Body Language Analysis of Session: Female College Student in Counseling
- Jordanthecounselor
- 11 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Learn Therapy Microskills
Welcome back to our series on therapy microskills, where we analyze sessions from master therapists to teach you their skills.
Today, we are analyzing another clinical breakdown from our deep dive into Tori Olds, Ph.D., focusing on a session with a student and the subtle, yet powerful, skill of reading client body language.
There are three big themes present in this video:
The Partial Expression of Fear – How to spot subtle micro-expressions, such as a lateral lip pull, that signal underlying anxiety or fear of feelings even when the rest of the face appears calm.
Autonomy as a Support Anchor – Why inviting a client to explore "if you're willing" is a uniquely supportive move, providing the safety of choice as they face intense somatic sensations like a "knot" or "ball" of anxiety.
Mirroring Illustrators – The clinical value of matching a client’s hand gestures (illustrators) to provide an external window into their internal world, helping to "track the untracked" and validate their visceral experience.
Watch the Breakdown
If you want to see exactly how to identify micro-cues and use your own body language to anchor a client during intense somatic work, watch the full analysis below.
Listen Here:
Jordan Harris Jordan Harris, Ph.D., LMFT-S, LPC-S, received his Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Louisiana Monroe. He is a licensed professional counselor and a licensed marriage and family therapist in the state of Arkansas, USA. In his clinical work, he enjoys working with couples. He also runs a blog on deliberate practice for therapists and counselors at Jordanthecounselor.com You can find him on linkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-harris-lpc-s-lmft-s-418412301/
Dr. Tori Olds Tori Olds, PHD is a licensed psychologist who has been studying experiential therapies for over twenty-five years. She specializes in the integration of experiential approaches to therapy and leads seven international training groups on this topic each week. She has a passion for translating complex psychology concepts for the public, which she does through her YouTube channel and other speaking engagements. toriolds.com/
Comments