The Influence of Compassion Meditation on the Psychotherapist’s Empathy and Clinical Practice: A Phenomenological Analysis

Marc Bibeau; Frédérick Dionne; Anaïs Riera; Jeannette Leblanc

doi:10.1177/0022167820953258

The Influence of Compassion Meditation on the Psychotherapist’s Empathy and Clinical Practice: A Phenomenological Analysis

Marc Bibeau, Frédérick Dionne, Anaïs Riera, Jeannette Leblanc

Journal of Humanistic Psychology 2025 DOI: 10.1177/0022167820953258 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract

Characteristics	Qualitative study Peer reviewed
Sample size	3
Population	Psychotherapists who already practiced mindfulness meditation
Intervention	Compassion meditation training
Duration	4-week intervention, 1-month follow-up
Topics	Meditation
Key findings	Compassion meditation training was perceived to enhance psychotherapists' empathy and clinical practice beyond benefits from mindfulness meditation alone.

Abstract

Mindfulness and compassion meditation practices have repeatedly been shown to have a positive impact on empathy and prosocial behavior. This study examines the perceived influence of compassion meditation on the psychotherapist’s empathy and clinical practice, beyond benefits already gained from a practice of mindfulness meditation. Three psychotherapists, who had already been practicing regular mindfulness meditation, engaged in compassion meditation training over a 4-week period. Repeated semistructured interviews were conducted before and after the 4-week period, as well as 1 month later. Phenomenological analysis of the interview data showed a perceived influence of compassion meditation on four main aspects labelled as follows: (a) The therapist’s relation to self, (b) Experiencing empathy, (c) Living a therapeutic relationship, and (d) Integrating change. Challenges and other stumbling blocks on these practices on compassion were also addressed by participants. These findings provide evidence for the inclusion of compassion meditation training in psychotherapy training curricula, as well as in burnout-prevention workshops.

Comparable studies

Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.

Study	Year	Design	Participants
The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists Western Buddhist meditation practitioners and experts in Theravāda, Zen, and Tibetan...	2017	Qualitative study with mixed-methods
The Effects of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction on Nurse Stress and Burnout Nurses in a hospital system	2004	Implementation study with mixed methods
An exploratory mixed methods study of the acceptability and effectiveness of mindfulness -based cognitive therapy for patients with active depression and anxiety in primary care Primary care patients with recurrent depression or recurrent depression and anxiety	2006	Exploratory mixed methods study	n = 13
A qualitative study of mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy for depression Participants in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in a mental-health context	2001	Qualitative study	n = 7
Effortless awareness: using real time neurofeedback to investigate correlates of posterior cingulate cortex activity in meditators' self-report Meditators	2013	Qualitative study using grounded theory methodology

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