Being a compassionate mess means that we take the stance of a lifelong learner who will definitely make clumsy mistakes along the way. Finally the aspiration of becoming a cultural compassionate mess calls us to work with our own difficult emotions that arise as we explore taboo topics such as race, class, gender, sexual orientation and the like – these emotions will arise and we can respond to them with kindness and understanding. We could subdivide the categories of cultural compassionate messiness into 3 categories: compassionate critical self-reflection, cultural conversations with compassion, and compassionate approach to institutional accountability.

Inquiry is a term that is used in Mindful Self Compassion Teaching (MSC), and more recently it has been adopted for use in MSC based therapy. In this article I explore what Inquiry means, how to do it in the therapy room, and some ways in which it is similar to the practice of Motivational Interviewing (MI).

As practitioners of Motivational Interviewing (MI), we aim to help others through compassion. Whether we are trainers, case workers, supervisors, physical therapists or play other roles, we practice MI as a skillful way to express our desire to be of benefit to others. We are united by our aim to reduce suffering and increase happiness in those we serve. But do we extend this same compassionate intention to ourselves? This article explores how Mindful Self Compassion (MSC) can be helpful in practicing and teaching Motivational Interviewing (MI).