The Space Between Us

Contemplative Counseling and the Art of Encounter

Daniel Gutierrez, Stephanie Dorais

• Publisher: American Counseling Association
• Year: 2026
• Print ISBN:
  9781394448616
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9781394448623
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: Clinical Psychology
• Index: Psychology

Counselors are increasingly asked to work at the intersection of psychological suffering and spiritual longing, often without clear guidance on how to do so ethically, effectively, or well. The Space Between Us: Contemplative Counseling and the Art of Encounter is a practical, research-informed resource for mental health professionals to integrate contemplative practices into contemporary clinical care without abandoning empirical rigor or professional boundaries. Bridging the long-standing divide between empirical science and lived spiritual wisdom, this book clarifies how and when to use practices such as mindfulness, centering meditation, self-inquiry, and loving-kindness within contemporary counseling contexts.

Drawing on more than 15 years of clinical experience and a robust body of empirical research, the authors blend evidence-based insights with vivid case narratives to illuminate how contemplative practices can support treatment of anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, and existential distress. Chapters feature real-world clinical stories with concrete, usable practices, while addressing cultural humility, trauma-informed care, and ethical boundaries.

Distinctively, The Space Between Us foregrounds the counselor's own inner work as integral to therapeutic effectiveness, positioning presence itself as a central and powerful intervention. It offers a grounded, accessible alternative to technical manuals and uncritical spiritual self-help texts. For counselors, counselors-in-training, and integrative practitioners, this book is both a clinician's guide and an invitation to practice with greater depth, discernment, and humanity in a time of growing psychological and spiritual need.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Foreword
• Crying Without Tissues
• 1 The Case for Contemplation
• 2 When and How to Introduce Contemplative Practices
• 3 Stress, Perception, and the Return to Wholeness
• 4 The Dark Night of Emotion
• 5 Healing the Wounds
• 6 Why We Cling
• 7 Beyond Symptom Reduction
• 8 Presence as Intervention
• The Space Where Healing Happens
• Index
• About the Authors
• Technical Support
• End User License Agreement