Therapeutic presence (TP) is an essential factor in effective therapeutic and clinical relationships. Therapeutic presence is a way of being that optimises the doing and techniques of therapy. Two decades of research on the art and science of presence have suggested it is an essential common factor and underlying contributor to a positive and effective therapeutic alliance. TP provides clients with a sense of safety, allowing them to be seen, heard, understood, and “feel felt,” allowing for deeper engagement in the work of therapy. TP invites therapists to work on their own balance of presence and compassion with self and clients, ensuring they remain centered and effective even in the face of difficult emotions. This type of relationship helps regulate clients’ emotions and supports their movement towards growth and emotional through both safety and co-regulation with a grounded and present centered therapist. Practicing TP also sustains clinicians’ vitality, connection, and effectiveness.

Self-compassion (SC) is also a key resource for clinicians, to both support therapeutic presence as well as working through the difficulties that keep them present in the face of clients’ difficult emotions and trauma. Research shows that SC is strongly associated with therapists’ emotional well-being, healthy habits, and more fulfilling relationships. 

Together, therapeutic presence and self-compassion are powerful resources for counsellors to maintain emotional balance in the midst of challenging clinical work, to feel energized by their work with their clients, and to prevent caregiver fatigue and burn-out.

In this webinar, we will explore an empirically validated model of TP and how to create safety using neurophysiological principles based on concepts such as co-regulation and neuroception of safety stemming from Polyvagal Theory (Geller & Porges, 2014). We will incorporate evidenced 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 (co-authored with Leslie Greenberg, 2022), including mindfulness, self-compassion, and experiential practices. SC will be explored as a powerful tool for overcoming barriers such as self-doubt, navigating through difficult emotions, and addressing therapeutic ruptures. This talk will be didactic and experiential to give an introduction to practices and techniques for cultivating therapists’ presence and self-compassion.

Dr. Shari Geller is an author, clinical psychologist, and certified Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) teacher, offering training modules in therapeutic presence internationally as part of a longer-term vision of having presence be a foundational training across psychotherapy approaches. Shari co-authored the book, Therapeutic Presence: A Mindful Approach to Effective Therapeutic Relationships – 2^nd Edition (2022) with Dr. Leslie 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: Grounding Psychotherapy in Self-Compassion (2025).

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. She is a therapist, supervisor, and trainer in Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT). 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). She is a co-developer 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 enjoys playing the HandPan and djembe and founded the Therapeutic Rhythm and Mindfulness Program (TRM™). Her love of nature and her dogs, along with her 35-year personal meditation practice help to keep her present in the moment.

www.sharigeller.ca       www.cmbh.ca