A Practical Guide to Cultivating Therapeutic Presence

Research has consistently demonstrated the role of the therapeutic alliance in effective psychotherapy. Yet, mental health practitioners often struggle to be fully present with their clients due to various stressors and distractions that occur in and out of session, which makes it difficult to build and maintain a stable alliance. Renowned therapist Shari Geller thus presents a transtheoretical model for cultivating therapeutic presence that will help clinicians engage more deeply with their clients on multiple levels — physical, emotional, cognitive, spiritual, and relational — which will ultimately result in positive change. br>In this accessible guide, Geller first reviews the empirical foundations of therapeutic presence, including its neurophysiogical underpinnings. She then translates this knowledge into clinical skills and practices that therapists can use to set a pre-session foundation for presence, cultivate that presence in session, and overcome barriers to presence. To be optimally effective, however, therapists must practice self-care and hone their presence skills outside of therapy. Thus, Geller details exercises that allow therapists to cultivate presence in all aspects of their lives. She then describes therapeutic relational presence, the deepest level of connection therapists and clients can achieve through ongoing presence-building practices. She concludes with broader applications of presence beyond therapy.