Therapeutic Alliance: Grounding Interaction in Space

Abstract

The therapeutic alliance is one of the most important, unspecific effective factors in all therapy directions (common factor). This it also plays an outstanding role in the embodiment work. As described in the following section, there is an increasing volume of empirical proof as to what exactly happens in the interaction between two people, and thus also between therapist and client patient. Synchronisation and imitation processes play a supporting role. The knowledge about precisely these processes enables the therapist to reinforce the therapeutic relationship. The skills that are necessary and examples of appropriate exercises are described here, as well as the basic theoretical principles and how these are applied in the case example of Mr. F. 15.1 From Body to Body Client and therapist have bodies that interact with each other in space and time. Our embodiment techniques of working with the therapeutic relationship fit very well with the pioneering Interpersonal Synchrony (IS) model grounded in neurosci-ence (Koole & Tschacher, 2016). The model is described in more detail in Chap. 5. In the IS model, the therapeutic relationship is established by coupling the neural activities of the brains of the client and the therapist. The stronger this coupling between the two brains, the better the alliance. Of course, the brains of clients and therapists do not communicate directly with each other. Their coupling can thus