Dynamic Dyadic Processes in Psychotherapy by Dana Slonin-Atzil (University of Bar-Ilan, Israel)

bstract There is a growing consensus among psychotherapy theoreticians and researchers that psychotherapy processes are an interpersonal phenomenon and should be studied as a dynamic system that interacts over time not only within the patient at the intrapersonal level but also between the patient and the therapist at the interpersonal level. The webinar highlights the importance of exploring the complex processes that emerge over time from interactions and feedback loops amongst subcomponents (e.g., emotions, non-verbal behavior, physiology, voice, facial expression, subjective experience) within and between patients and therapists. It provides an overview of the recent literature about dyadic processes, such as synchrony, congruence and coregulation. We will discuss how such processes can be facilitated by clinicians in a beneficial way, as well as situations in which these processes may not be beneficial. We conclude with implications for practice and training.