Empathos

FOCS - Fears of Compassion Scale

The Fears of Compassion Scales (FOCS) explore whether kindness and compassion can feel uncomfortable or unsafe. This 12-item version looks at three directions: offering compassion to others, receiving compassion from others, and directing compassion toward yourself. Takes about 3 minutes.

Please rate how much you agree with each statement. 0 = Do not agree at all, 4 = Completely agree.
Question 1 of 12
Being too compassionate makes people soft and easy to take advantage of.
Question 2 of 12
I fear that being too compassionate makes people an easy target.
Question 3 of 12
I fear that if I am compassionate, some people will become dependent upon me.
Question 4 of 12
I find myself holding back from feeling and expressing compassion toward others.
Question 5 of 12
I try to keep my distance from others even if I know they are kind.
Question 6 of 12
Feelings of kindness from others are somehow frightening.
Question 7 of 12
When people are kind and compassionate toward me, I put up a barrier.
Question 8 of 12
I have a hard time accepting kindness and caring from others.
Question 9 of 12
I worry that if I start to develop compassion for myself, I will become dependent upon it.
Question 10 of 12
I fear that if I become too compassionate toward myself, I will lose my self-criticism and my flaws will show.
Question 11 of 12
I fear that if I am more self-compassionate, I will become a weak person or my standards will drop.
Question 12 of 12
I struggle with relating kindly and compassionately toward myself.

Your responses are confidential.

Thank you

Your assessment has been recorded.

You may close this page.

© 2026 Nora Markarian, LMHC, NCC — Empathos Mental Health Counseling
Scroll to Top