The Dialogical Process in Three Different Diagnostic Procedures and Therapy Approaches

Clinical reasoning and diagnostic processes are easy to be applied by the experienced clinician. Clinicians with their implicit knowledge gather experiences, some build up guidelines, search for consensus statements, but the practical point of the procedure is an underrepresented research topic: First, the components of efficient processes have to be elucidated: The affectively involving “now moment” facilitates initial treatment processes. In order to produce such communication processes a dialogical process including empathy, respect, authenticity and reflective functioning has to be establish. Three psychotherapeutic methods describe their way of establishing such a dialogical process in order to meet best practice diagnostic procedures. An empirical evaluation of the therapeutic processes with the AREQ and PQS, based on the q-sort methodology, illustrates the interaction and change process, especially significant “now moments”. As these moments are essential for clinical work patient-doctor-communication processes should focus on such affectively.