Settling into and moving in a climate of care: Styles and patterns of interaction between nurse psychotherapists and clients

PURPOSE. TO study nonverbal manifestations of rapport between nurse psychot herapists and clients. METHODS. A phenomenological investigation of eight pairs of nurse psychothe rapists and clients was completed using video-cued narrative recall. FINDINGS. Emotional congruence, physical mirroring of gestures, postures, e xpressions, and shared cadences were significant to the participants. Match ing behaviors were responsive, not technique-driven, and occurred only at m eaningful junctures. Matching behaviors showed up simultaneously and as tur n-taking responses, and felt genuine because they incorporated imperfection and were expressed in varied ways. Settling into the climate of the client 's world and matching her response helped the nurse therapist shape interve ntion possibilities, create a comfortable sense of timing, and establish ra pport. CONCLUSIONS. Video-cued narrative recall was an effective research strategy .