MICROINTERACTIONAL ANALYSIS OF A FIRST PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC SESSION: THE NEGOTIATION OF THE INSTITUTIONAL AGENDA IN CLINICAL INTERVENTIONS

ABSTRACT Faced with the myriad of psychotherapeutic interventional models focused mainly on the treatment of psychopathologies, we experience theoretical and methodological reductionism in qualifying psychotherapy in terms of its microsocial internal aspects. Based on the understanding that we should observe social and relational aspects of such interventions, the objective of this research was to describe and analyze interactional practices that emerge in language use in a psychotherapeutic interaction in a private clinic in southern Brazil. We use ethnomethodological Conversation Analysis as theoretical and methodological framework. The results point to the importance of analyzing interactants’ epistemic stances negotiation, as well as the institutional agenda, as impact issues in clinical interventions. We highlight the use of interactional practices as interactants’ movements to coordinate social actions within the clinical setting.