Abstract

TOZZE, Karina Ferraz; BOLSONI-SILVA, Alessandra Turini; GARCIA, Vagner Angelo  and  NUNES, Patricia Luiza. Analysis of therapist-patient interaction in first therapy session. Perspectivas [online]. 2015, vol.6, n.1, pp. 24-39. ISSN 2177-3548.

In the literature, the therapeutic interaction is highlighted as a key factor in the processes of change in psychotherapy sessions. The aim of this study was to identify and analyze the frequency and duration of therapists' and patients' behaviors in initial sessions. The study participants were ten students and twenty patients. The sessions were audio recorded and categorized by two observers, who used the "Verbal Vocal Therapist Behavior" Axis presented in the "Sistema Multidimensional para a Categorização de Comportamentos da Interação Terapêutica (SiMCCIT)". The results were grouped in terms of frequency and duration of the categories and correlation analyzes were carried out (Spearman's Rho test) between the categories. The "Facilitation" and "Report Request" categories were the most frequent for the therapist and the "Report" category was the most frequent for the patient. The "Report Request" (therapist) and "Report" (client) categories also presented the longest durations. There were positive correlations between the "Information"/"Establish Relations", "Information"/"Request", "Interpretation"/"Agreement" and "Approval"/"Goals" categories. The "Empathy"/"Improvement"; "Empathy"/"Request" and "Information"/"Report" categories presented negative correlations. The results seem to confirm what is expected for the first intervention sessions, in which, above all, the goal is to welcome the patient and collect data, with Facilitation and the Report Request being key strategies. We discuss implications for future studies.

Keywords : therapist-patient interaction; categorization; initial sessions; psychotherapy research process.

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