Compassionate presence: Buddhist practice and the Person-Centred Approach

Abstract

This article explores the relationship between the Person-Centred Approach (PCA) and Buddhist practice, considering therapeutic presence as a bridge between the two. A small-scale research project, using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), was undertaken with four therapists with a Buddhist practice and trained in the PCA. Interviews explored therapists’ experiences of their Buddhist practice in relation to the PCA and therapeutic presence. The four key themes identified – ‘Internal Authority’, ‘Whole-hearted Engagement’, ‘Therapeutic Space’ and ‘Compassion and Acceptance’ – describe a holistic and integral relationship between the PCA and Buddhist practice. While therapeutic presence is an important factor in the relationship, the quality of presence in the therapeutic space, which emphasizes compassion and acceptance, is a significant feature of this relationship.