A Quick Guide to

The Compassion Focused Therapy Matrix

by Jacob Martinez, LPC

T S T
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 The CFT Matrix

The
The human
human mind
mind isis aa product
product ofof our
our
evolutionary
evolutionary history.
history. Like
Like everything
everything
else
else about
about us,
us, itit has
has been
been shaped
shaped
across
across countless
countless generations
generations toto
function
function aa certain
certain way.
way. The
The mind
mind isis
S especially
especially tuned
and
tuned for
for social
social connections
connections V
and relationship
relationship formation.
formation. Functional
Functional
relationships
relationships areare aa complex
complex interplay
interplay
between
between motivational
motivational drives,
drives, emotional
emotional
regulation,
regulation, and
and contextual
contextual cues.
cues.

Jacob Martinez, LPC | TheACTmatrix.com

 The CFT Matrix

Our
Our complex
complex mind,mind, while
while helpful,
helpful,
comes
comes with with the
the innate
innate ability
ability to
to get
get inin
its
its own
own way.
way. WeWe have
have the
the ability
ability toto
over-think,
over-think, under-think,
under-think, tunetune in,
in, tune
tune
S out,
out, distract,
distract, avoid,
avoid, wind
wind ourselves
ourselves up, up,
V
and
and all
all sorts
sorts ofof other
other things
things all
all at
at the
the
most
most unhelpful
unhelpful time.
time.

Jacob Martinez, LPC | TheACTmatrix.com

 The CFT Matrix

Emotions
Emotions areare particular
particular units
units of
of
information
information that
that provide
provide necessary
necessary and and
useful
useful feedback
feedback fromfrom our
our interactions
interactions
S with
with the
the world.
world. When
When itit comes
comes to to V
emotions,
emotions, we we have
have three
three main
main systems
systems
which
which serve
serve to
to regulate
regulate each
each other.
other.

Jacob Martinez, LPC | TheACTmatrix.com

 The CFT Matrix

The
The Threat
Threat System
System isis our our alert-defend
alert-defend
system.
system. ItIt isis an
an ancient
ancient emotion
emotion
system
system common
common to to all
all creatures
creatures on
on
earth.
earth.Animals,
Animals, plants,plants, and
and even
even
single-celled
single-celled organisms
organisms have have aa threat
threat
S system.
system. Because
Because this this system
system evolved
evolved V
so
so long
long ago
ago and
and isis used
used soso regularly
regularly itit
isis most
most often
often the the most
most dominant
dominant
emotion
emotion system.
system. ThreatThreat System
System
emotions
emotions include,
include, fear,
fear, anger,
anger, disgust,
disgust,
shame.
shame.

Jacob Martinez, LPC | TheACTmatrix.com

 The CFT Matrix

In
In the
the CFT
CFT Matrix,
Matrix, we
we have
have aa threat
threat
line
line on
on each
each side
side of
of the
the horizontal
horizontal
Survival-Vital
Survival-Vital Line.
Line. That's
That's because
because the the
Threat
Threat System
System isis integral
integral to
to our
our
survival,
survival, butbut also
also often
often activates
activates when
when
S we
we do do things
things that
that make
make ourour lives
lives vital
vital V
and
and meaningful.
meaningful.

Jacob Martinez, LPC | TheACTmatrix.com

 The CFT Matrix

The
The Drive
Drive System
System is
is our
our engagement-
engagement-
achievement
achievement system.
system. This
This motivates
motivates
us
us to
to strive
strive toward
toward goals,
goals, accomplish
accomplish Drive
tasks,
tasks, and
and do
do what
what we
we need
need toto do.
do.
Drive
Drive System
System emotions
emotions include,
include,
S excitement,
excitement, envy,
envy, desire.
desire. V

Jacob Martinez, LPC | TheACTmatrix.com

 The CFT Matrix

The
The Soothing
Soothing System
System isis our
our safety-
safety-
contentment
contentment system.
system. This
This system
system
Soothe helps
helps us
us carecare for
for others
others and
and forfor
ourselves.
ourselves. ItIt isis associated
associated with
with feelings
feelings
S of
of peacefulness,
peacefulness, resting,
and
resting, contentment,
compassion.
contentment, V
and compassion.

