Shame and self-criticism are transdiagnostic problems that can lead to difficulties in feeling relieved, reassured, or safe. Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) is an integrated and multimodal approach that draws from evolutionary, social, developmental, and Buddhist psychology, as well as neuroscience. It hypothesizes that a specialized affect regulation system, which evolved with attachment systems, is under-accessible in individuals with high shame and self-criticism. This system, which includes feelings of reassurance, safeness, and well-being, is dominated by a 'threat' affect regulation system in these individuals. CFT aims to develop and work with experiences of inner warmth, safeness, and soothing through compassionate mind training. The therapy focuses on understanding the functions of symptoms and difficulties in terms of safety strategies and aims to rebalance the threat protection, drive, and contentment/social safeness systems. Key components include teaching clients to engage mindfully, practice compassionate attention, compassionate reasoning, and compassionate behavior. The therapy also addresses fears and resistances to becoming self-compassionate and forgiving. CFT seeks to stimulate positive affect processing and help clients focus on their efforts rather than their results. Research on the efficacy of CFT is ongoing, but it shows promise in addressing transdiagnostic problems.Shame and self-criticism are transdiagnostic problems that can lead to difficulties in feeling relieved, reassured, or safe. Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) is an integrated and multimodal approach that draws from evolutionary, social, developmental, and Buddhist psychology, as well as neuroscience. It hypothesizes that a specialized affect regulation system, which evolved with attachment systems, is under-accessible in individuals with high shame and self-criticism. This system, which includes feelings of reassurance, safeness, and well-being, is dominated by a 'threat' affect regulation system in these individuals. CFT aims to develop and work with experiences of inner warmth, safeness, and soothing through compassionate mind training. The therapy focuses on understanding the functions of symptoms and difficulties in terms of safety strategies and aims to rebalance the threat protection, drive, and contentment/social safeness systems. Key components include teaching clients to engage mindfully, practice compassionate attention, compassionate reasoning, and compassionate behavior. The therapy also addresses fears and resistances to becoming self-compassionate and forgiving. CFT seeks to stimulate positive affect processing and help clients focus on their efforts rather than their results. Research on the efficacy of CFT is ongoing, but it shows promise in addressing transdiagnostic problems.