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Presently Existing
Erica Fearnall
York University
February 26th
2015

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Personal development is a process that never entirely ends. Spending time searching
deeper into the qualities a therapist can develop and learn to possess has opened my imagination
for personal transformation. Therapists envision themselves possessing a skill or quality at a
higher level than their current one, marking the beginning of a journey to be had. Therapeutic
qualities are essential to the process of therapy, to the individual therapist and to the client. The
therapeutic quality that will be used for the purpose of this review is the ability to be present-
orientated.
A journey is often thought of as travelling from one place to another. It seems ironic that
one could travel to the present; to a place that you are already located in physical space.
However, presence is more complex than a physical location. It is a multi-faceted way of
existing. Presence is a state of focused concentration on both verbal and non-verbal expressions,
having both emotional and cognitive connection to the current moment in time (Martin, 2011).
Therapeutic presence is defined as being in contact with the moment by being receptive and
immersed in it; having a larger sense of expansion and perception with the intention of being
with the client for the healing process (Geller & Greenberg, 2010). Therefore, the journey to
presence encapsulates bringing all of your senses and abilities to the only moment that you know
you will have – the present, and absorbing what you can from it.
Through therapeutic presence, the therapist accesses a set of listening skills that enhances
communication as well as builds a deeper relationship with the client in order for them to feel
safe to work through their difficult issues. This is essential to a good counseling session because
it can promote a safe environment where clients can begin to trust the therapist as the expert and
look for guidance on their most troublesome issues. While present with the client, the therapist is
able to utilize their listening skills to the best of their ability, leaving the client feeling

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acknowledged and understood. The therapist will absorb the various verbal and non-verbal
expressions by the client, further allowing the therapist to share in the client’s experience
(Martin, 2010). This further enhances the relationship between the therapist and the client. The
therapeutic relationship is an essential component of therapy which benefits the client when
strong relationships are created (Colosimo, Geller & Pos, 2012). Through presence the therapist
will be more knowing of their client due to increased awareness and attention and lowered sense
of judgement.
Therapeutic presence has the power to convey to the client that the therapist is interested
and committed to what the client is dealing with (Martin, 2010). In an effective counseling
session, therapists are able to experience the client moment to moment. Incorporating presence
into therapy in this regard allows for therapists to be with the client rather than do to the client
(Geller & Greenberg). Geller and Greenberg explain that through presence the therapist would
not be directing the client’s thoughts or feelings but rather receiving the client in their current
state and being compassionate. Effective counseling occurs when therapists bring tools to the
session that can benefit the client. If a therapist were to show up to a session without adequate
training, poor therapy results would occur. Since therapeutic presence is considered to be the
ultimate tool for understanding patients (Geller & Greenberg), bringing presence to a session
would result in a good counseling process. Using presence as a tool for success with the client
can develop the therapeutic process and encourage positive results for the client.
Cultivating presence in the personal life as well as professional life of a therapist can be
done in many ways. Bracketing is one way that a therapist can practice presence. Bracketing is
the process where personal beliefs, needs and assumptions are put aside in order to fully connect

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to the current moment (Geller & Greenberg). This helps the therapist prepare by letting their
thoughts to the side and creating space to be open and non-judgmental for the client. Bracketing
allows the therapist to absorb the client’s presence and needs during the therapy session.
Dr. Geller (2009) proposes that through mindfulness in real life situations, presence can
be developed. Dr. Geller defines mindfulness as a way of being with experience, full acceptance
and without judgment. Using one suggested exercise called the Daily Awareness Practice,
presence can be developed within an individual. By choosing one activity throughout the day
and being mindful and aware of aspects of that experience, the therapist would enhance their
ability to be present in various aspects of their life.
Another method of cultivating presence in a therapist’s personal life is through mindful
eating. By bringing a non-judgmental attitude to meal time, food can be savored, fullness can be
more accurately assessed and emotions are not tied into feeding behaviors (Plante & Erlandsen,
2014). Being present for the experience of eating can help the therapist develop connections to
sensory responses within their body. Divulging physiological, mental and emotional connections
with food can encourage therapists to connect with these senses and become aware of them in the
moment. Cultivating presence in one area of a therapist’s life familiarizes them with the process
and experience of presence. From here, present-orienting skills can be transferrable to therapy
sessions where the benefits are received by the client.
Reflecting on my personal journey of trying to cultivate presence in my own life, I realize
the significance of practice and reflection. The past month has been a journey that has had its

