Beyond Us and Them

Reclaiming our Evolutionary Potential Through Compassion Training

with Tara Brach, Paul Gilbert and Rick Hanson

In this conversation with two very wise beings – the teacher Tara Brach and the scholar Paul Gilbert – we will explore both our very human vulnerabilities to divisiveness, callousness, and cruelty . . . and our capacities for empathy and compassion. In particular, we will explore the moral intelligence in compassion and the courage it can bring to relieve suffering. We’ll include practical ways to release the tendency toward “bad-othering,” to recognize suffering in those we oppose, and to stay grounded in the heart while dealing with conflicts. There will be some experiential practice, and opportunities to raise questions.

Tara Brach

Paul Gilbert

Rick Hanson

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Meet Our Speakers

Paul Gilbert, PhD, OBE is Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Derby. He was Consultant Clinical Psychologist at NHS for over 40 years. He is the founder of Compassion focused Therapy and Fellow of the British Psychological Society. He has written/edited 23 books and over 300 papers and book chapters. In 2006 he established the Compassionate Mind Foundation as an international charity with the mission statement: To promote wellbeing through the scientific understanding and application of compassion (www.compassionatemind.co.uk). He was awarded an OBE by the Queen in March 2011 for services to mental health. He established and is the Director of the Centre for Compassion Research and Training at Derby University UK.

Tara Brach, Ph.D. is a spiritual teacher, psychologist and author of several books including international bestselling Radical Acceptance, Radical Compassion and Trusting the Gold. Her teaching blends Western psychology and Eastern spiritual practices, mindful attention to our inner life, and a dedication to creating a more just, equitable and loving world. Tara is the founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington and, together with Jack Kornfield, has co-founded Banyan and the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training Program, which serves participants from 74 countries around the world.

Chair – Rick Hanson, PhD is a psychologist, Senior Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and New York Times best-selling author. His seven books have been published in 33 languages, and include Making Great Relationships, Neurodharma, Resilient, Hardwiring Happiness, Just One Thing, Buddha’s Brain, and Mother Nurture – with over a million copies in English alone. He’s the founder of the Global Compassion Coalition and the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom, as well as the co-host of the Being Well Podcast – which has been downloaded over 25 million times. He’s lectured at NASA, Google, Oxford, and Harvard.

Insight & Action: The Compassion Science Series

This event is part of our 2026 series exploring the hindrances to compassion, specifically the mental habits that limit our care for those we perceive as “other” or difficult. The series is curated and organized by Myriam Mongrain, PhD, Chair of the Global Compassion Coalition Science Committee.