Clients’ Facial Expressions of Self-Compassion, Self-Criticism, and Self-Protection in Emotion-Focused Therapy Videos

Abstract

Clients’ facial expressions allow psychotherapists to gather more information about clients’ emotional processing. This study aims to examine and investigate the facial Action Units (AUs) of self-compassion, self-criticism, and self-protection within real Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) sessions. For this purpose, we used the facial analysis software iMotions. Twelve video sessions were selected for the analysis based on specific criteria. For self-compassion, the following AUs were significant: AUs 4 (brow furrow), 15 (lip corner depressor), and the AU12_smile (lip corner puller). For self-criticism, iMotions identified the AUs 2 (outer brow raise), AU1 (inner brow raise), AU7 (lid tighten), AU12_smirk (unilateral lip corner puller), and AU43 (eye closure). Self-protection was combined using the occurrence of AUs 1 and 4 and AU12_smirk. Moreover, the findings support the significance of discerning self-compassion and self-protection as two different concepts.

Acoustic analysis of clients’ expression of self-compassion, self-criticism, and self-protection within emotion focused therapy video sessions

“…In the literature this is called the vocal expression of emotion ( Kappas et al, 1991 ; Bachorowski and Owren, 1995 ; Banse and Scherer, 1996 ). Generally research on the vocal expression of emotion lags someway behind the study of facial affect expression ( Bailey et al, 2023 ). Until now research in the field of emotion recognition in speech has been mainly based on laboratory acted emotions, examining sustained vowels ( Scherer et al, 1991 ; Banse and Scherer, 1996 ; Bachorowski and Owren, 2001 ) or utterances (e.g., Razak et al, 2003 ).…”

Machine learning judged neutral facial expressions as key factors for a “good therapist” within the first five minutes: An experiment to simulate online video counselling

“…In the virtual space, neutral facial expressions may be more influential in fostering a positive therapeutic alliance than synchronized or active-emotional expressions. Conversely, recent studies on facial expression recognition in psychotherapy often focus on patient facial expressions [ [10] , [11] , [12] , [13] ]. Because the research on the facial expressions of healthcare providers is scant, how patients perceive the facial expressions displayed by their therapists remains unclear.…”