Therapeutic presence is often underestimated. Many clients, we encountered, face issues of; changing therapists, discontinuing therapy suddenly and have bad therapy experiences. What exactly leads to this?
It could be:
- Feeling fear towards therapist
- Therapist always point out what’s “wrong” in the clients
- Feeling emotionally unsafe in the therapy
- Stuck progress in therapy (as if it is going in circles)
Therapeutic presence is about the sincerity from both therapist and client in holding the inner experiences and exploring together without feeling superior towards each other. It is also about being flexible so that in therapy, there is no fixated schedule or agenda; just experiences and healing. It is also about gaining insights and being in the same moment; reflecting on each other’s inner experiences. It is also about the capability in holding and being attuned to all inner experiences without judgment. It is also about acknowledging that clients are the experts of their own experiences. Therapeutic presence is the main key in any progress.
You may ask, “why can’t I improve?” despite your previous therapist being friendly, warm and professional; which could possibly be affected by the suitability of the therapy modality or the therapeutic presence. So how do you know if you really feel the therapeutic presence?
- You can share anything with your therapist.
- You feel that someone understands you.
- You know that you can unlearn and heal yourself along the way.
- You do not blame yourself in any therapy progress.
These are the signs! If you notice that you feel restricted, just change therapist. Please try not to discontinue therapy immediately when it happens because it affects yourself. Different people have different perceptions, views and preferences, so feel free to adjust in therapy and discuss with your therapist, if needed.