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ARTICLE
COMMUNICATION AND THERAPEUTIC MEANING OF THERAPIST AND PATIENT NONVERBAL BEHAVIOURS
 
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Psychoter 2009;151(4):17-27
 
ABSTRACT
The most important skills necessary for effective interaction between therapist and patient, are usually non-verbal. Results of several studies indicate that non-verbal communication of the therapist is one of the most important factors in the level of satisfaction felt by the patient. It is not surprising therefore that there are many conditions for which nonverbal communication is functionally important both for the therapist and for the patient. To take full advantage of the power of non-verbal communication in interactions with patients, the therapist should be aware of occurrence of the five key communications services that non-verbal communication in the psychotherapeutic context: a) exchange of emotions, b) metacommunication, c) the protection of the sense of one's self, d) the formation and control of the impression and e) the support. To increase the efficiency of interaction with patients, therapists should first of all refer to the dysfunctional properties in theirs style of non-verbal communication (e.g., preference to non-verbal behaviour characteristics of people with high power, such as: too relaxed, opened and expansionary position of body; over slow pace of speaking; too brazen and direct visual contact, dynamic and planned actions and target long pause during the speech). Therapists and patients should also attach enormous importance to the improvement of their own non-verbal communication skills to enhance the effectiveness of mutual contact. Particular attention should be focused on the development of a communication that is needed to create the mutual agreement and mutual empathic reacting on oneself.
eISSN:2391-5862
ISSN:0239-4170
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