As a therapist, I use Compassionate Inquiry to help clients explore the roots of their emotional pain by focusing on the mind-body connection and the impact of trauma. Compassionate Inquiry® is a psychotherapeutic approach created by Dr. Gabor Maté over several decades while working with both patients and retreat participants. It was further developed into a training program by Sat Dharam Kaur ND. Unlike more directive or solution-focused therapies, this approach emphasizes client-led exploration, deep compassion, and the creation of a safe, non-judgmental space for self-discovery. By integrating physical sensations and emotional insights, it facilitates healing of the whole person, allowing clients to release trauma and move toward self-compassion and understanding.
Image credits: Compassionate Inquiry®
As a therapist, I am deeply drawn to the profound depth that Compassionate Inquiry® brings to the therapeutic process. Developed by Dr. Gabor Maté and Sat Dharam Kaur ND, this approach focuses on understanding the roots of psychological distress through empathy, curiosity, and non-judgment. The approach encourages a deep, compassionate exploration of a clients’ inner world, where the therapist acts not as a fixer but as a guide who witnesses and facilitates the client’s self-discovery. It’s an approach that sets itself apart from other psychotherapeutic techniques in several significant ways.
Trauma and the Body’s Role in Healing
As Compassionate Inquiry practitioners, one of the first things we pay attention to is how a client’s past trauma may be showing up in their body. Compassionate Inquiry emphasizes that trauma, especially from early life, often gets stored in the body, manifesting as emotional and psychological patterns that persist into adulthood. Instead of just focusing on changing thoughts or behaviors, we work with clients to uncover the ways their bodies hold onto these experiences.
This differs from cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which focuses on changing negative thought patterns. While CBT can be effective, I find that Compassionate Inquiry allows for a much deeper exploration by involving the body in the healing process. When I help clients connect with their physical sensations—areas of tension, numbness, or heaviness—it opens a door to understanding how their trauma is not just a mental experience but also deeply somatic.
Client-Led Exploration
During a Compassionate Inquiry session, a Practitioner uses a client-led approach. Rather than providing solutions or directions, we invite clients to explore their inner experiences at their own pace. Our role is to ask reflective questions, offer gentle observations, and create a space where they feel safe enough to let their truths emerge.
This contrasts with other approaches, like solution-focused therapy, where the therapist is more directive and aimed at quickly resolving issues. I believe there’s great value in allowing clients the time to uncover deeper insights about themselves rather than rushing toward a solution. Compassionate Inquiry allows for a slower, more organic process of self-discovery, which often leads to profound healing.
Compassion and the Therapeutic Relationship
The heart of Compassionate Inquiry lies in the therapeutic relationship itself. We aim to approach clients with deep compassion, creating an environment where they feel safe to explore even the most vulnerable parts of themselves. In this space, they can examine emotions and memories they might have otherwise kept hidden.
This stands in contrast to some other approaches, like psychodynamic therapy, where the therapist might take a more interpretive or occasionally authoritative stance. While those insights can be valuable, I’ve found that my clients thrive when they feel we are equals in the process. Our role is to guide, but never to direct or impose our interpretations.
Mind-Body Integration
One of the unique elements a Compassionate Inquiry Practitioner may bring into the session is a strong focus on the connection between the mind and body. We often encourage clients to tune into their physical sensations during sessions because the body often holds the key to deeper emotional insights. When they can identify where in their bodies they feel emotions—whether it’s a tight chest or a knot in their stomach—it helps unlock those emotional experiences that might otherwise be suppressed or misunderstood.
This somatic focus sets Compassionate Inquiry apart from many traditional talk therapies, which tend to focus primarily on verbal expression and cognitive insight. In my experience, by integrating bodily awareness into therapy, my clients are able to process emotions more fully and release trauma stored in their bodies, leading to a more complete and holistic healing process.
Understanding Patterns of Adaptation
One of the most rewarding aspects of this work is helping clients recognize the ways they’ve adapted to past trauma or pain. Often, these adaptations—such as emotional avoidance, negative self-beliefs, or people-pleasing—were necessary for survival at some point. Compassionate Inquiry allows us to explore these patterns without judgment, helping clients understand why they developed them and how they might no longer serve them.
This approach differs from techniques like cognitive-behavioral therapy, where the goal is often to challenge and change maladaptive thoughts and behaviors. While that can be helpful, understanding and accepting why these patterns developed is a crucial step toward healing. By honoring these adaptations, clients are able to release them more naturally, often without the need for force or pressure.
A Space for Spirituality
Though not always central to every session, Compassionate Inquiry can help create space for clients to explore existential or spiritual dimensions of their healing if they wish. Some of my clients seek to connect with a deeper sense of self or a higher purpose, and this approach allows for that exploration. It’s about helping clients reconnect with their essence, beyond the conditioned mind or ego, and tap into a sense of meaning that can be very healing.
This spiritual aspect is something I’ve found lacking in more structured, secular therapies like dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) or CBT, which focus on teaching practical skills for managing distress. While those methods are valuable, Compassionate Inquiry offers an approach that integrates mind, body, and spirit, allowing clients to engage with questions of meaning and identity on a deeper level.
As a therapist, I’ve seen firsthand the transformative power of Compassionate Inquiry. It offers a deeply compassionate, non-judgmental space where clients can explore their inner worlds at their own pace. Unlike more directive or solution-focused therapies, Compassionate Inquiry encourages a client-led process that honors the mind-body connection, explores trauma with curiosity, and provides a holistic space for healing. Through this approach, CI Practitioners help their clients uncover emotional truths, release long-held patterns, and move toward a more compassionate relationship with themselves. This is one thing that makes Compassionate Inquiry so distinct and effective—it’s a method of healing that honours the complexity and depth of the human experience, allowing for profound transformation through self-compassion and understanding.
