Date of Award
12-23-2014
Document Type
Undergraduate Capstone Project
Degree Name
Psy.D.
Organizational Unit
Graduate School of Professional Psychology
First Advisor
John McNeil
Second Advisor
Peter Buirski
Third Advisor
Kym Spring Thompson
Keywords
Yoga, Successful psychotherapists, Therapeutic outcomes, Self-care
Abstract
Yoga practice promotes awareness and acceptance, and serves as a body-centered medium for developing deepened self-understanding. Among patient populations, a growing body of evidence suggests that the benefits of yoga practice extend to both physical health and psychological well-being. However, the psychological impact of yoga practice on psychotherapists’ interpersonal responses, while potentially promising, has received little attention in the literature. This paper provides a historical overview of contemplative practices and discusses the role that yoga can play in developing certain interpersonal characteristics of the psychotherapist that are hypothesized to empower the therapeutic relationship and facilitate constructive behavior change on the part of the client, with a focus on acceptance, empathy, and compassion as core conditions. A model will be presented with emphasis on an epistemology of caring, developed through repeated exposure to the somatic field of experience as engendered through yogacentered mindfulness practice, and how this practice can help cultivate core characteristics of interpersonal responding that may benefit both the client and practitioner alike.
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Extent
39 pages
Recommended Citation
Paz, Jennifer, "Using Yoga Practice to Empower Psychotherapists’ Interpersonal Process" (2014). Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects. 20.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/capstone_masters/20