Body and movement in couple therapy: The intake phase

Maya Vulcan, Einat Shuper Engelhard

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The study explored the somatic and kinetic aspects of relationships during the intake process in couple psychotherapy. Nine heterosexual couples, who had turned to body-oriented couple psychotherapy, were invited to an intake session, including a joint interview and an individually administered questionnaire. The findings converged on issues of gender based self-image and sexual identity; pre-verbal memories in the adult body; and attunement to the other through joint movement. The analysis indicated that couple communication involves polyphonic discourse, both somatic and verbal, which the partners and the therapist alike should learn to recognize and articulate, and that focusing on somatic and kinetic levels during the intake stage may be conducive to an understanding of the “implicit bodily knowledge” that each partner brings to the relationship.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)49-58
Number of pages10
JournalArts in Psychotherapy
Volume64
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2019

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Elsevier Ltd

Keywords

  • Body communication
  • Body movement
  • Implicit bodily knowledge
  • Intake
  • Movement oriented couple psychotherapy
  • Somatic histories

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Health Professions (miscellaneous)
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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