Abstract
The focus of this thesis was to explore the space between the client and the therapist and investigate
the existing understanding and interpretation of this space, as well as its value and contribution to
the therapeutic relationship. This research focused on a number of concepts including the therapeutic
relationship, relational depth, theories of creativity and play, and some more existential and
philosophical questions in relation to the search for meaning. This was an exploratory study using a
qualitative research design investigating the experience of five accredited humanistic and integrative
psychotherapists. Three central themes emerged; the contribution of the therapeutic alliance as the
foundation for accessing the space between the client and therapist, the need for creativity and play
to engage with this space and the search for meaning that unfolds, both on a practical level to
explain the concept and also on an existential level, within the space. This paper offers the
opportunity to reflect on a deeper and more abstract aspect of the therapeutic relationship which
underpins psychotherapeutic practice.
