Therapeutic presence
The validity of the construct of therapeutic presence and the belief in the efficacy of therapeutic presence as a crucial component in psychotherapy has been accepted by many experts in the field of psychology (Miller, Kabat, & Fletcher, 1995). Subsequent the efficacious validation of presence, a movement began integrating mindfulness and the therapeutic presence (Miller et al., 1995). The articles being discussed will present how the integration of mindfulness and therapeutic presence has enhanced the ability of a therapist to be more empathic and present with the clients.
Mindfulness
The definition of mindfulness in a psychological setting is “the bringing one’s attention to the present experience on a moment-to-moment basis… (Sheppard, Hick, & Bien, 2009)”. The concept of mindfulness was derived from the teachings of Buddhism. Mindfulness is the 7th step in the eightfold path taught by Buddha (Sheppard et al., 2009). Buddhism was a major influence in the incorporation of mindfulness with psychotherapy, which began several decades ago (Sheppard et al., 2009).
Mindfulness based clinical treatment began with Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979 (Miller et al., 1995). As a result the integration of mindfulness and the therapeutic presence has permeated the field of psychology. This analysis will consider the importance of mindfulness integration with therapeutic presence and the efficacy of the amalgamation.
Therapeutic relationship
The therapeutic relationship is the main component for providing efficacious and significant treatment to a client (Sheppard et al., 2009). Mindfulness enhances the therapeutic relationship in treatment, according to Sheppard et al. (2009). Mindfulness increases the capacity of ...
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... theory orientations, and mental health institutions. The cause of its ubiquity has been due to the efficacy in enhancing the degree of empathy and therapeutic presence in novice and experienced therapists. Therapeutic presence is a key ingredient in the therapeutic process and mindfulness assists in obtaining this essential component.
Works Cited
McCollum, E., & Gerhart, D. (2010). Using mindfulness meditation to teach beginning
therapists. Journal of Marital and Family therapy , 346-367.
Miller, J., Kabat, J., & Fletcher, K. (1995). Three-year follow-up and clinical implications of a
mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction intervention in the treatment of anxiety
disorders. General Hospital Psychiatry , 192-200.
Sheppard, M., Hick, S., & Bien, T. (2009). Review of Mindfulness and the therapeutic presence.
British Journal of Psychology , 806-807.
...the patient’s feeling it and knowing it.” In other words, the therapist must attend to both the client’s core affective experience and what makes that experience frightening or painful. This stance is informed by the affective phenomena of empathy, affect contagion, affective attunement and resonance, and the reaching of a coordinated affective state. Ultimately, the therapist’s affective response to the client’s experience serves to amplify the client’s affective state. The therapist must come alongside the client, allowing the client to feel deeply understood and as though someone is offering to help. The client no longer feels an unwanted experience of aloneness and the anxiety that accompanies it. This stance effectively eliminates resistance on the client’s part, and the patient finds him or her self naturally wanting to share even the hidden parts of the self.
This is noted because the words for “mindfulness” themselves are varied and textured and come in many different definitions, as well as narratives. Having noted that, it is interesting to see that the same thing can be found in the Western tradition of understanding mindfulness in the third-wave psychotherapies.
A positive relationship between the client and an empathetic therapist provides the client with a safe space and opportunity to express themselves and feel understood and accepted. Building the client-therapist relationship will occur at the onset of therapy, and will continue to be built and maintained throughout the process. A relationship is built through engagement between the two parties, particularly the therapist being involved and interested in what the client is interested in at that time (Cavett, 2015). This includes asking questions to show interest and allowing the client to take the lead on play. In encouraging a supportive relationship, a large component is the client feeling not only understood by the therapist, but also to feel accepted by the therapist throughout the therapeutic process. Building relationship within my therapeutic practice will include providing praise to the client for their effort within therapy, rather than focusing on the quality of how they are doing in therapy. Kottman and Ashby (2015) reflect on this by explaining that this is a way to build confidence within the client and portray to them that they are competent in learning and doing things for themselves. After
The therapeutic aspect is focussed on the care received, and how it creates a positive outcome for the service user, this includes good communication, building strong relationships, person centred planning and the choices available to the person in receipt of care. (Miller, J, 2015) (Gibb and Miller, 2007)
I pay particular attention to enactments, which expose intra-psychic dynamics between the therapist and client, as opportunities for relational remodeling. Combining these IST and attachment, a client can reintegrate affective responses and relational needs through mutual recognition in the therapeutic relationship. Furthermore, both approaches delve into the subjective and embodied processes of both client and therapist, which allows me to integrate interventions like mindfulness, deep breathing, DBT skills, and other behavioral coping skills that work in conjunction with the relational processes to empower clients to stabilize, regulate, and develop new ways to relate interpersonally. The use of these interventions are particularly helpful when working with clients with severe and chronic mental illnesses as it creates a safe, relational holding space for clients to develop necessary coping skills, especially when the therapy is
Mindfulness is a concept or practice that was founded nearly 2600 years ago. It is a very integral component of the Buddhist faith and is believed to be associated with many benefits including self-control, tolerance, flexibility, objectivity, concentration, mental clarity, emotional intelligence, kindness, compassion, acceptance, and equanimity.
