Resources

It can be helpful to immerse ourselves in deeper practice.

Please enjoy these guided meditations:

Click here for a guided meditation by Tara Brach.

This meditation, by Tara Brach, guides the listener to be fully present in the everchanging moment.

Click here for a guided meditation by Jon Kabat Zinn.

Jon Kabat-Zinn guides the listener to use the breath as an anchor for present-moment awareness.

Click here for a guided meditation by Kristin Neff.

A guided self-compassion meditation by Kristin Neff.

Click here for a guided meditation by Sharon Salzberg.

Sharon Salzberg guides the listener in a lovingkindness guided meditation.

MAGAZINE AND NEWSPAPER ARTICLES

Click here for HuffPost article, "Fierce Compassion."

In this brief HuffPost article, Sharon Salzberg explains the importance of accessing "fierce compassion" in response to difficult situations and intense emotions.

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Anderson, T., Ogles,, B. M., Patterson, C. L., Lambert, M. J., & Vermeersch, D. A. (2009). Therapist effects: Facilitative interpersonal skills as a predictor of therapist success. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 65(7), 755–768. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20583

This study assessed therapists’ facilitative interpersonal skills (FIS) when interacting with a challenging client and revealed a positive correlation between therapist effects and outcome variance.

Baltes, P. B., & Staudinger, U. M. (2000). Wisdom: A metaheuristic (pragmatic) to orchestrate mind and virtue toward excellence. American Psychologist, 55(1), 122–136. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066x.55.1.122

The authors present wisdom research viewed through the perspective of the Berlin wisdom paradigm.

Christopher, J. C., Chrisman, J. A., Trotter-Mathison, M. J., Schure, M. B., Dahlen, P., & Christopher, S. B. (2010). Perceptions of the long-term influence of mindfulness training on counselors and Psychotherapists. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 51(3), 318–349. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022167810381471

A qualitative study examining the impact of therapist mindfulness training.

Collard, P (2007). skillful means at the intersection of neuropsychology and the contemplative disciplines: Patrizia Collard interviews Rick Hanson and Richard Mendius. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 20, 169-175. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/095150701405930

A published interview of a clinical psychologist and a board-certified neurologist presenting the intersection of psychology, neurology, and contemplative practice.

Feldman, C., & Kuyken, W. (2011). Compassion in the landscape of suffering. Contemporary Buddhism, 12(1), 143–155. https://doi.org/10.1080/14639947.2011.564831

The authors describe the importance of meeting pain with compassion.

Fitzpatrick, M. R., Janzen, J., Chamodraka, M., & Park, J. (2006). Client critical incidents in the process of early alliance development: A positive emotion–exploration spiral. Psychotherapy Research, 16(4), 486–498. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503300500485391

This study explores how clients perceive critical incidents in therapeutic alliance development in early sessions.

Flückiger, C., Del Re, A. C., Wampold, B. E., & Horvath, A. O. (2018). The alliance in adult psychotherapy: A meta-analytic synthesis. Psychotherapy, 55(4), 316–340. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000172

A meta-analysis of 295 studies about the relationship between the therapeutic alliance and treatment outcome, which indicates a positive correlation.

Gilbert, P. (2018). Explorations into the nature and function of compassion. Current Opinion in Psychology, 28, 108–114. https://doi.org/10.31231/osf.io/tz49q

This article explores the evolution of compassion, how it can be understood as a social mentality, and compassionate mind training.

MacFarlane, P., Anderson, T., & McClintock, A. S. (2015). The early formation of the working alliance from the client’s perspective: A qualitative study. Psychotherapy, 52(3), 363–372. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038733

Qualitative research which examines clients’ perceptions of the early formation of the working alliance.

Neff, K. (2003). Self-compassion: An alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself. Self and Identity, 2, 85–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860309032

Norcross, J. C., & Lambert, M. J. (2018). Psychotherapy relationships that work III. Psychotherapy, 55(4), 303–315. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000193

This study summarizes the most relevant research on elements of the therapeutic relationship.

