2 min read
How Improv-Trained Therapists Can Improve Emotional Attunement in Counselling
Curious what happens behind the scenes of therapist training? Learn how improv exercises are helping counsellors sharpen the very skills — listening, empathy, and connection — that make therapy work for you.
Today we're sharing insights from a conversation with Sera Jorgensen, a therapist building an innovative training curriculum that brings improv theatre exercises into counsellor development. While the episode is aimed at clinicians, it offers a fascinating window into how therapists work on themselves — building the exact skills that make sessions feel safe, responsive, and genuinely helpful for clients.
Key takeaways
- Why your therapist's own training matters to you. Counsellors don't just study theory — many actively practice skills like reading body language, emotional cues, and subtle shifts in mood. Improv-based training is one creative way therapists sharpen these abilities, which directly shapes how attuned they are to you in session.
- Mirroring: the root of feeling truly seen. One exercise has therapists practice mirroring another person's movement and emotional expression. This builds the kind of nonverbal attunement that helps you feel understood without having to explain everything in words.
- Repetition: picking up on the small stuff. A second exercise trains therapists to notice tiny shifts in tone, expression, or energy during a conversation — the same subtle changes a good counsellor should catch when you're opening up about something difficult.
- "Yes, and": building on what you bring to the room. Borrowed from improv, this principle teaches therapists to accept and build on whatever a client shares, rather than redirecting or dismissing it. In counselling, this translates into feeling heard and collaborated with, not judged.
- Practicing real scenarios, safely. Therapists also rehearse stepping into simulated counsellor-client scenarios together, trying out different responses in a low-stakes setting. This kind of practice helps them show up more confidently and flexibly when it's your real session.
Whether your counsellor uses traditional talk therapy or draws on creative approaches like improv, what matters most is finding someone attuned to you and your needs. Free Counselling Society Canada connects you with qualified, compassionate counsellors — completely free of charge — so you can start your journey toward better emotional wellbeing today.
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