Abstract
Mental health problems remain among the main generators of costs within and beyond the health care system. Psychotherapy, the tool of choice in their treatment, is qualified by social interaction, and cooperation within the therapist-patient-dyad. Research into the factors influencing therapy success to date is neither exhaustive nor conclusive. Among many others, the quality of the relationship between therapist and patient stands out regardless of the followed psychotherapy school. Emerging research points to a connection between interpersonal synchronization within the sessions and therapy outcome. Consequently, it can be considered significant for the shaping of this relationship. The framework of Embodied Cognition assumes bodily and neuronal correlates of thinking. Therefore, the present paper reviews investigations on interpersonal, non-verbal synchrony in two domains: firstly, studies on interpersonal synchrony in psychotherapy are reviewed (synchronization of movement). Secondly, findings on neurological correlates of interpersonal synchrony (assessed with EEG, fMRI, fNIRS) are summarized in a narrative manner. In addition, the question is asked whether interpersonal synchrony can be achieved voluntarily on an individual level. It is concluded that there might be mechanisms which could give more insights into therapy success, but as of yet remain uninvestigated. Further, the framework of embodied cognition applies more to the current body of evidence than classical cognitivist views. Nevertheless, deeper research into interpersonal physical and neurological processes utilizing the framework of Embodied Cognition emerges as a possible route of investigation on the road to lower drop-out rates, improved and quality-controlled therapeutic interventions, thereby significantly reducing healthcare costs.
Highlights
Psychological psychotherapy is an important method of treatment in modern society
Psychotherapy is one of the tools used by modern medicine to alleviate the suffering caused by ailments such as depression, anxiety disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or schizophrenia [e.g., [12,13,14,15,16]]
Is there a connection between the ability to recruit these areas and the ability to adapt to others? Here, too, we must ask the question of volition—for an inability to refrain from adaption, i.e., an inability to choose the leader or follower position depending on the situation, is by no means “healthier” than an inability to adapt
Summary
Psychological psychotherapy is an important method of treatment in modern society. The number of individuals with psychiatric diagnoses constitutes a considerable part of the general population; in Germany, for example, the proportion of individuals with a diagnosed mental health disorder amounts to close to 30%. In line with the above-mentioned theories of interpersonal dynamics in psychotherapy numerous studies point toward the therapeutic alliance as a key factor in and predictor of a given therapy’s success [18, 19] This alliance between both protagonists of an individual psychotherapy (i.e., the therapist and the patient) is considered to be influenced by components such as the shared pursuit of a common goal (e.g., an improvement of the patient’s quality of life) and interindividual sympathy, which in turn enable the patient’s capacity to change (e.g., their behavior, cognitive and perceptual strategies, and patterns, etc.) [48]. It has been shown that the role (with regards to leader vs. follower) taken by either therapist or patient within the first sessions of psychotherapy is indicative of the therapy’s success, likely because it pre-sets the stage on which interaction can take place and alliance can emerge
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