The Therapist Presence Series: Why It Matters
Why a therapist's presence can be more foundational than technique - and how deliberate practice helped shape TheraTrain AI.
Chani (Caroline) Silver
Author
It’s been almost two years since I earned my LPC license, a personal journey I wouldn't trade for anything. I am forever grateful to my instructors and supervisors at Carlow University for guiding me, and ultimately grateful to Hashem for granting me this privilege.
Looking back at that process, the single most life-changing skill I learned was 'being with' someone else. Even as a mother and grandmother many times over (B"H!), I had never intentionally honed that quality. I may have heard the term, but I had no true concept of what it meant. I still work at it daily - I’d score myself as “Developing” in non-judgmental presence. The most exciting thing is that as my ability to stay non-judgmentally present improves, my actual, measurable clinical skills get better as well.
Getting to this point took practice, self-presence and more practice. I have been learning as I go. I wish I’d had access to multiple, consistent opportunities for deliberate practice when I was a student and just starting out - which is what inspired me to create TheraTrain AI. (Check out Thera-Train AI LLC). But even more, I wish I had understood myself and how I relate to others. Moving forward, I’ll be using this blog to explore PRESENCE in the therapy room and share the specific exercises that helped me cultivate it.