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: 224
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
"Many clinicians know there are depth dimensions in the healing process because they experience these dimensions with their clients. But the question is how to understand these deeper dimensions of healing –and how to actively draw on these dimensions as resources in the therapeutic work. In this book the authors share their insights into these matters they have learned in their clinical work over the years."
James Finley, PhD, author of several popular books on spirituality and Christian mysticism including Merton's Palace of Nowhere, The Contemplative Heart, and Christian Meditation: Experiencing the Presence of God. Along with founder Richard Rohr, he is a core faculty member at the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
— James Finley, PhD
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
