Winter sun breaking through bare trees over snow

Welcome to Compassion Therapy

Welcome to
Compassion Therapy

We are here to support you in uncovering the roots of the dynamics that limit your life and guide you to the possibility of finding freedom from their control in a compassionate, trauma-informed space.

Healing through connection

With diverse backgrounds as practitioners, our common ground is the framework of the Compassionate Inquiry™ approach developed by Dr. Gabor Maté. We focus on assisting youth and adults struggling with challenges in life derived from trauma or other adversities. The work is somatic as well as relational: we stay with what is felt in the body, not only with the story about it. We are English-speaking therapists in Stockholm and also work in Swedish, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian, at our practice on Östermalm or online. Our philosophy is rooted in co-creating a compassionate relational space where you can experience safety and personal resilience at your own pace.

A person resting by the water in low winter light

We work under the major principles of trauma-informed practice, as defined by the National Center for Trauma-Informed Care (NCTIC, 2019).

  1. 1

    Trauma

    Trauma is part of many disorders and challenges for people of all ages. A trauma-informed view recognises the interrelation between trauma and its potential outcomes — substance use, eating disorders, depression and anxiety.

  2. 2

    A mind-body experience

    Trauma is not only a psychological experience; it is a mind-body experience. The role of the body, physiology, neurobiology and neurodevelopment must be emphasised. Mind-body responses define how trauma is experienced.

  3. 3

    Symptoms as adaptation

    Symptoms and trauma reactions are reframed as adaptive coping mechanisms necessary to survive, not as pathology — normal reactions to abnormal circumstances.

  4. 4

    A participant, not a patient

    The individual, family, group or community is empowered to collaborate in therapy, and intervention reflects cultural preferences and worldviews. Trauma-informed practice reframes the person as a participant rather than a patient.

  5. 5

    The potential to thrive

    The person or community is viewed as having the potential not only to survive but to thrive. Enhancing personal resilience and the capacity for post-traumatic growth matters as much as addressing the trauma itself.

Our services

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A hand painting with a brush on paper during an art therapy session

Trauma-Informed Art Therapy

The nonverbal language of art as a gentle path toward personal growth — connecting bodily senses, thoughts and emotions into an integrated experience of ourselves.

Read more about Trauma-Informed Art Therapy
“Only when compassion is present may we allow ourselves to see the truth.”
Portrait of Joakim Appell, Compassionate Inquiry™ practitioner at Co-Compassion

Joakim Appell

Compassionate Inquiry™ — Swedish and English, on Zoom or in person in Stockholm

Co-owner of Co-Compassion. Therapist working with addiction and developmental trauma through a non-pathologising lens; certified Compassionate Inquiry™ practitioner, mentor and circle leader, trained in Integrative Harm Reduction Psychotherapy.

Full profile — Joakim Appell
Portrait of Georgina Navarro, trauma-informed art therapist and co-owner of Co-Compassion

Georgina Navarro

Compassionate Inquiry™ and Art Therapy — English, Spanish and Portuguese, on Zoom or in person in Stockholm

Co-owner of Co-Compassion. Trauma-informed art therapist and educator; facilitator on the Spanish Compassionate Inquiry™ year-long professional training.

Full profile — Georgina Navarro
Portrait of Irina Sadakova, Compassionate Inquiry™ practitioner and Qigong educator at Co-Compassion

Irina Sadakova

Compassionate Inquiry™ Certified Practitioner, Qigong practitioner and educator — Swedish, English or Russian, on Zoom and in person in Stockholm

Therapist, educator and facilitator. Compassionate Inquiry™ practitioner, Qigong practitioner and guide in somatic awareness; leads teacher groups and international trainings bringing embodiment into education.

Full profile — Irina Sadakova

From the blog

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What people say

5.0 from 19 Google reviews

Have any questions?

Reach out whenever you are ready. We will match you with a therapist based on your needs, language and whether you prefer online or in-person sessions.

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