Circling Science

Nonverbal synchrony in psychotherapy: Coordinated body movement reflects relationship quality and outcome.

Fabian Ramseyer and Wolfgang Tschacher · 2011

Evidence
Observational study
Kind
Journal article
peer-reviewed
Method
Automated analysis of movement in therapy videos, compared with shuffled recordings and clinical ratings
Sample
104 sessions from 70 patients in same-sex patient–therapist pairings
Published
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 79(3), 284–295

Adjacent

Studies a related practice or mechanism, without testing Circling.

Video analysis of psychotherapy sessions linked greater movement synchrony with better relationship ratings and greater symptom improvement.

What it doesn’t show

Movement was observed rather than assigned, so synchrony could accompany a good relationship without causing it. Only same-sex pairings and early or late sessions were studied. The findings do not show that deliberately matching another person’s movements improves therapy.

Summary based on the abstract and the author manuscript’s methods and discussion.

Directions that build on it

  1. Bodies in synchrony

    Builds on 4 works · 4 funding routes

    Do participants’ physiology and movement synchronise during a circle, and does synchrony track felt connection?

Links

Cite

Ramseyer, F., & Tschacher, W. (2011). Nonverbal synchrony in psychotherapy: Coordinated body movement reflects relationship quality and outcome. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 79(3), 284–295. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023419