Mmm, that's a really good question Puzzle bug. The way I was trained and it's not the way every therapist is trained but it is how I was trained for the last five years. We were trained to sit and meet with clients. To be as fully present as we can. We were told to literally to the client, not just the story they are telling but what they are not saying too. We were thought to pay attention to their body language And movements. This is where you really see what is going on between you both. I learned to really notice the others movements and gestures and to occasionally bring that into the room. I try and be non judgemental and supportive without dis empowering the client. We learn all about people coping mechanisms and creative adjustments and mostly we learn this from ourselves. For example I tend to isolate in social settings because I get afraid around large groups. Or we learned experientially by group work, we learned about how we relate to each other and why that is, we have we had to isolate. Through the gestalt model I really learned how to make real contact with others by being present and engaged and when I am neither I learned how to say what I thought without worrying about being ignored or scorned. I learned to stop abandoning myself and start listening to myself. I learned that everyone is different and that's completely ok. I learned that you can only connect with some only when they want to. It's hard to explain but i hope this helps a little?