| INTRODUC TI ON"Relational Depth" is a term first used by Mearns (1996) to explore the significance for the client of relational aspects of therapy. It was introduced to a wider readership by Mearns and Cooper (2005) where it was described (p. xii) as "a state of profound contact and engagement between two people, in which each person is fully real with the other, and able to understand and value the other's experiences at a high level." Cooper (2013, p. 69) related clients' descriptions of "very physical sensations" during moments of deep connection, accompanied by "a sense of self-worth, self-acceptance and specialness." The term "relational depth" can be applied to "particular