Affiliation:
1. Department of Counseling and Special Education Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond Virginia USA
2. Department of School Psychology and Counselor Education William & Mary Williamsburg Virginia USA
3. Department of Counseling and Educational Development University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro North Carolina USA
Abstract
AbstractCentering is a contemplative practice derived from centering prayer. In the context of counseling, our study explores centering as an intervention to enhance counselors’ empathy. Additionally, we investigate the moderating influence of nonduality, particularly bliss, on the changes in empathy over time. Through a randomized controlled trial involving counseling graduate students across the United States, we measured empathy and nonduality. Following a 4‐week centering meditation treatment, the initial growth curve model revealed a statistically significant and sustained increase in empathy (p < 0.001). The second model underscored the significance of the three‐way interaction between group, time, and nondual bliss, indicating a time‐varying moderating effect on empathy. This research has practical implications for counseling and counselor training, endorsing centering meditation as a valuable tool for grounding counselors pre‐ and post‐sessions and providing avenues for future exploration and application.