Efficacy of a mindfulness and compassion-based intervention in psychotherapists

What is it about?

We evaluate the efficacy of an Mindfulness-based compassion trainig in psychotherapists’ mindfulness skills and self-reported empathy, as well as its indirect effect on patients (patient-reported psychotherapists’ empathy, therapeutic bond, and symptomatology).

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Why is it important?

We found that an MCBI increased psychotherapeutic mindfulness skills and self-reported empathy in psychotherapists. Results for the patients showed an improvement in perceived empathy, therapeutic bond, and symptomatology. According to our exploratory model, the increase in psychotherapeutic mindfulness skills in psychotherapists after the MCBI is related to an increase in patient-reported psychotherapists’ empathy, which produces an improvement in the therapeutic bond and symptomatology (somatization, depression, and anxiety) immediately after the MCBI. Introducing MCBI in psychotherapists’ training can improve their psychotherapeutic skills, the bond with their patients, and the psychotherapy outcomes. Regarding the relationships found in the exploratory model, the patient-reported psychotherapists’ empathy increases the therapeutic bond and has positive effects on the patients’ symptomatology. Additional studies are needed to replicate these findings, expanding the sample to provide richer evaluations