Jacob Martinez, LPC | TheACTmatrix.com

 The CFT Matrix

Not
Not all
all people
people are
are alike.
alike. The
The three
three
emotion
emotion systems
systems areare supposed
supposed to to
balance
balance andand support
support each
each other,
other, but
but
our
our natural
natural variations
variations and
and life
life histories
histories
S (such
(such asas how
how wewe were
were raised,
raised, V
traumatic
traumatic experiences,
experiences, adverse
adverse
conditions),
conditions), can
can influence
influence howhow the
the
emotion
emotion systems
systems develop
develop andand function.
function.

Jacob Martinez, LPC | TheACTmatrix.com

 The CFT Matrix

Some
Some people
people have
have aa highly
highly
overdeveloped
overdeveloped Threat
Threat system,
system, and
and
very
very underdeveloped
underdeveloped Soothing
Soothing
systems.
systems. This
This may
may have
have been
been
functional
functional in
in past
past situations,
situations, but
but can
can
S create
create turmoil
turmoil in
in other
other contexts.
contexts. Others
Others V
have
have overdeveloped
overdeveloped DriveDrive systems,
systems,
but
but underdeveloped
underdeveloped Threat
Threat systems,
systems,
which
which can
can result
result in
in high-risk/dangerous
high-risk/dangerous
behaviors.
behaviors.

Jacob Martinez, LPC | TheACTmatrix.com

 The CFT Matrix

Our
Our emotion
emotion systems
systems can can expand
expand andand
contract
contract within
within our
our lifetime,
lifetime, and
and indeed
indeed
moment
moment by by moment.
moment. ItIt isis never
never too
too late
late
to
to strengthen
strengthen underdeveloped
underdeveloped emotionemotion
S systems.
systems. In
require
In fact,
fact, our
our emotion
emotion systems
systems V
require consistent
consistent maintenance
maintenance and and
care
care just
just like
like cars
cars do.
do.

Jacob Martinez, LPC | TheACTmatrix.com

 The CFT Matrix

You
You can
can think
think of
of the
the three
three emotion
emotion
systems
systems as as train
train tracks,
tracks, or or lines
lines of of aa
subway
subway system.
system. EachEach lineline will
will take
take youyou
to
to different
different destinations,
destinations, but but youyou maymay
need
need to to ride
ride one
one line
line for
for aa while
while before
before
switching
switching over over toto another
another line. line.
Switching
Switching between
between the the lines
lines isis
Q48 BUS TO LGA

Mets-Willets Point
Q48 BUS TO LGA
M60 SBS M60 SBS TO LGA Q48 BUS TO LGA
TO LGA
M60 SBS TO LGA
M60 SBS
TO LGA
LGA Airport

sometimes
sometimes tricky,tricky, but
but generally
generally doable doable Q72 BUS TO LGA

Q3 BUS

once
once youyou get
get the
the hang
hang of of it.
TO JFK

it.
M60 SBS TO LGA Q47 BUS TO LGA
Q70 SBS TO LGA

S Q72 BUS
TO LGA

V Q10
BUS
TO JFK

Q70 SBS TO LGA

Q10 BUS
TO JFK

Q10 B
TO JF
1237
NQRW

LN QR W

B15
BUS
TO JFK

Jacob Martinez, LPC | TheACTmatrix.com

 The CFT Matrix

The
The vertical
vertical line
line of
of the
the matrix
matrix
corresponds
corresponds to to our
our external
external andand
internal
internal world.
world. Humans
Humans exist exist in
in aa dual
dual
relationship
relationship between
between the the external
external
things
things wewe encounter
encounter andand dodo (events,
(events,
actions,
actions, environment),
environment), and and the
the internal
internal
stuff
stuff that
that shows
shows up up within
within usus like
like
S
thoughts,
thoughts, feelings,
feelings, memories,
memories, images,
images, V
and
and sensations.
sensations.

