Engagement in group therapy for aphasia

For group therapy for aphasia to be maximally effective, group members must be engaged in the clinical interaction. Engagement is a process through which people establish, maintain, and terminate collaborative exchanges. To investigate the interactive resources employed for managing and monitoring engagement in group therapy interactions, two videotaped conversation therapy groups for aphasia were analyzed via conversation analysis. Examples of clinician behaviors that engaged group members included gaze, body orientation, gesture, and mirrored acts. In addition, gaze, gesture, body position, and shared laughter provided evidence of engagement of group members. The study of these subtle interactive elements within clinical discourse provides information about the mechanisms that promote successful clinical interactions.