Clients’ Emotional Experiences Tied to Therapist-Led (but Not Client-Led) Physiological Synchrony during Imagery Rescripting

Abstract

Imagery rescripting (IR), an effective intervention technique, may achieve its benefits through various change mechanisms. Previous work has indicated that client–therapist physiological synchrony during IR may serve as one such mechanism. The present work explores the possibility that therapist-led vs. client-led synchrony may be differentially tied to clients’ emotional experiences in therapy. The analyses were conducted with data taken from an open trial of a brief protocol for treating test anxiety (86 IR sessions from 50 client–therapist dyads). Physiological synchrony in electrodermal activity was indexed using two cross-correlation functions per session: once for client leading and again for therapist leading (in both cases, with lags up to 10 s). The clients’ and therapists’ in-session emotions were assessed with the Profile of Mood States. Actor–partner interdependence models showed that certain client (but not therapist) in-session emotions, namely higher contentment and lower anxiety and depression, were tied to therapist-led (but not client-led) physiological synchrony. The results suggest that therapist-led synchrony (i.e., clients’ arousal tracking therapists’ earlier arousal) is tied to more positive and less negative emotional experiences for clients.

How and Why People Synchronize: An Integrated Perspective

“…In the case of pre-existing relationships, positive physiological synchrony between therapists and clients was correlated with clinical benefits, particularly if synchrony was therapist-led (Prinz et al, 2021). Positive associations have been observed between EDA synchrony and ratings of therapist's level of empathy (Marci et al, 2007) and between heart rate synchrony and client's progress (Tschacher & Meier, 2020).…”

Complexity Science in Human Change: Research, Models, Clinical Applications

“…In the twelfth paper, Prinz et al [ 12 ] compute the synchrony of electrodermal activity in psychotherapy interventions, focusing on the technique of imagery rescripting. This therapeutic technique was developed to modulate traumatic memories in a positive and desired direction.…”