Jacob Martinez, LPC | TheACTmatrix.com

 The CFT Matrix

Therefore,
Therefore, alongalong each
each emotion
emotion system
system
line,
line, we
we experience
experience outward
outward and and
External/Outward inward
inward effects;
effects; and
and we we can
can respond
respond in in
both
both external
external and
and internal
internal ways.
ways. Ex. Ex. IfIf
my
my Threat
Threat System
System isis activated,
activated, and and II
am
am feeling
feeling angry,
angry, II can
can punch
punch aa hole
hole in in
the
the wall
wall (external
(external response),
response), or or II can
can
imagine
imagine myself
myself punching
punching aa holehole in in the
the
wall
wall while
while staying
staying visibly
visibly "calm"
"calm"
S (internal
(internal response).
response). V

Internal/Inward

Jacob Martinez, LPC | TheACTmatrix.com

 The CFT Matrix

Our
Our ability
ability to
to navigate
navigate thisthis two
two
dimensional
dimensional system
system of of emotion
emotion
External/Outward regulation
regulation and
and response
response isis called
called
Psychological
Psychological Flexibility.
Flexibility. The
The
healthiest,
healthiest, most
most highly
highly functioning
functioning
people
people are
are ones
ones whowho exhibit
exhibit the
the most
most
flexibility
flexibility within
within their
their responses.
responses. Those
Those
who
who are
are psychologically
psychologically rigidrigid in
in their
their
behavioral
behavioral responses
responses struggle
struggle and and
S suffer.
suffer. V

Internal/Inward

Jacob Martinez, LPC | TheACTmatrix.com

 The CFT Matrix

Interpersonal
Interpersonal relationships
relationships require
require an an attunement
attunement to
to the
the
complex
complex processes
processes we've
we've just
just covered.
covered. We We have
have to
to be
be
aware
aware ofof
a)
a) our
our own
own emotion
emotion regulation
regulation systems
S b)
b) our
our own
own responses
responses in
systems
in context
context
V
c)
c) the
the person
person wewe are
are interacting
interacting with's
with's emotion
emotion systems
systems
d)
d) their
their responses
responses in in context.
context.

Jacob Martinez, LPC | TheACTmatrix.com

 The CFT Matrix

We
We can
can do
do this
this by
by Noticing,
Noticing, Communicating,
Communicating, and and
Aligning
Aligning with
with each
each other.
other. First
First we
we must
must notice
notice our
our own
own
emotion
emotion systems
systems working
working within
within us,
us, and
and ourour own
own internal
internal
and
and external
external responses
responses to to the
the context
context we're
we're in.
in. Then
Then we we
must
must be
be able
able to
to clearly
clearly communicate
communicate this this information
information to to
those
those around
around us us in
in an
an appropriate
appropriate way.way. Ideally,
Ideally, our
our
S partner
partner would
would then
then align
align with
with us
us by
by joining
joining us us on
on the
the
V
same
same emotion
emotion system
system lineline (they
(they board
board thethe same
same train
train as
as
us).
us). This
This alignment
alignment helps
helps us us connect
connect inin the
the moment,
moment, after
after
which
which we
we can
can collaborate
collaborate and and switch
switch tracks
tracks ifif necessary.
necessary.

Jacob Martinez, LPC | TheACTmatrix.com

 The CFT Matrix

When
When oneone person
person responds
responds to to another
another from
from differing
differing
emotion
emotion systems
systems itit can
can create
create friction
friction and
and conflict.
conflict. Ex.
Ex.
When
When someone
someone triestries to
to calm
calm you
you down
down by
by saying
saying "Just
"Just
S calm
calm down."
down." For For the
the best
best interpersonal
interpersonal connections
connections we we V
must
must first
first "match"
"match" emotion
emotion systems,
systems, then
then we
we can
can work
work
together.
together.

Jacob Martinez, LPC | TheACTmatrix.com