This session presents cutting-edge findings on therapist-client affect dynamics. We compare automated sentiment analysis (LIWC, XLM-T) to human coding (SPAFF), demonstrating how automated tools serve as scalable markers of therapeutic alliance. Furthermore, we reveal that psychotherapy is organized by interaction regimes—distinct modes like strain or stabilization—rather than fixed rules. Attendees will learn to identify these nonstationary shifts and the dyadic nature of emotional coregulation.
