Therapeutic Presence: A Mindful Approach to Effective Therapeutic Relationships

This new edition offers practical exercises and a training program for cultivating presence in students and trainees. Therapeutic presence--one's ability to exist fully in the moment with a client--is crucial to effective psychotherapy practice. Since the first edition of Therapeutic Presence was published nearly a decade ago, further research has emphasized the role and deepened our understanding of this essential building block of effective therapeutic relationships. This book is a detailed guide on cultivating therapeutic presence for new and seasoned therapists alike. The authors' model is based on the results of their extensive study, and revolves around three key aspects of therapeutic presence: Using mindfulness and experiential exercises to create the conditions for presence, both prior to and in sessions; Generating attunement to self and others, as a precursor that facilitates therapeutic presence; and Recognizing the felt experience of in-session presence. With practical, research-based scenarios and exercises, as well as a full training program for cultivating presence in students and trainees, this text will help train the next generation of therapists in the nuts-and-bolts of empathic attunement and a strong therapeutic alliance to create effective therapy.