Download PARAVERBAL COMMUNICATION

PARAVERBAL COMMUNICATION
‘Paraverbal communication’ describes the process in which significant
and powerful information is transmitted from one person to another
NOT through words, but through sounds, gestures, attitudes, and shifts
in demeanour, all of which can often elicit feelings in the treatment
setting.
How does it take place? Look at what happens between adults and
infants before there is verbal communication e.g. noises, silences,
gestures, movements, facial and bodily expressions, along with
touching, hugging, squeezing etc. These constitute our earliest and
basic modes of communication with one another.
With maturity, most of us come to increasingly rely on verbal
communication with emotional intonation and expression giving colour
and depth to the content.
However the unspoken “communications” retain much of their power.
We are all constantly scrutinising and analysing the “other” to make
sure we understand one other. For “congruent communication” there
has to be a degree of intimacy and trust.
How will you deal with a patient who suffers from a
CHARACTERLOGICAL DISORDER? Eg. Schizophrenia, bi-polar
disorder etc.
Is DEPRESSED? DISTRACTED? PSYCHOLOGICALLY
PREOCCUPIED and CANNOT ENGAGE??
It is often difficult for these people to achieve effective verbal
communication and all too often experience has taught them that other
people will not be attuned to their thoughts and feelings. Like all of us
their ability to relate and engage with the “other” will be coloured by
their past relationships. In these cases, as practitioners, we are going to
have to use other available sources of information such as paraverbal
communication and transference.