Did you know there is a scale for Guts, Resilience, Integrity, and Tenacity (GRIT), and there is interest in learning about these factors as they relate to academic potential?

So, what does this have to do with the practice of therapy? Dr. Murrow considers how we see these concepts display in session. She provides ways to utilize the concepts in support of patients, whether or not a practicing clinician explores the GRIT assessments.

Also, the Connection Therapy Podcast is celebrating 3 years of publishing this month! Thank you for your support!

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References:

American Psychological Association Dictionary

https://dictionary.apa.org/grit

Britto, D. R., Rizvana, A. M. S., George, N., Subramaniyan, D., Narayanan, D., Mani, D. K. R., Annadurai, E., & Prakas, E. J. (2023). Guts, Resilience, Integrity, and Tenacity (GRIT) Among Mid Adolescent School Students in a District of South India: A Cross-Sectional Study. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 45(3), 243–249. https://doi.org/10.1177/02537176231151709

Sanchez, L. L. (2019). The psychology of the colonized mind: The relationship between grit and ethnic identity among among Puerto Ricans [ProQuest Information & Learning]. In Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering (Vol. 80, Issue 8–B(E)).

There are so many terms to describe human experience and by extension ways to describe how to do mental health treatment. The number of terms can be overwhelming, especially to new professionals.

In this episode, Dr. Murrow integrates some of these terms by going back to the original definitions of them in earlier centuries. This translation is offered in order to support both new and experienced psychotherapists in finding resonance with new terms and to re-establish their confidence.

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References:

Freud, Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis, 1977/1917, p. 443

Freud, The Dynamics of Transference, 1990/1912, p. 8

Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections, 1989/1963, p. 212

Jung, The Practice of psychotherapy, 1985/1929, p. 61

McWilliams, Psychoanalytic Diagnosis, 1999, p. 106

Most therapy is reported as successful when the client feels a relatedness to their therapist. Yet, a lot of talk-therapy interventions are based on insight or the ability to cognitively react, and the relatedness between therapist and client largely goes un-assessed.

In this episode, Dr. Murrow advocates for an increased awareness of non-verbal communication and specifically interpersonal synchrony between clients and therapists. Interpersonal synchrony is the idea that body movements, nervous system dynamics, and more tend to synchronize between beings, often below conscious awareness. She gives some possibilities of how this works and can improve the delivery of mental health services.

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References:

Embodied Cognition: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embodied_cognition

Tschacher W (2026) Applications of synergetics in psychology: interpersonal synchrony in social systems. Front. Netw. Physiol. 5:1739213. doi: 10.3389/fnetp.2025.1739213

In this episode, Dr. Brenda Murrow shares insights from her own research and experiences that emphasize the reasons to be observant of interpersonal synchrony between mental health providers and their patients.

Yet throughout these examples, she explains her own reflections that there are many times for there not to be synchrony, and that this is just as, and sometimes more helpful. Regardless, the awareness of this phenomenon is increasingly important to our understanding of mental health.

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Reference:

Brenda Murrow, (2013) A Quantitative exploration into the effects of the human and animal connection. (Doctoral dissertation). Pacifica Graduate Institute.

It is common for the field of mental health to emphasize the use of coping skills, yet so also is it common for them to be reported as ineffective. Dr. Murrow explains some potential reasons for this and ways to increase effectiveness.

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Reference:

Dr. Les Greenberg information:

Southern California Institute of Emotion-Focused Therapy: https://www.eftsocal.com/

Safety and trusted social supports are what must be in place before mammals, especially humans, will be inclined toward play activities. And, social play is one way to significantly boost the capacity to learn.

At this point in the year, when many children and their families return to school, there are a few things to remember:

1- Many activities pace with the academic calendar, so all patients tend to be affected at this time of the year

2- Play supports learning

3- It is normal for the inclination toward play to take time while the social supports are being established

4- Reciprocal play and interaction activities done as part of mental health treatment support patients in engaging in play and social activities with others

5- It is important to understand that sexual abuse of children impedes their ability to engage in play and social activities, especially with peers who would be safest. When this behavior of continually selecting peers who are risk-intensive is observed, sexual abuse may be a factor.

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We Want to Hear Your Feedback! Please Contribute to the Conversation: Share your thoughts on the podcast and how these concepts work in your practice, or ask a question and I’ll answer it in an upcoming episode: https://connection-therapy.com/contact-us

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References:

Panksepp, J. & Biven, L. (2012). The Archaeology of mind: Neuroevolutionary origins of human emotions. New York, NY: Norton (pp. 552-355).

Stephen Porges (2011). Polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation.

