Imitation as a method of analyses: Understanding participants’ perspectives

ABSTRACT This article discusses how and why imitation of research participants’ verbal and non-verbal language can improve our understanding of interaction processes in counselling. Experiences from a research project are presented to illustrate challenges and advantages in the process of analysis. An analytical approach was developed during the project, in which imitation of the participants’ verbal and non-verbal language was used. Imitation as a method of analysis is discussed with ‘phenomenology of the body’ as a frame of reference. The conclusion is that imitation can add to the understanding of counselling processes by serving as a tool for understanding participants’ perspectives in a way that gives a holistic picture of the interaction between them. This is possible because imitation activates the researcher’s insight based on bodily experience and tacit knowledge. Thus, interpretation and theorizing of the research phenomenon can be strengthened.