Reflecting on my work as a therapist, I recognize the importance of the therapeutic relationship. For instance, in EFT the therapist, “the therapeutic relationship, characterized by presence, empathy, acceptance, and congruence, helps clients to feel safe enough to face dreaded feelings and painful memories (Greenberg, 2014).
In the preparation phase, the therapist starts to teach the client some self-care techniques that could guide the client to control his/her emotions (Bartson, 2011). Self-care techniques are also very helpful in guiding the clients’ emotions during and between sessions (Bartson, 2011). In this stage of the therapy, the therapist is able to thoroughly explain the therapy to the patient in the aspect of the process, expectations during and after therapy (Bartson, 2011). Trust is usually developed in this phase of the therapy between the therapist and the client (Bartson,
...t's problems. Instead, it should permit the client to feel that she has support to dive into emotions she might have been afraid to do so before entering client centered therapy.
To begin with, mindfulness is when someone can pay attention to the present moment “without being devoted to different points of view” (Martin, 1997). Along with staying focused on the present moment, mindfulness is when the particular person does not judge the current experience as the person tries to comprehend the present situation. Mindfulness makes a person reflect on one’s self by not only figuring out one’s thoughts, but also the feelings that go along with it. The complex nature of mindfulness demonstrates that it has multiple purposes that cultivates a person into realizing the potential of the brain (Davis & Hayes,
Mindfulness involves accepting our thoughts and emotions without judgment, and without believing that there is a right or wrong way to feel in a given situation. Our thoughts and emotions are not labeled as good or bad. They are observed as simply happening until they pass. While practicing mindfulness one does not rehash the past or imagine the future. Attention is focused on what is being sensed in the present moment. There is a sense of self apart from things. Mindfulness is moment to moment awareness and purposefully placing attention on things that we wouldn’t normally give a second thought to. Mindfulness can be thought of as a way of being, rather than an activity. It is the awareness of wondering thoughts and purposefully directing them back, rather than letting them
Psychotherapy has been Around for many years and has a major role in our world today. It has grown over the years and now there are known many hundreds of different theories about. Clients that use therapy are for different reasons as to cope with a change of life experience or a disorder or for personal development. Integrative psychotherapy has been around for over one hundred years but has really only come into the forefront of therapy since the late 1970’s. “Research has indicated that psycho¬therapy is moving toward an integrated approach to therapy” (Norcross, 2005b). The therapy is a mixture of all theories that are tailored by the therapist professional experience to work with the client in a positive way. This assignment will look at the factors needed to enable the therapist to carry out successful therapy. It will highlight and explain what the five principles of integrative therapy are. Also, with the common factors and how they are important and across all therapies. Also,
Three interrelated attitude of the therapist are central to the success of person-centered therapy, this include: congruence; unconditional positive regard; and empathy (Corey, 2010). Congruence represents the openness and geniuses of the therapists. Therapists who function this way does not hind behind a professional façade, and are willing to share significant emotional reactions with their clients. Unconditional positive regards refers to the therapist accepting the client totally as she or he is without disapproving particular behaviors, believes, feelings or characteristics. Therapists convey this message by their wiliness to listen without being judging, or directive. The therapist who creates a nonthreatening context allows the clients to explore and share their true feelings without fear of being judged. Empathy is the third necessary component of a therapist’s attitude. The therapist should try to see through client’s point to view, and show understanding and sensitivity to client’s feeling throughout the therapy session. When these three attitudes are conveyed by a therapist, according the Rogers, the client can freely express themselves without afraid of being
Latorre, M. (2000). A Holistic View of Psychotherapy: Connecting Mind, Body, and Spirit. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 36:2, 67-68.
Living in the present allows me to live and tend to my thoughts and emotions that I often suppress or ignore. Working as a school counselor, I think that I will use mindfulness to help students with anxiety, behavior problems, and depression. I hope to use mindfulness in the future as I teach students how to use mindfulness in their own lives so that they can exist in the present and connect their mind with their body. Through using mindfulness in sessions with students and possibly in the classroom setting, I will give them a tool to help manage and become more self-aware of the thoughts and emotions they experience so they can learn how to better tend, express and manage them. However, without practicing mindfulness myself I would not have understood its power in the work of my client’s