Beyond synchrony: Why disengagement can sometimes be the healthiest choice.

Abstract

Synchrony can support psychotherapy by enhancing rapport, emotional attunement, trust, and attachment. However, synchrony is not inherently beneficial: In some contexts, excessive or maladaptive synchrony may reinforce conformity, dependence, or dysfunctional relational patterns. We argue that the clinical meaning of synchrony depends on the interaction between interpersonal context, the individual's trait-like synchrony signature, and state-like deviations from that baseline. From this perspective, both synchrony and disengagement-including asynchronous interaction-may be therapeutically meaningful when they promote autonomy, differentiation, and adaptive change. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).