Flowers, Tears and Fog: How Counselling Practitioners Experience and Respond to Clients' Emotions in Therapy

ABSTRACT Objective Empathy is one of the most important components within the therapeutic relationship. Understanding how counselling practitioners experience and respond to clients' emotions holds key relevance for both practitioners and clients. Whilst emotional convergence is reported to be therapeutically beneficial, a persistent transfer of negative emotion may lead to adverse effects. This study investigated whether counsellors experience emotion contagion in a clinical context, and if so, whether they experience clients' emotions psychologically, physically or both. Methods Using semi‐structured interviews, this study explored nine practitioners' experience of clients' emotions. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results Eight out of nine practitioners reported experiencing clients' emotions physically. Positive effects included the sense of connection with clients and practitioners' fulfilment and growth. Negative effects included feeling overwhelmed, feeling emotionally exhausted and an affective residue. Conclusion Practitioners automatically resonate with clients' emotions. This benefits both practitioners and clients. However, when self‐other distinction or regulation fails, the accumulation of unregulated arousal has a negative impact on practitioners during sessions and after.