Connection Therapy

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.

Attend a Course at Connection Therapy:

https://connection-therapy.com/courses-and-events

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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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:

https://connection-therapy.com/courses-and-events

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:

https://connection-therapy.com/courses-and-events

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

In this episode, Dr. Murrow shares research about the need for a strong therapeutic alliance to occur in session, in order for there to be a likelihood for changes to be possible outside of session for the patient.

This information will be helpful to practicing clinicians as they navigate a patient’s readiness for change, as evidenced by more than what is said.

Attend a Course at Connection Therapy:

https://connection-therapy.com/courses-and-events

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:

Allen, J. G. (2024). What We Do Unwittingly. Psychiatry: Interpersonal & Biological Processes, 87(3), 211–215. https://doi-org.pgi.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/00332747.2024.2385085

Dennett, D. C. (1987). The intentional stance. MIT Press.

Dennett, D. C. (2013). Intuition pumps and other tools for thinking. Norton

Shapiro, D. (2024). On psychodynamic defense. Psychiatry: Interpersonal and Biological Processes 87(3).

Slade, A., Sadler, L. S., Eaves, T., & Webb, D. L. (2023). Enhancing attachment and reflective parenting: A minding the baby approach. Guilford.

Stern, D. B. (2019). The infinity of the unsaid: Unformulated experience, language, and the nonverbal. Routledge.

Stern, D. N. (2004). The present moment in psychotherapy and everyday life. Norton.

In this episode, Brenda reviews a research framework that is aimed at addressing much of the concerns with the practice of mental health, currently. That is to say, there is a research framework that is attempting to integrate the variety of ways patients report symptoms and the variety of ways clinicians have found helpful interventions. This framework does not emphasize one model over another, but is simply aimed at learning more about the causes of mental health.

Acknowledging there will be considerable time before practicing clinicians can make use of this framework, she shares her aspirations about what it could mean, while also emphasizing the common experiences most therapists have.

Attend a Course at Connection Therapy:

https://connection-therapy.com/courses-and-events

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

In the milestone episode, Brenda shares gratitude for listeners as well as her interest in learning and hearing from them about their experiences.

She also shares her vision for the field of psychotherapy, and how the podcast topics are specifically designed to support that mission.

Attend a Course at Connection Therapy:

https://connection-therapy.com/courses-and-events

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: @

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In this episode, Brenda shares more details about how therapists may use their voice in their intentions to set-up a calm and safe environment for patients. There is research that shows therapists intentionally do attempt to modify their voice prosody to this aim.

Brenda offers reflections on how this might work, and provides an opportunity for listeners to further consider how and why this might work for them to do in their own practices.

Attend a Course at Connection Therapy:

https://connection-therapy.com/courses-and-events

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:

Klapprott F, Strauß B, Gumz A. More than words: The role of therapists' prosody-Reflections from practitioners. Psychol Psychother. 2026 Jun;99(2):501-518. doi: 10.1111/papt.70033. Epub 2026 Jan 19. PMID: 41550038.

https://www.annafreud.org/training/health-and-social-care/mentalization-based-treatments-mbt/mentalization-based-treatment-adults/about-mbt/