic experience for participants.
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Who comes to a Lab?
All staff will find Labs beneficial and we encourage people from across disciplines to attend. Labs are most impactful if people choose to attend rather than being nominated to attend – it can make people feel that they are not compassionate enough if a Lab pops up in their calendar and they don’t have any context. We can support you with some promotional assets to make the Labs irresistible, and an EOI process template to help with registrations.
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Are there any resources to support my ongoing practice?
Yes. We provide a comprehensive list of research papers to engage with, practical tools and practices that support stress reduction, SUMA (our 4 step framework for compassion), and self-compassion tools. There is also an opportunity to subscribe to our newsletters where we share new research and tools.
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What is the time commitment?
Compassion Labs can be faciliated in two ways. You can choose between:
- A full day, in-person Lab in a venue of your choice or
- Three x 135 minutes online sessions over three weeks
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Where are the labs usually held?
Within your organisation and we come to you. We recommend choosing a room that has natural light, and enough room for small groups at tables in cabaret style. We need a projector or TV for our PPT slides and audio capability.
How you can keep the momentum going after a Lab
Compassion builds like a muscle.
We have a suite of services that extend the work done in a Compassion Lab that support compassionate culture.

Next step services
These are your facilitators
A compassionate thriving workplace starts with Compassion Labs.