Dynamic dyadic processes in psychotherapy: Introduction to a special section

Abstract

There is a growing consensus among psychotherapy theoreticians and researchers that psychotherapy processes are an interpersonal phenomenon that can be studied as a dynamic system. The aim of this special section is to highlight the importance of exploring the complex processes that emerge over time from interactions and feedback loops amongst sub-components (e.g., emotions, non-verbal behavior, physiology, voice, subjective experience) within and between clients and therapists. The articles featured in this special section discuss multiple methods and angles to study dynamic dyadic processes in psychotherapy that can better capture the complexity of the therapeutic process and the ways it can lead to favorable outcomes. Future research that focuses on dynamic dyadic processes in psychotherapy is outlined.

Keywords: coregulation; dyadic processes; dynamic systems; process-outcome research; synchrony.