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Research Report
Nonverbal communication and alliance in therapy: The body formation coding system
Article first published online: 2 JUN 1999
DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-4679(199904)55:4<425::AID-JCLP7>3.0.CO;2-D
Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Issue
1097-4679/asset/cover.gif?v=1&s=43ac4db4a2f77657e5f46efdab08d3cfed771880 "Journal of Clinical Psychology")
Journal of Clinical Psychology
Special Issue: The Future of Psychotherapy Training: Psychodynamic, Experiential, and Ecletic Perspectives
Volume 55, Issue 4, pages 425–438, April 1999
Additional Information
How to Cite
de Roten, Y., Darwish, J., Stern, D. J., Fivaz-Depeursinge, E. and Corboz-Warnery, A. (1999), Nonverbal communication and alliance in therapy: The body formation coding system. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 55: 425–438. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-4679(199904)55:4<425::AID-JCLP7>3.0.CO;2-D
Publication History
- Issue published online: 2 JUN 1999
- Article first published online: 2 JUN 1999
- Abstract
- References
- Cited By
Abstract
Body formations of therapist and couple during therapy sessions mainly function to signal their degree of readiness to interact or their degree of engagement in the therapeutic process, which is one contextual display of their affective communication. For this study, we developed the Body Formation Coding System (BFCS), a 4-category instrument to assess engagement at the triadic level. This article presents the BFSC method as well as a first validation on a sample of 14 triads. The results show that (a) triads vary according to their degree of triadic engagement; (b) engagement is related to the degree of therapeutic alliance; and (c) when the alliance is sufficient, a triadic invariant of engagement emerges. This means that partners regulate and coordinate their behaviors to maintain a stable level of engagement, whatever changes in their conversational organization. Finally, it discusses the potential of this method for describing the interactive aspects of the therapeutic alliance. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 55: 425–438, 1999.