Centering and counselor empathy: Examining the moderating effects of nondual awareness
Daniel Gutiérrez, Stephanie Dorais, Jennifer Niles
Journal of Counseling & Development June 17, 2024 DOI: 10.1002/jcad.12528 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA 4-week centering meditation practice significantly and sustainably increased empathy among counseling graduate students across the United States. The increase was statistically significant and sustained over time. Nondual bliss, a dimension of nonduality, moderated the changes in empathy, with the effect varying over time. Centering meditation is presented as a practical tool for grounding counselors before and after sessions, with implications for counselor training.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Counseling graduate students across the United States |
| Intervention | Centering meditation |
| Duration | 4-week treatment |
| Keywords | Empathy Counselor education Social psychology Clinical psychology Applied psychology |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key finding | A 4-week centering meditation treatment led to a statistically significant and sustained increase in empathy among counseling graduate students, with nondual bliss moderating this change over time. |
Abstract
Abstract Centering is a contemplative practice derived from centering prayer. In the context of counseling, our study explores centering as an intervention to enhance counselors’ empathy. Additionally, we investigate the moderating influence of nonduality, particularly bliss, on the changes in empathy over time. Through a randomized controlled trial involving counseling graduate students across the United States, we measured empathy and nonduality. Following a 4‐week centering meditation treatment, the initial growth curve model revealed a statistically significant and sustained increase in empathy ( p < 0.001). The second model underscored the significance of the three‐way interaction between group, time, and nondual bliss, indicating a time‐varying moderating effect on empathy. This research has practical implications for counseling and counselor training, endorsing centering meditation as a valuable tool for grounding counselors pre‐ and post‐sessions and providing avenues for future exploration and application.