Therapeutic presence is a powerful and essential stance for therapists to take with clients. Being fully in the moment, open and receptive to the depth of clients’ experiencing, can help therapists to be more empathic, attuned and genuine, as well as in contact with their own internal experience of being with the client. Therapeutic presence can also help clients feel open and safe to explore their internal world as well as help in deepening the therapeutic relationship. While presence cannot be assured in a session, steps can be taken to optimize the possibility for presence to emerge. The cultivation of presence also includes removing the obstacles to being fully present, such as stress, excessive planning or thinking, self-neglect, unresolved issues or difficult emotions. Two particular ways of cultivating presence are proposed in this article, therapeutic drumming and mindfulness. This article expands on each of these approaches as aids in removing stress and cultivating present moment awareness as well as increase inner and other connection. Engagement in the cultivation and maintenance of therapeutic presence is proposed as essential to any therapists’ training program as well as ongoing for experienced therapists optimal functioning.
therapeutic presence, relational depth, therapeutic drumming, mindfulness
The tPeP (Journal Person-centered experiential Psychotherapy) is the scientific journal for Dutch and Flemish psychotherapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists, that work from, or are interested in a client-centered perspective.
