Sonja Graafstal en Carine Heijligers

646 APPENDICES muscle tension, and sound to engage with the client. In situations where the client does not speak or where verbal communication does not influence their behaviour, many therapists resort to a form of communication or interaction resembling that between an adult and a baby. We have not lost this form of interaction, but we do not naturally apply it when interacting with children and young people. However, in specific situations where therapists interact with clients with (severe) developmental disorders, it is certainly encouraged. With a baby, we almost automatically engage in this type of interaction. We may talk to them, but we understand that we do not establish contact through the content of our words. It is the movements of our bodies that facilitate connection. If therapists from the most related methods unconsciously or implicitly utilize the principles explicitly described within the Movement-as-anchor approach, an interesting question arises. Does the quality of the relationship between therapist and client, or the therapeutic alliance, which plays a significant role in the effectiveness of (psycho)therapeutic interventions in general (Del Re et al., 2021), exhibit characteristics of Movement-as-anchor? Ethics of care In the final chapter of our dissertation, the therapist is the central focus, along with their actions in their interaction with the client. The ethical question of ‘what is good care’ plays a role. The guiding principle for this was the book by Van Heijst (2005). Good care can be interpreted in different ways. When considering economic interests, care should be short, fast, efficient, cheap, and methods ‘evidence-based’. The provision of care and treatment seems to have turned into a ‘care factory’, to use Van Heijst’s terms. Treatment is provided as a package with several tasks already arranged. Once these tasks are checked off, treatment has been provided. The therapist steps back, and when a new request for treatment arises, they examine again which package might be suitable and assign a new therapist who can execute this package. There is nothing wrong with efficiency; it is quite sensible to organize care in a way that remains affordable and available to many. However, the danger of this economic way of reasoning is that the therapist and client as individuals are lost, becoming interchangeable objects, and the relational aspect of ‘caring for’ runs the risk of being neglected. According to Van Heijst (2005), providing care or treatment is not just about the tasks or subtasks that need to be performed, but also about the way it is carried out. Van Heijst refers to these two aspects as the ‘activist care concept’ and the ‘attitude’ of caregiving. We often hear professional caregivers say, “I don’t have time to give attention because I’m busy making sure the food is ready on time, updating my reports, making sure everyone is in bed on time.” Compassionate and caring interactions with clients are then left to others. We, however, believe that ‘acting’ and ‘attitude’ can go hand in hand in the treatment we offer to those in need. In the training or supervision of therapists, we pay attention to what they actually ‘do’ and to how they do it. Both aspects are necessary to initiate development in the person receiving treatment. In

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