Therapeutic Presence and Self-Compassion for Effective Therapeutic Relationships
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Presenter: Dr. Shari Geller, Ph.D., C.Psych.
Therapeutic Presence (TP) and Self-Compassion (SC) are essential factors in effective and transformative therapeutic relationships.
Therapeutic presence is a way of being that optimises the doing and techniques of therapy and for clinical relationships. TP provides clients with a sense of safety, allowing them to be seen, heard, understood, and “feel felt,” while also strengthening the therapeutic alliance. TP also invites clinicians to work on their own balance of presence and compassion with self and clients, ensuring they remain centred and effective. Practicing TP also sustains clinicians’ vitality and connection, supporting clinicians to enjoy their work and their clients more fully, and to prevent caregiver fatigue and burn-out.
Self-compassion is a key resource in maintaining clinicians’ presence and working with the barriers to presence. SC involves meeting our emotions and difficult experience with mindfulness, common humanity, kindness, and warmth. Research shows that self-compassion is also strongly associated with emotional well-being, healthy habits, and more fulfilling relationships. Together, therapeutic presence and self-compassion are powerful resources for therapists and clinicians to maintain emotional balance in the midst of challenging clinical work.
In this training, we will explore an empirically validated model of therapeutic presence as a map to build and strengthen the skills of presence with ourselves and with clients (Geller, 2017; Geller & Greenberg, 2002, 2012, 2022). The neurophysiological principles to creating safety with therapeutic presence, based on concepts such as co-regulation and neuroception of safety stemming from Polyvagal Theory (Geller & Porges, 2014) will be discussed. We will incorporate evidence-based practices from Dr. Geller’s books, ‘A Practical Guide for Cultivating Therapeutic Presence’ (2017) and ‘Therapeutic Presence: A Mindful Approach to Effective Therapeutic Relationships 2nd Edition (2022) co-authored with Dr. Leslie Greenberg, including core presence and self-compassion practices.
In this training you will:
- Explore an empirically validated model of therapeutic presence along with key skills for cultivating presence
- Discover the neurophysiological underpinnings of therapeutic presence, client safety, and effective clinical relationships
- Learn and experience presence and self-compassion practices and skills for clinical settings and in life to sustain emotional connection with clients and for therapeutic ruptures
- Learn practices and skills for attuning in the moment with clients, oneself, and the therapeutic relationship
- Apply presence and self-compassion skills for self-care and to prevent and alleviate burnout
About Dr. Shari Geller, Ph.D., C.Psych.
Dr. Shari Geller is an author, clinical psychologist, certified Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) teacher and leader in the field of therapeutic presence.
Shari offers training modules in therapeutic presence internationally as part of a longer-term vision of having presence be a foundational training across psychotherapy approaches. With over thirty years’ experience weaving psychology and mindfulness, Shari co-authored the book, Therapeutic Presence: A Mindful Approach to Effective Therapeutic Relationships – 2nd Edition (2022) with Dr. Leslie S. Greenberg. Shari’s book: A Practical Guide For Cultivating Therapeutic Presence (2017), offers hands on tools and guidance for cultivating and strengthening presence in therapy. Shari is a co-editor on a new book: Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy: A Clinical Handbook (in press). Shari created the Therapeutic Rhythm and Mindfulness Program (TRM™), a group modality integrating mindfulness, rhythm practices and emotion-focused awareness to enhance wellbeing and presence. Shari serves on the teaching faculty in Health Psychology at York University and is Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto, in association with Music and Health Research Collaboratory (MaHRC).
Shari is on the steering committee and part of the core faculty of the Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy (SCIP) certificate program and is Membership and Networking Committee Chair for the International Society for Emotion Focused Therapy (isEFT).
Shari is the co-director of the Centre for MindBody Health, in Toronto, where she offers training, supervision and therapy in Emotion-Focused therapy (EFT) and Mindfulness and Self-Compassion modalities for individuals and couples.
www.sharigeller.ca www.cmbh.space
COST: $200 + HST ($226 with taxes included) per workshop ($100+HST for student-trainees)
- 10% off (becomes $203.40 with taxes included) for any workshops registered, if you register before March 1st, 2025!
- 20% off ($800+HST becomes $640+HST; $723.20 with taxes included) if you register for all the workshops as a bundle before March 1st, 2025!
WORKSHOP REGISTRATION LINK: https://cfir.ca/who-we-help/continuing-professional-development-workshops