The therapeutic dimension of encounter according to Antoni Kępiński

The dialogical concept of the person with its roots in the philosophy of encounter is the anthropological background of both the practice and theoretical concept of Antoni Kępiński, an eminent psychiatrist, psychotherapist and humanist. Repeatedly in his works he emphasises the role of the relationship between doctor/therapist and patient as a significant factor in the therapeutic process. The article characterises selected features of the psychotherapeutic relationship based on Kępiński’s thought. Kępiński’s fundamental postulates regarding this particular type of interpersonal contact, which is the doctor-patient relationship, are also outlined, relating them to psychotherapy. The aim of the article is not only to outline the theoretical underpinnings, but also to point out the practical value of these ideas in psychotherapeutic and pedagogical contexts, and wherever there is an encounter between people.