Attitudes and observations about nonverbal communication in the psychotherapeutic greeting situation

A survey of 209 licensed, psychotherapists was conducted to investigate attitudes towards and observations of nonverbal communication in a reference situation. Background factors such as gender, years of psychotherapeutic experience, hours of therapy practiced each month, and theoretical approach were used to examine relationships. The psychotherapeutic greeting situation, i.e., the first time a therapist and patient meet in a waiting room, was chosen as the reference situation. Female psychotherapists believed that nonverbal communication was more important than male psychotherapists. Psychotherapists with 16 years or more experience supported items that constitute the greeting phase and items on active observation significantly more often than psychotherapists with less experience. Hours of psychotherapeutic practice and frames of reference were not significantly related to any item within the questionnaire. Belief in nonverbal communication was not significantly related to items that involve preparing to meet a patient for the first time.