A moment within the psychoanalytic psychotherapy of an adult female patient – The meanings of nonverbal and bodily expressions

Abstract

ABSTRACT This case study adresses the multiple meanings of a moment of strong non-verbal and bodily expression within a course of psychoanalytic psychotherapy. One therapy session was video-recorded in the private practice of the therapist-researcher. In selecting important moments for qualitative analysis, two criteria were used: 1) the moment included intense nonverbal or bodily expression 2) the moment was experienced by the therapist as intensely affecting, both in meanings and in bodily experiences. The automatic silence detection (ASD) algorithm was used to detect and locate changes in sound energy in the session audio. The moment selected for this study involved unexpected laughter. To capture the multiple layers of the psychotherapeutic interactions, the moment was analyzed using a micro-analytic approach, applying the Sandwich model of Harrison, which takes into consideration both the verbal and nonverbal interaction. Animated complementary bodily expressions were observed, mostly in congruence with the words. It appeared that the moment marked a rift in communication and at the same time the possibility to open up new insights into intergenerational traumas. The paper discusses the benefits of the research in the work of the therapist.