In a time of growing psychological and spiritual need, this book is both a clinician's guide and an invitation for counselors, counselors-in-training, and integrative practitioners to practice greater depth, discernment, and humanity. Bridging the long-standing divide between empirical science and lived spiritual wisdom, this book offers a grounded alternative to both overly technical manuals and uncritical self-help texts. 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. This book clarifies how and when to use practices such as mindfulness, centering meditation, self-inquiry, and loving-kindness within contemporary counseling contexts. It foregrounds the counselor’s own inner work as integral to therapeutic effectiveness, positioning presence itself as a central and powerful intervention.
Price: $49.99
Pages: 225
Publisher: American Counseling Association (ACA)
Imprint: American Counseling Association
Publication Date:
13 October 2026
Trim Size: 9.00 X 6.00 in
ISBN: 9781556200410
Format: Paperback
BISACs:
PSYCHOLOGY / Psychotherapy / Counseling, PSYCHOLOGY / Psychotherapy / Spiritually Integrated, BODY, MIND & SPIRIT / Mindfulness & Meditation, PSYCHOLOGY / Research & Methodology
Dr. Daniel Gutierrez is a licensed professional counselor, certified substance abuse counselor, and Professor of Counselor Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. He holds a PhD in Counselor Education from University of Central Florida. His research focuses on mental health strategies that support resilience, well-being, and human flourishing in the face of chronic stress and life challenges. His scholarship spans two primary areas: the development of evidence-informed interventions to promote individual and community thriving, and the exploration of contemplative practices and spirituality as pathways for personal transformation and social renewal. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and is the editor of the Counseling & Values journal. Dr. Gutierrez has received the American Counseling Association Fellow Award and serves as an associate editor for the Spirituality & Clinical Practice journal. In addition to his academic work, he enjoys publishing contemplative essays on his substack lifedeathcomedy.com
Dr. Stephanie Dorais is a licensed professional counselor and Clinical Assistant Professor of Counselor Education at the College of William & Mary. She holds a PhD in Counselor Education from the College of William & Mary. Her research explores how mindfulness, hope, and emotion regulation shape mental health, decision-making, and thriving. She has published in peer-reviewed journals and currently serves as the associate editor at the Counseling & Values journal.
Chapter 1 Crying without Tissue: On Being a Contemplative Counselor
Chapter 2 The Case for Contemplating: Why it Works
Chapter 3 When and How to Introduce Contemplative Practices
Chapter 4 Stress, Perception and the Return to Wholeness
Chapter 5 The Dark Night of Emotion: How Contemplation Transform Feeling into Healing
Chapter 6 Healing the Wounds: Transforming Trauma with Contemplation
Chapter 7 Why We Cling: Addiction, Attachment and the Slow Education of Desire
Chapter 8 Beyond Symptom Reduction: The Deeper Work of Therapy
Chapter 9 Presence as Intervention: The Counselor’s Inner Work
Chapter 10 The Space Where Healing Happens
