Facilitating dyadic synchrony in psychotherapy sessions: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Resource Type
- Article
- Authors
- Atzil-Slonim, Dana; Soma, Christina S.; Zhang, Xinyao; Paz, Adar; Imel, Zac E.
- Source
- Psychotherapy Research. Sep2023, Vol. 33 Issue 7, p898-917. 20p.
- Subject
- *SYNCHRONIC order
*PSYCHOTHERAPY
*PSYCHOTHERAPISTS
*DYADS
- Language
- ISSN
- 1050-3307
Objective: This paper highlights the facilitation of dyadic synchrony as a core psychotherapist skill that occurs at the non-verbal level and underlies many other therapeutic methods. We define dyadic synchrony, differentiate it from similar constructs, and provide an excerpt illustrating dyadic synchrony in a psychotherapy session. Method: We then present a systematic review of 17 studies that have examined the associations between dyadic synchrony and psychotherapy outcomes. We also conduct a meta-analysis of 8 studies that examined whether there is more synchrony between clients and therapists than would be expected by chance. Results: Weighted box score analysis revealed that the overall association of synchrony and proximal as well as distal outcomes was neutral to mildly positive. The results of the meta-analysis indicated that real client-therapist dyad pairs exhibited synchronized behavioral patterns to a much greater extent than a sample of randomly paired people who did not actually speak. Conclusion: Our discussion revolves around how synchrony can be facilitated in a beneficial way, as well as situations in which it may not be beneficial. We conclude with training implications and therapeutic practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]