Porges, Stephen W. (2003). Social engagement and attachment. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1008(1), 31–47. https://doi.org/10.1196/annals.1301.004

A model of social engagement is presented through the neurophysiological lens of the Polyvagal Theory.

Rogers, C. R. (1957). The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 21(2), 95–103. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0045357

The seminal article by Carl Rogers on the necessary and sufficient conditions of personality change, including unconditional positive regard.

Safran, J. D., & Kraus, J. (2014). Alliance ruptures, impasses, and enactments: A relational perspective. Psychotherapy, 51(3), 381–387. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0036815

The researchers explain the theoretical foundations, interventions, and empirical findings of alliance ruptures.

Safran, J. D., Muran, J. C., & Eubanks-Carter, C. (2011). Repairing alliance ruptures. Psychotherapy Relationships That Work, 224–238. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199737208.003.0011

This article consists of two meta-analyses: 1) the relationship between episodes of alliance rupture-repair and treatment outcome, and 2) the impact on treatment outcome of training therapists to use rupture interventions.

Schut, A. J., Castonguay, L. G., Flanagan, K. M., Yamasaki, A. S., Barber, J. P., Bedics, J. D., & Smith, T. L. (2005). Therapist interpretation, patient-therapist interpersonal process, and outcome in psychodynamic psychotherapy for avoidant personality disorder. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 42(4), 494–511. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-3204.42.4.494

Through exploring the connection between interpretive techniques, the therapeutic relationship, and outcome in psychodynamic psychotherapy, researchers concluded that clients were more hostile, rather than warm, when therapists persisted with their interpretations.

Spencer, J., Goode, J., Penix, E. A., Trusty, W., & Swift, J. K. (2019). Developing a collaborative relationship with clients during the initial sessions of psychotherapy. Psychotherapy, 56(1), 7–10. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000208

This study demonstrates strategies for building a collaborative relationship with clients in the initial therapy sessions.

Stickle, M. (2016). The expression of compassion in social work practice. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 35(1-2), 120–131. https://doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2015.1067587

The comparison of empathy and compassion is discussed, in addition to the implecations for social work practice.

Strong, S. D. (2021). Contemplative psychotherapy: Clinician mindfulness, Buddhist psychology, and the therapeutic common factors. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 31(2), 146–162. https://doi.org/10.1037/int0000191

This article reviews contemplative psychotherapy as it relates to the common therapeutic factors and Buddhist psychology.

Swift, J. K., & Greenberg, R. P. (2012). Premature discontinuation in adult psychotherapy: A meta-analysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 80(4), 547–559. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0028226

A meta-analysis about premature termination from psychotherapy revealed that approximately 20% of clients drop out prematurely.

BOOKS

Siegel, D. J. (2007). The Mindful Brain: Reflection and attunement in the cultivation of well-being. W. W. Norton.

The author integrates neuroscience with mindfulness to demonstrate the benefits of present-moment awareness.

Geller, S. M. (2017). A practical guide to cultivating therapeutic presence. American Psychological Association.

The author discusses the research on therapeutic presence and offers techniques for therapists to engage more deeply and be more fully present.

Levitt, H., & Grabowski, L. (2019). Professional Wisdom: Functions and Processes of Psychotherapeutic and Judicial Wisdom. In The Cambridge Handbook of Wisdom (pp. 676–697). Cambridge University Press.

This book chapter explains the research on the meaning and function of professional wisdom.

Muran, J. C., & Eubanks, C. F. (2020). Therapist performance under pressure: Negotiating emotion, difference, and rupture. American Psychological Association.

The authors provide strategies for therapists to manage emotions and repair therapeutic ruptures.

Trungpa Chögyam, & Gimian, C. R. (2005). Discovering Basic Goodness. In The sanity we are born with: A Buddhist approach to psychology (pp. 19–24). Shambhala.

This book contains essays by Buddhist master Chogyam Trungpa, who provides teachings that integrate Buddhist and western psychotherapy with an underlying teaching that we all inherently have basic goodness, as he terms “basic sanity.”