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Part of
How Emotions Are Made in Talk
Edited by Jessica S. Robles and Ann Weatherall
[Pragmatics & Beyond New Series 321] 2021
► pp. 233–262

Chapter 3.3
Haptics and emotions in speech and language therapy sessions for people with post-stroke aphasia

ORCID logo | Università degli Studi Roma Tre

This chapter focuses on the role of haptic resources such as touch in the handling of emotions in the institutional setting of a stroke unit, where people diagnosed with aphasia receive, as part of their overall recovery, their first speech and language therapeutic treatment. Patients with post-stroke aphasia can experience frustration, anger and sadness, which can also evolve into crying. As a consequence, interactions between aphasic patients and speech and language therapists working in the hospital can be very emotionally charged. During these moments of distress, touch plays a key role in establishing physical and emotional intimacy, affection and comfort – more broadly, in emotion regulation. Focusing on the interactive use of touch by therapists and patients, as well as on their subtle negotiation of soothing and being soothed, my paper contributes to an embodied perspective on emotions. It emphasizes the central role played by the therapist in emotion regulation, as well as the central caring and relational dimension involved in aphasia speech and language therapy.

Keywords: aphasia, stroke, speech and language therapy, haptics, touch, multimodality, embodied displays of emotions, emotion regulation, soothing, caring
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Dealing with emotions in stroke units’ rehabilitation
  • 3.Haptics and the use of comforting touch in aphasia speech and language therapy
  • 4.Fieldwork, data and method
  • 5.Analysis
    • 5.1Handling distress with controlling and comforting touch
    • 5.2Establishing affection and intimacy with touch: Negotiating a space for soothing
    • 5.3Soothing with touch in crying sequences
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 12 May 2021
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.321.09mer
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