Maintaining therapeutic presence and empathy when engaging with a client's existential concerns

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychotherapy Research

Background:

• Therapists often encounter difficulties maintaining presence when clients express existential concerns.
• Understanding factors that hinder or facilitate therapist presence is crucial for effective therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the challenges and facilitators for therapists staying present with clients' existential concerns.
• To differentiate experiences between novice and experienced therapists.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving 22 therapists (12 novice, 10 experienced) in a role-play scenario.
• Videotape-assisted recall interviews analyzed using a descriptive-interpretive approach.

Main Results:

• Novice therapists reported powerlessness, uncertainty, lack of knowledge, and personal existential vulnerability as barriers.
• Experienced therapists utilized grounding and reanchoring techniques to manage personal impact and maintain presence.

Conclusions:

• Therapist self-awareness of existential issues and comfort with existential themes are vital for authentic therapeutic encounters.
• Training in existential processes and grounding techniques is essential for therapist development.