Compliance in therapy does not mean that there is a therapeutic alliance, and it can be difficult to discern the difference. In this episode, Dr. Murrow speaks about the ways play can be an indicator of the therapeutic alliance, and she shares ways therapists can observe and assess this to understand more about how their alliance is working in the session and beyond.

Play is an important capacity all throughout the lifetime, and it can be a signal of improvement because in order to be able to play, people have to feel safe and stressors needs to be manageable. At any age, when someone begins to play more in session, this is a good sign for the therapeutic alliance as well as overall therapeutic outcomes.

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We Want to Hear Your Feedback! Please Contribute to the Conversation: Share your thoughts on the podcast and how these concepts work in your practice, or ask a question and I’ll answer it in an upcoming episode: https://connection-therapy.com/contact-us

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References:

Panksepp, J. & Biven, L. (2012). The Archaeology of mind: Neuroevolutionary origins of human emotions. New York, NY: Norton (pp. 552-355).

Today’s study reminds us that everything we do as mental health practitioners, whether in the office or the barn, has an effect on the session. Dr. Murrow reviews a research study that examines physiological synchrony, the idea that there is interaction in nervous systems, physical movements, and more between beings.

She shares insights from the study that make clear there is more happening than we might realize with physiological synchrony, and she offers practical reflections on how to handle when something unexpected happens.

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We Want to Hear Your Feedback!

Please Contribute to the Conversation: Share your thoughts on the podcast and how these concepts work in your practice, or ask a question and I’ll answer it in an upcoming episode: https://connection-therapy.com/contact-us

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References:

Koole, S. L., & Tschacher, W. (2016). Synchrony in psychotherapy: A review and an integrative framework for the therapeutic alliance. Frontiers in Psychology, 7.

Wienhold, S., Bär, L., Ringleb, Z., Zirpel, V., Gomolla, A., Denk, B. F., Volkmer, N., Gaertner, R. J., Klink, E. S. C., & Pruessner, J. C. (2025). The relationship of early life adversity and physiological synchrony within the therapeutic triad in horse-assisted therapy. Journal of Neural Transmission, 132(9), 1291–1312. https://doi-org.pgi.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s00702-025-02947-7

In this episode, Dr. Murrow is continuing the discussion that observing interpersonal synchrony in therapy is, to the author’s assertion, a “trans-theoretical construct” meaning that no matter the style of therapy, this idea is helpful to understand the outcomes of therapy.

While theoretical in nature, this discussion ends with a summary of practical applications for the working clinician to consider in their practices.

Attend a Course at Connection Therapy:

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We Want to Hear Your Feedback! Please Contribute to the Conversation: Share your thoughts on the podcast and how these concepts work in your practice, or ask a question and I’ll answer it in an upcoming episode: https://connection-therapy.com/contact-us

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Enjoying the podcast?

There are now playlists for you to navigate to your favorite topics: https://connection-therapy.com/playlist

References:

Koole, S. L., & Tschacher, W. (2016). Synchrony in psychotherapy: A review and an integrative framework for the therapeutic alliance. Frontiers in Psychology, 7.

Zarbo C, Tasca GA, Cattafi F, Compare A. Integrative Psychotherapy Works. Front Psychol. 2016 Jan 11;6:2021. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.02021. PMID: 26793143; PMCID: PMC4707273.

In this episode, Dr. Murrow reviews an integrative framework for the therapeutic alliance by authors Koole & Tschacher (2016). Among many things, this framework encourages the therapist’s awareness of multiple facets in the therapy session and it even makes space for these to be assessed in different time horizons.

This episode will validate your experience in terms of the wide variety of factors that affect your session, and it will also encourage your awareness of and abilities in attending to them.

Attend a Course at Connection Therapy:

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We Want to Hear Your Feedback! Please Contribute to the Conversation: Share your thoughts on the podcast and how these concepts work in your practice, or ask a question and I’ll answer it in an upcoming episode: https://connection-therapy.com/contact-us

Leave feedback or ask a question with a message on Instagram: @theconnectiontherapypodcast

Enjoying the podcast?

There are now playlists for you to navigate to your favorite topics: https://connection-therapy.com/playlist

References:

Koole, S. L., & Tschacher, W. (2016). Synchrony in psychotherapy: A review and an integrative framework for the therapeutic alliance. Frontiers in Psychology, 7.

Wienhold, S., Bär, L., Ringleb, Z., Zirpel, V., Gomolla, A., Denk, B. F., Volkmer, N., Gaertner, R. J., Klink, E. S. C., & Pruessner, J. C. (2025). The relationship of early life adversity and physiological synchrony within the therapeutic triad in horse-assisted therapy. Journal of Neural Transmission, 132(9), 1291–1312. https://doi-org.pgi.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s00702-025-02947-7