The modern tendency of "objectifying" medicine has led to a depersonalized approach to healthcare, where clinical data and technical interventions are prioritized over the holistic well-being of patients. This reductionist paradigm often disregards the lived experiences and personal interpretations of illness, resulting in a fragmented doctor-patient relationship. As healthcare systems face economic constraints, increased demand, and workforce burnout, the need arises to rethink medical education and practice. The primary focus of this study is on self-compassion as a tool to counteract the dehumanization of both patients and healthcare professionals.

The phenomenon of medical objectification has been extensively discussed in contemporary literature. Good (1994) examines how biomedical discourse shapes patient identity, further reinforcing an objectified approach to medicine. More recent studies (Donzelli, 2021; van Schalkwyk, 2019) contend that an excessive focus on clinical efficiency and technological interventions exacerbates the fragmentation of patient-centered care. These perspectives collectively highlight the need for a paradigm shift in medical education and practice that reintroduces humanistic and relational dimensions.

In response to these challenges, self-compassion (SF) has emerged as a promising approach to mitigating the negative effects of medical objectification. Defined by Neff (2003) as treating oneself with kindness and understanding in times of difficulty, self-compassion has been shown to reduce stress, improve emotional resilience, and enhance professional effectiveness.

The revival of a holistic vision of care—one inspired by the pioneering interventions of Michael and Enid Balint at the Tavistock Clinic in London (1979) —finds a contemporary evolution in the implementation of SF. This approach presents a tangible opportunity to reimagine medicine through an authentically humanistic lens. While it does not resolve the economic and organizational challenges afflicting healthcare systems, it constitutes a crucial starting point for building a medical practice that prioritizes both patient needs and the well-being of healthcare professionals.

RQ: how can SF be introduced into medical school curricula as a tool to better equip healthcare professionals for the challenges of their profession?

Objective: the primary objective of this study is to create a model to introduce SF as a tool for addressing the adverse effects of medical objectification. Specifically, this research aims to:

• analyze the consequences of the objectification of medicine on healthcare professionals and patients;
• explore self-compassion as a protective factor against burnout, stress, and emotional exhaustion in medical practice;
• develop strategies for incorporating self-compassion training into medical education;
• advocate for a model of medical education that balances technical expertise with emotional intelligence and relational skills.

This study is grounded in an emancipatory theoretical framework, which emphasizes the transformative potential of education in fostering critical awareness, autonomy, and relational sensitivity. The framework is shaped by the following perspectives:

1. SF Theory (Neff, 2003) – Self-compassion, understood as treating oneself with kindness and understanding during moments of difficulty, is examined as a means to improve professional resilience and enhance patient care.
2. Emancipatory Pedagogy – Drawing from critical educational theorists such as Paulo Freire and Peter McLaren, this study advocates for medical education that empowers healthcare professionals to challenge oppressive structures and develop compassionate, patient-centered practices.
3. Contemporary Healthcare Challenges – This study addresses issues such as workforce burnout, depersonalization of medical practice, and ethical dilemmas in modern healthcare (Sirois & Hirsch, 2019; Dev & Consedine, 2020; Franco & Christie, 2021; Nazari et al., 2024).
4. Humanistic Approaches to Medicine – This research builds on traditions that prioritize the emotional and relational aspects of medical practice, such as the psychodynamic interventions of Michael and Enid Balint (1979) and the need for active listening and holistic care.

By integrating these perspectives, this study seeks to promote an educational paradigm that challenges the objectification of medicine and fosters a compassionate, relational, and ethically grounded approach to healthcare.

For the exploratory phase of this pilot study, a flexible methodological approach was adopted, drawing on the theoretical framework of Robson (2024). This approach enables the integration of both quantitative and qualitative methods to examine in depth the role of self-compassion among healthcare professionals. The first phase of the project involved the voluntary self-administration of Neff’s Self-Compassion Scale (SCS, 2003) through an online form, completed by 27 healthcare professionals from the IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. The collected data were statistically analyzed to identify correlations with background variables. The second phase will focus on the design of an experimental training program, conceived as a model for potential applications in other European healthcare settings, in collaboration with the Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Coimbra in Portugal. This program will include specific modules: • Mindfulness sessions: Guided practices aimed at fostering awareness and emotional regulation, based on the work of Kabat-Zinn and updated with the contributions of Crane et al. (2017) in the context of professional training. • Role-playing and simulations: Exercises designed to address critical situations, enhance self-compassion, and strengthen interpersonal relationships, inspired by Kolb’s experiential learning model and Nicholson’s (2018) recent applications. • Reflective groups: Facilitated spaces for discussing experiences and challenges related to self-compassion, using narrative techniques grounded in the studies of Boud and Walker (2020). These training interventions will be structured to integrate transformative learning as described by Mezirow (2011) and further developed in contemporary applications by Taylor (2017). The goal is to enable participants to develop both practical and reflective competencies aimed at improving their well-being and the quality of care they provide. The methodological approach is flexible and inductive, incorporating ongoing evaluation of the program through participant feedback to ensure contextually relevant adjustments. The outcomes of this pilot project will serve as a foundation for expanding and applying the model in other European healthcare contexts, with the overarching objective of fostering a cultural shift in medical education toward a more human-centered and integrated approach.

This research aims to develop and implement a training model focused on enhancing self-compassion among healthcare professionals. Recent studies highlight a significant shortage of doctors and nurses across Europe, with an estimated deficit of approximately 1.2 million professionals. This situation has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has intensified workloads and stress among healthcare workers, leading to mass resignations and strikes in countries such as Sweden and Germany. In this context, strengthening self-compassion represents a promising strategy for improving healthcare professionals’ well-being, reducing the risk of burnout, and increasing emotional resilience. The implementation of training programs based on contemporary approaches can facilitate a cultural shift within healthcare institutions. The expected outcomes of this project include: • Improvement in self-compassion: a significant increase in self-compassion levels among participants, measured through validated assessment tools. • Reduction of stress and burnout: a decrease in work-related stress symptoms and burnout, contributing to greater professional satisfaction. • European applicability: Validation of a replicable training model adaptable to various European healthcare contexts, in collaboration with institutions such as the Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Coimbra. This pilot project is not merely intended to respond to local emergencies but aims, through a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration with healthcare professionals—including physicians, nurses, healthcare workers, dietitians, and physiotherapists—to contribute to addressing the challenges of sustainability and humanization in healthcare. By integrating the well-being of professionals with the quality of care, this initiative seeks to foster a more holistic approach to medical practice. At a time when the healthcare workforce crisis threatens the entire system, initiatives like this could serve as a turning point in rethinking the relationship between healthcare providers and patients, emphasizing the relational dimension as the foundation of a more resilient and inclusive healthcare system.

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