An Exploration of Embodied Relating and the Implications for the Therapeutic Encounter

Alice Weston

An Exploration of Embodied Relating and the Implications for the Therapeutic Encounter

Authors

Alice Weston Author

Keywords:

Embodiment, chiasm, Merleau-Ponty, ambiguity, space between, encounter, threshold

Abstract

This paper seeks questions regarding embodied relating in the therapeutic encounter through engagement with Merleau Ponty’s Chiasm. It questions whether the term ‘embodiment’ incorporates the dynamism and complexity our relating requires or whether it, ironically, perpetuates dualistic thinking.