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 language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 49-58 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Arts in Psychotherapy |
Volume | 64 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 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