ABSTRACT
Metacommunications are based on the therapist's subjective sense of what is happening in the therapy in the here-and-now. The therapist relies upon direct observation of the client, continual observation of their own internal state and observation of their subjective sense of what is happening in the relationship on a moment-to-moment basis. The therapist then invites a dialogue with the client about their experience and the process of how therapist and client are relating. For example the therapist may notice the client looks uneasy, that they are feeling slightly tense and they have a vague sense of distancing between themselves and the client, and so the therapist uses these three experiences to construct a statement which is offered to the client for mutual analysis. `I notice you're looking around the room, and I'm feeling a little tense. I get a sense of distance between us right now. Does that make any sense to you?'
