Relational mind
The research explores how mutual connections, in which feelings and meanings can be expressed and shared, are formed between several people in couple therapy. The holistic nature of client-therapist interaction is explored through a multimodal approach, taking into account the social, psychological and biological dimensions. Of particular interest are the bodily processes of interpersonal synchronisation, as manifested in non-verbal behaviours and physiological responses.
Couple therapy sessions are recorded with several video cameras and physiological reactions are measured from both clients and therapists.
Table of contents
Research group type
Research group
Core fields of research
Learning, teaching and interaction
Physical activity, health and wellbeing
Research areas
Brain and psychophysiological research
Clinical psychology and psychotherapy
JYU.Well
Faculty
Faculty of Education and Psychology
Department
Department of Psychology
Research group description
Since 2013, the Relational Mind research group has been exploring how a reciprocal connection between several people is formed and what elements make up this connection. We approach the mystery of attunement by exploring couple therapy from the perspective of process research in psychotherapy. We record therapy conversations in detail using multiple cameras and measure the autonomic nervous system activity of the participants during the conversations. We also use interview and survey data to capture interactional experiences.
The research team started its work in the Relational mind in events of change in multiactor therapeutic dialogues project funded by the Academy of Finland from 2013-2016. The research setting and data are still unique, even by international standards. The setting allows for a multi-method and multi-modal approach to interactions and, as we study couple therapy, also a multi-person approach, i.e. between four people at the same time.
Publications
Updated 21.1.2025.
Peer-reviewed scientific publications
- Kykyri, V.-L., Nyman-Salonen, P., Tschacher, W., Tourunen, A., Penttonen, M., & Seikkula, J. (2024). Exploring the role of emotions and conversation content in interpersonal synchrony : A case study of a couple therapy session. In Psychotherapy Research, Early online:
- Kykyri, V. L., Wahlström, J., & Seikkula, J. (2024). Inner and outer dialogue in couple therapy: the potential of stimulated recall interviews. In The Routledge International Handbook of Innovative Qualitative Psychological Research (pp. 229-242). Routledge.
- Coutinho, J. F., Penttonen, M., Tourunen, A., Seikkula, J., Peräkylä, A., Tschacher, W., & Kykyri, V. L. (2023). Electrodermal and respiratory synchrony in couple therapy in distinct therapeutic subsystems and reflection periods. Psychotherapy Research, 1-16. Online early publication:
- Nyman-Salonen, P. (2023). Interpersonal coordination in couple therapy: Investigating posture and movement matching and nonverbal synchrony between participants. JYU Dissertations. ISSN 2489-9003; 665.
- Nyman-Salonen, P., Kykyri, V. L., & Penttonen, M. (2022). Challenges and added value of measuring embodied variables in psychotherapy. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 1058507.
- Tourunen, A., Nyman-Salonen, P., Muotka, J., Penttonen, M., Seikkula, J., & Kykyri, V. L. (2022). Associations between sympathetic nervous system synchrony, movement synchrony, and speech in couple therapy. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 818356.
- Wahlström, J., & Kykyri, V.-L. (2021) Stimulated Recall Interview Coding System SRI-CS: Manual 1.0
- Nyman-Salonen, P., Kykyri, V. L., Tschacher, W., Muotka, J., Tourunen, A., Penttonen, M., & Seikkula, J. (2021). Nonverbal synchrony in couple therapy linked to clients’ well-being and the therapeutic alliance. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 718353.
- Nyman-Salonen, P., Tourunen, A., Kykyri, VL., Penttonen, M., Kaartinen, J., & Seikkula, S. (2021). Studying Nonverbal Synchrony in Couple Therapy – Observing Implicit Posture and Movement Synchrony. Contemporary Family Therapy, 43, 69–87.
- Nyman-Salonen, P., Vall, B., Laitila, A., Borcsa, M., Penttonen, M., Tourunen, A., Kykyri, V.-L., Kaartinen, J., Tsatsishvili, V., & Seikkula, J. (2020). Significant Moments in a Couple Therapy Session: Towards the Integration of Different Modalities of Analysis. In Ochs, M., Borcsa, M., & Schweitzer, J. (Eds.) Systemic Research in Individual, Couple, and Family Therapy and Counseling, European Family Therapy Association Series. Cham: Springer, 55–73.
- Laitila, A., Vall, B., Penttonen, M., Kykyri, V.-L., Karvonen, A., Tsatsishvili, V., … & Seikkula, J. (2019). The added value of studying embodied responses in couple therapy research: A case study. Family Process, 58(3), 685–697.
- Tourunen, A., Kykyri, V-L., Seikkula, J., Kaartinen, J., Tolvanen, A., & Penttonen, M. (2019). Sympathetic Nervous System Synchrony: An Exploratory Study of Its Relationship With the Therapeutic Alliance and Outcome in Couple Therapy. Psychotherapy, 57(2), 160–173.
