Therapeutic Presence: A Mindful Approach to Effective Therapy

by Shari M. Geller, Leslie S. Greenberg

The therapeutic relationship is essential to positive outcomes of psychotherapy. In this book, Shari M. Geller and Leslie S. Greenberg argue that therapeutic presence is the fundamental underlying quality of the therapeutic relationship and, hence, effective therapy. Therapeutic presence is the state of having one’s whole self in the encounter with a client by being completely in the moment on a multiplicity of levels—physically, emotionally, cognitively, and spiritually.

Geller and Greenberg present their empirically based model of therapeutic presence that integrates three aspects of the concept: how present therapists prepare for presence both pre-session and in general life, what activities therapists engage in when being therapeutically present, and what in-session presence feels like.

The authors also provide a therapeutic presence theory of relationship based on research and clinical wisdom. Importantly, because presence is a learnable state that can be cultivated with practice and commitment, the authors infuse the book with practical, experiential exercises for cultivating presence.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction

304 pages, Hardcover

First published November 15, 2011

Reviews

[ana✨]

As an EFT trainee, I can confidently say that this could have been a 30 pages long article. Or at least a shorter book. The same idea is used as a filler for 15 chapters, totally missing the point. Plus, regarding the neuroscience basis, the perspective on the healing trait of presence is pretty outdatee in 2026 — not that it wouldn’t work, but polyvagal theory, lateralisation and localisationism have been debunked in the meantime and can no longer be considered proof for the neurological basis of EFT effectiveness.

[Michael Sasson]

I appreciated the authors' ability to pivot between experiential and analytic narratives as well as their strategic inclusion of an outline of training in presence for graduate programs.

For further engagement:
p33-5 theory of healing (also 48-9 Levinas)
p131/136 love/suffering
p133 compassion
pp 85, 104-5 meta
p68 AEDP congruence
p73 couples
p252 pity v compassion quote
p279 breath -> safety
p317, 319

[Barbara S.]

All of it! Reading a second time!