Nonverbal Communication in a Clinical Context: The Case of Psychotherapy

Abstract

Patient–clinician communication forms the core of psychotherapy (Foley & Gentile, 2010; Hall et al., 1995). Although mental health professionals learn to assess their clients through both verbal and nonverbal communication, the patient’s nonverbal behavior provides the most immediate information for predicting their mental status (Slepian et al., 2014). For example, clinicians often must predict a person’s suicidal or homicidal intent within an initial hour-long session. Using nonverbal communication in the form of appearance, overt behaviors, affect, eye contact, posture, speech, and psychomotor function, clinicians gather information that may corroborate or dispute verbal responses to standard interview questions.