Examining the Therapist Mindfulness in the Context of Therapeutic Alliance and Therapeutic Relationship: A Systematic Review
Examining the Therapist Mindfulness in the Context of Therapeutic Alliance and Therapeutic Relationship: A Systematic Review

Summary/Abstract: The objective of this study is to conduct a comprehensive review literature researches examining the relationships between therapist mindfulness and the therapeutic alliance and therapeutic relationship. To this end, articles published on the subject between 2006 and 2024 were identified through a search databases PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, Taylor & Francis Online, Science Direct, Turkish Psychiatry Index, ULAKBIM and TR Index databases using the identified keywords. After rigorous evaluation process based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 25 quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods studies were included in this study. Mindfulness practices were mostly conducted under the guidance of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programme, which includes a variety of practices such as body scanning, hatha yoga, sitting meditation, daily mindfulness practices and conscious relaxation exercises. The results showed that mindfulness supports the therapeutic alliance in a very consistent way. It was found that therapists' acceptance of themselves and their clients increased with the practice of mindfulness, and that clinicians with high levels of mindfulness were able to maintain the therapeutic alliance more effectively. It was found that clinicians who practised mindfulness on a weekly basis were able to engage in a stronger therapeutic alliance than those who did not practise at all, and clinicians with a high frequency of weekly practice were able to engage in a stronger therapeutic alliance than those with a low frequency of practice. In addition, mindfulness practice was found to support the therapeutic alliance through several mechanisms, such as reducing countertransference, increasing empathy, and increasing tolerance of negative emotions. In conclusion, the findings of this review suggest that increasing therapists' levels of mindfulness would be a highly worthwhile endeavour in terms of developing a strong therapeutic alliance.

• Details
• Contents