Psychotherapy is the treatment of choice for anorexia nervosa but mechanisms of action are still largely unknown. Growing research suggests that synchrony between patient and therapist contributes to treatment success. Adding to this literature, this study examined the association between language style matching (LSM) among patient and therapist as an indicator of interpersonal verbal synchrony and treatment outcome in anorexia nervosa.
Preliminary findings suggest that verbal synchrony between patients with anorexia nervosa and their therapists contributes to favourable treatment outcomes. High levels of LSM may reflect therapeutic empathy, cooperation, or mutual positive perception.
