Abstract
This research dossier contains an introduction, a literature review and two qualitative research reports. The three pieces of research explore influences on clients’ and therapists’ experiences of empathy and compassion. The first piece is a narrative literature review of factors that may contribute to client resistance to therapist empathic concern. This is followed by a qualitative exploration of therapists’ perspectives of compassionate therapeutic processes. The last piece is a report presenting a qualitative exploration of one person’s subjective experience of Focusing.