Tronick's still face experiments: their relevance to couple therapy

Abstract

The author describes the work of Tronick and associated mother–infant researchers, who have added to a deep understanding of analyst–patient dyadic interactions. As an analytically oriented couples therapist, the author is particularly interested in applying Tronick's dyadic system to the triadic one that is couples therapy. A clinical example is used to explore Tronick's concepts of interactive regulation, mismatch, rupture and repair, meaning making, dyadic expansion of consciousness, and the here and now, as they relate to couples therapy.