Therapeutic Presence

When we are truly present with our clients, that is listening deeply and generously to their problem stories and they acknowledge that they feel felt and understood by us, can greatly contribute to strengthening the alliance building process with them. Therapeutic presence is not just listening to our clients with a third ear but it is making careful use of their key words and metaphors, life passions and key strengths and expertise, and being on the lookout for opportunities worthwhile seizing in sessions. Being present also means being aware of one’s own thoughts and emotional reactions being sparked in the therapeutic conversation. One way that we can improve our therapeutic presence with our clients is by building into our daily regimes a mindfulness practice. Mindfulness meditation increases our self-awareness, concentration and focusing abilities, enhances our self-reflective skills, and helps us learn how not to get too attached to our own thoughts, feelings, and memories.  Over time, you will cultivate a Big Sky Mind, which is vast and embraces all that comes in the miraculous moment and is open to entertaining a multiplicity of views and possibilities for solution finding. You also will discover as you further enhance your mindfulness skills will help you to notice and hear things with your clients in sessions worth seizing and using as building blocks for solution construction.

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