Examining the Therapist Mindfulness in the Context of Therapeutic Alliance and Therapeutic Relationship: A Systematic Review
Emine Baylar, Seda Sapmaz Yurtsever
Psikiyatride Guncel Yaklasimlar - Current Approaches in Psychiatry May 26, 2025 DOI: 10.18863/pgy.1561473 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Therapists and clinicians, as examined in the included studies |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | The review reports that therapist mindfulness consistently supports the therapeutic alliance, with weekly and more frequent practitioners forming stronger alliances than non-practitioners or low-frequency practitioners. The authors propose that this link operates through reduced countertransference, increased empathy, and greater tolerance of negative emotions, and conclude that increasing therapists' mindfulness may be a worthwhile way to develop a strong therapeutic alliance. |
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.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cites 13
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Assessment of Mindfulness by Self-Report Assessment September 1, 2004
- Teaching self-care to caregivers: Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on the mental health of therapists in training. Training and Education in Professional Psychology May 1, 2007
- Mindfulness and Counseling Self‐Efficacy: The Mediating Role of Attention and Empathy Counselor Education and Supervision September 1, 2009
and 8 more in the library