MSC Community for Deepening Practice
Respecting Ourselves and Each Other
1. Confidentiality
Participants in the MSC Community For Deepening Practice agree to maintain the confidentiality of the other participants. Toward that end, participants should not discuss the personal material shared by anyone in a session or on any area of the website, including discussion forums, the Activity Wall, or in Personal Profiles, with individuals outside the group, or divulge the names or other details of participants that could lead to someone identifying a particular individual.
2. Taking Responsibility for Ourselves and Care for Each Other
MSC Community for Deepening Practice Sessions and participation on the CDP website are an opportunity to practice embodied, compassionate listening and speaking/messaging. That means that the general guidelines familiar from an MSC group are carried over to these sessions, such as non-judgment, non-fixing, respecting differences, and taking personal responsibility for one’s own well-being. We are all learning together.
If a session, or anything on the website is not meeting your needs, please feel free to express this to us in an email and we will respond to you as soon as we can.
3. Waiver of Liability
- I understand that the MSC Community for Deepening Practice is an online programme to support personal practice after I have completed the MSC 8-week, Intensive or Online course. MSC is a group compassion skills training program, not group therapy, and it is designed to teach participants the tools needed to develop and cultivate a mindfulness and self-compassion practice. I understand that MSC does not take the place of personal therapy. MSC Community for Deepening Practice assumes the same guidelines.
- I voluntarily agree to participate in the MSC Community for Deepening Practice. I can choose to withdraw from the MSC Community for Deepening Practice without any penalty and I am aware that the course fee is non-refundable. If I am paying by installments, then I am still liable to finish paying these. If I wish to no longer receive notifications from the MSC Community for Deepening Practice, I will request that my details will be removed.
- I understand that I am required to provide details of my support system, and it is my responsibility to contact them if I feel the need should backdraft or difficult emotions arise.
- I understand that the teachers are not expected or able to provide medical and/or psychological care.
- I understand that if I am intoxicated with alcohol and/or non prescribed/prescribed drugs then I am not permitted to take part in MSC Community for Deepening Practice.
- I further understand that participation in the MSC Community for Deepening Practice is at the discretion of the teachers at all times. If, in the opinion of the teachers, I am unable to continue to participate productively in MSC Community for Deepening Practice I may be asked to leave.
- Any costs incurred for health services are my responsibility and not the responsibility of the teachers.
- I hereby assume all responsibility for my own equipment required to attend the online sessions.
- I understand that MSC Community for Deepening Practice is not aimed at providing any requirements for MSC Teacher Training or to be a replacement for MSC.
4. Practical Details and Technology
The MSC Community for Deepening Practice are sessions with peers from around the world. To enhance a sense of mutuality and respect, please consider the following recommendations:
- Find a private space that insures confidentiality.
- In preparation we would recommend allowing yourself 15 mins to prepare before the start time of each session. You may wish to ensure you have a drink, anything you may need like a blanket, here and now stone, pen and paper. Please refrain from eating (or other distracting activity) during online sessions.
- Log into Zoom on time, at the specified time. We aim to start and finish promptly for each session. The Zoom link will always be available on the Member’s Home Page in the orange sidebar on the right.
- Mute your microphone when you are not speaking.
- Move the Zoom application window to the top of your computer, just under your web camera, this way you are looking into the camera, and the eyes of others, when anyone is speaking
- Put your laptop or tablet on a stable surface so others have a steady, clear image of you.
- Raise your computer monitor to a level where the web camera is at your eye level. You may need to elevate it with some books. You might also want to put one or two lamps behind the computer monitor to better light your face and make sure there are no bright lights, including a window, behind you.
5. Course recordings
We will video record each online CDP meeting to support and reinforce participant learning and to provide material to those who who need to miss a class. I herby give permission that the CDP sessions can be video recorded and shared with the members of this CDP group. I agree that all information in audio or video recordings is confidential and not to be shared with anyone. To protect confidentiality, I will refrain from downloading any recordings. I understand that if I download any recording or share with anyone, I will be asked to leave the group. The CDP class recordings will be retained only until the 8-month course ends.
By signing below, I confirm that I have read and agree with all five sections of the preceding terms. I also agree that I am of legal age.