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share of highs and lows. Not long into starting my own practice I realized that my definition of
presence was not as complete as it is now. In January I believed that presence was a place where
your mind only thought of the current unfolding moment. Throughout the project I have been
expanding on this definition by experiencing different aspects of presence. To me, it now
incorporates sensory feelings, non-verbal communication, exclusiveness of the moment and
holistic experiences.
Naturally I am a very strong leading individual. I chose to take on a task full-force and
complete it to the best of my ability. When assigned this self-development project I recognized
myself becoming focused on what I thought was the end goal; to cultivate presence in aspects of
my life. The first few days that I could get into the present experience I thought I had cultivated
the skill and it would be practice from that point onward. I was greatly mistaken. The days that I
could not present-orient myself were really challenging. I struggled in various aspects of my day
– emotionally, physically and socially. I could not connect to my thoughts and feelings, let alone
the people around me. Recording my journey has shown me that the connections I did make to
the current moment were very complex and multidimensional. I comment on experiences of
holding my coffee and sensing my hands become an important part of my body; a grounding
object to the moment I was living in. I sensed smells from the pool I work at that I had never
really noticed before. My ability to receive internal signals was stronger than it has ever been
before. I recorded an experience with my younger sister in which I found myself surprised that I
was judgment free of her behavior which was an entirely new occurrence for me.
Spending one month developing presence in my life has expanded my ability to
comprehend the importance of therapists developing their skills and tools in order to be a
successful therapist as well as individual. At the beginning of this journey I would recognize

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myself not being mentally present with my physical experience; thinking ahead, planning out
activities, mapping out my time. As my practice became more familiar I was able to control these
future or past oriented thoughts in order to dive into the full moment with no hesitation. I wasn’t
happy spending my present-orientation focusing on my future thoughts; it was creating stress and
unnecessary worry about what I had to do next. The importance of presence for therapists is
remarkable. The experience of whole-heartedly jumping into their clients experience without
distracting personal thoughts or feelings is a level of presence that I wish to someday achieve.
I learned that therapists must undergo ongoing development of their skills in order to
become masters; they can practice using different methods and applying their skills in various
scenarios in their life. Therapeutic presence is a wonderful tool used in therapy with clients. It
has the potential to be very rewarding to both the client and therapist.
The last thing I want to mention about presence is the ability for it to harness control. I
used to think that I had to act or react in certain ways but now realize that when you are truly
present in the moment with yourself, you possess the control for your behaviors. A quote by
Mark Twain explains control by being present, “I have known a great many troubles, but most of
them never happened.” (Dixit,2008). Presence gives therapists the ability to personally and
professionally stay within the realm of what is happening. Presence allows you to be aware of
your current situation and not worrying about anything else until it is the right moment to deal
with it.

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References
Dixit, J. (2008, November 1). The Art of Now: Six Steps to Living in the Moment. Retrieved
February 22, 2015, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200810/the-art-
now-six-steps-living-in-the-moment
Geller, S. (2009). Cultivation of Therapeutic Presence: Therapeutic Drumming and Mindfulness
Practices. Journal for Client - Centered Psychotherapy, 47(4), 273-287. Retrieved
February 17, 2015, from
http://www.sharigeller.ca/_images/pdfs/CultivationPresence.pdf
Greenberg, L., & Geller, S. (n.d.). Congruence and Therapeutic Process. Retrieved February 23,
2015, from http://www.sharigeller.ca/_images/pdfs/Congruence_proofs.pdf
Martin, D. (2011). Chapter 8: Beyond Skills. In Counseling & Therapy Skills (3rd ed.).
Long Grove, Illinois: Waveland Press.
Plante, B., & Erlandsen, A. (2014, June 3). NDNR. Retrieved February 19, 2015, from
http://ndnr.com/mindbody/mindful-eating/
Psychotherapy Bulletin. (2012, January 1). Retrieved February 15, 2015, from
http://www.divisionofpsychotherapy.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/2012-Bulletin-
473.pdf