Case Study
While there is some dispute in the research community about the percentage of communication that is non-verbal, it is obvious that body language can provide information that the client may not want you to know. Case in point: When asked about her childhood, a very confident woman said she had a good childhood. However, her demeanor immediately changed. Her shoulders sagged, her breathing became rapid and shallow, her face blushed, and her eyes teared up. All of a sudden she had trouble making eye contact. She eventually admitted that her father had sexually abused her and that when she told her mother about it, her mother blamed her. Never overlook the importance of non-verbal clues such as body language, tone of voice or emotional dissonance between what is being said and how it is being said.
