Dr Chris Germer is a lecturer on psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and a co-founder of the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion at Cambridge Health Alliance. He is also a clinical psychologist in private practice. Dr Germer has written several seminal books on mindfulness and psychotherapy. Alongside Dr Kristin Neff, he co-developed the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program. After studying abroad in India and Sri Lanka, Dr Germer helped establish the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy. His primary interest is self-compassion, which helped him personally overcome a fear of public speaking.