- Kykyri, V. L., Tourunen, A., Nyman-Salonen, P., Kurri, K., Wahlström, J., Kaartinen, J., Penttonen, M., & Seikkula, J. (2018). Alliance Formations in Couple Therapy – a Multi-Modal and Multi-Method Study. Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy, 18(3), 189–222. 
- Seikkula, J., Karvonen, A., Kykyri, V. L., Penttonen, M., & Nyman-Salonen, P. (2018). The relational mind in couple therapy: a Bateson-inspired view of human life as an embodied stream. Family Process, 57, 855–866.
- Vall, B., Laitila, A., Borcsa, M., Kykyri, V. L., Karvonen, A., Kaartinen, J., Penttonen, M., Holma, J., & Seikkula, J. (2018). Stimulated recall interviews: How can the research interview contribute to new therapeutic practices? Revista Argentina de Clinica Psicologica, 27(2), 274–283. DOI: 10.24205/03276716.2018.1068
- Lampinen, E.*, Karolaakso*, T., Karvonen, A.*, Kaartinen, J., Kykyri, V. L., Seikkula, J., & Penttonen, M. (2017). Electrodermal activity, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, and heart rate variability in a relationship enrichment program. Mindfulness, 9, 1076–1087. (*Shared first author) 
- Karvonen, A. (2017). Sympathetic nervous system synchrony between participants of couple therapy. Jyväskylä studies in education, psychology and social research, 599.
- Paananen, K., Vaununmaa, R., Holma, J., Karvonen, A., Kykyri, V-L., Tsatsishvili, V., Kaartinen, J., Penttonen, M., & Seikkula, J. (2017). Electrodermal activity in couple therapy for intimate partner violence, Contemporary Family Therapy, 40, 138–152. 
- Kykyri, V. L., Karvonen, A., Wahlström, J., Kaartinen, J., Penttonen, M., & Seikkula, J. (2017). Soft Prosody and Embodied Attunement in Therapeutic Interaction: A Multimethod Case Study of a Moment of Change. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 30, 211–234.
- Päivinen, H., Holma, J., Karvonen, A., Kykyri, V. L., Tsatsishvili, V., Kaartinen, J., ... & Seikkula, J. (2016). Affective Arousal During Blaming in Couple Therapy: Combining Analyses of Verbal Discourse and Physiological Responses in Two Case Studies. Contemporary Family Therapy, 38(4), 373–384.
- Karvonen, A., Kykyri, V. L., Kaartinen, J., Penttonen, M., & Seikkula, J. (2016). Sympathetic Nervous System Synchrony in Couple Therapy. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 42, 369–563.
- Itävuori, S., Korvela, E., Karvonen, A., Penttonen, M., Kaartinen, J., Kykyri, V. L., & Seikkula, J. (2015). The Significance of Silent Moments in Creating Words for the Not-Yet-Spoken Experiences in Threat of Divorce. Psychology, 6(11), 1360. 
- Seikkula, S.*, Karvonen, A.*, Kykyri, V. L., Kaartinen, J., & Penttonen, M. (2015). The Embodied Attunement of Therapists and a Couple within Dialogical Psychotherapy: An Introduction to the Relational Mind Research Project. Family Process, 54, 703–715. (*Shared first author)
Non peer reviewed scientific writings
- Karvonen, A. (2018). Puolisoiden välinen hermostollinen synkronia kasvaa pariterapiassa. Psykologia, 53(01), 35-38.
- Seikkula, J., Karvonen, A., & Kykyri, V-L. (2016). Ihmisen mieli on suhteissa ja kehossa: pariterapiakin on ruumiillista yhteistyötä. In M. Ylikangas (Ed.), Mielen salat (pp. 58-69). Helsinki, Finland: Gaudeamus, Suomen Akatemia. ISBN 9789524953481
Publications aimed at the professional community
- Järvinen, A. K.*, Timonen, M.*, Kykyri, V. L., Karvonen, A., Penttonen, M., Kaartinen, J., & Seikkula, J. (2018). Hiljaisten hetkien merkityksiä riidan hankaloittamassa pariterapiaistunnossa. Perheterapia, 34(2), 6-21. (*Shared first author)
- Huhtamäki, H.*, Lehtinen, R.*, Kykyri, V. L., Penttonen, M., Karvonen, A., Kaartinen, J., & Seikkula, J. (2017). Oivaltamisen hetket pariterapia-asiakkaiden jälkihaastatteluissa. Perheterapia, 33(4), 36-50.
- Kykyri, V. L., Karvonen, A., & Seikkula, J. (2014). Ihminen on perusolemukseltaan kehollinen – miten tämä näkyy pariterapiassa? Perheterapeutti, 1.
