Shared presence: The heart of the therapeutic relationship

Shared presence is cultivated in every clinical experience, but some interactions lend themselves to shared presence more easily than others. Shared presence requires at least two people to be in relationship, and the patient side of shared presence can be influenced by physician or clinician factors, but not completely. We can only cultivate the qualities in ourselves that facilitate shared presence, and invite the patient, family, and others to enter into this presence with us. But we do know that if we do our part to cultivate presence, the likelihood of a more meaningful interaction with patients may occur together with all of the benefits outlined in this article.