ABSTRACT
The quality of the therapeutic relationship accounts for an important source of the variance in therapeutic outcome. This chapter looks at the nature and particular challenges that compassion focused therapy presents the therapist. It explores how the therapist utilises attachment concepts such as proximity seeking, secure base, and safe haven, as a grounding for establishing a compassion-based style of relating. It considers how various micro skills, process of mind awareness, and self-reflection can be underpinned by the compassion social mentality, especially as the therapist maintains a compassionate mind state for the use of mindfulness and body grounding. As the therapeutic relationship is both the bedrock of therapy, and the conduit for which tasks and goals are worked through (and a compassionate mind cultivated), this chapter will explore the ways in which a compassion focus can be used in the therapeutic relationship
