 A previous study has investigated how LKM practice could change the way trainee therapists relate to themselves, others, and their clinical work.

Lovingkindness Meditation for Therapists in Training

It has been shown that mindfulness meditation aids therapists in feeling more empathy toward their clients. Specifically, some patterns of empathy in practicing therapists include the ability to comprehend the experience of clients better, increased feeling of being present when it came to a client describing suffering, and a stronger ability to help clients express how are they feeling physically and emotionally.

The Promotion of Empathy in Practicing Therapists 

Increased self compassion is one of the characteristics of practicing mindfulness for therapists. A therapist’s ability to adhere to some of the most important components of mindfulness, such as non-judging and non-reacting, were shown to be strongly affected by increased self compassion. With a sense of increase self compassion, therapists have a better ability to put themselves in others’ shoes and react to others experiences without feeling uncomfortable.

Enhanced Sense of Compassion in Practicing Therapists

In training to become a therapist, it has been shown that mindfulness can have positive effects on counseling skills. Some of the benefits of practicing mindfulness for therapist trainees include increased attentiveness to therapy sessions, becoming comfortable with silence, and being more attuned to the needs of themselves and their clients.

Efficacy of Counseling Skills for Therapist Trainees Who Practice Mindfulness

The usage of MBSR for therapist trainees has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety symptoms. Practicing therapist trainees have also been shown to benefit from mindfulness interventions due to the promotion of emotional intelligence in these programs, hence decreasing stress and anxiety. Additionally, medical students appear to reap similar benefits of practicing mindfulness as well.

Decreased Levels of Anxiety and Depression in Practicing Therapists Trainees and Medical Workers

- Empathy
- Compassion
- Counseling Skills 
- Decreased Anxiety and Depression

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

One way therapists can include mindfulness in their therapy is by practicing mindfulness themselves. This will increase the therapist's awareness of their client's emotions, thereby helping them better empathize, rather than try to fix their client's problems.

Practicing Therapist

Davis, D. M., & Hayes, J. A. (2011). What are the benefits of mindfulness? A practice review of psychotherapy-related research. Psychotherapy, 48(2), 198–208. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022062

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