Experiences of Moment to Moment Tracking in therapist-therapist dyads during fNIRS Hyperscanning

Understanding meaningful interpersonal moments in therapy and daily life remains a challenge for neuroscience. Various overlapping concepts—such as moments of meeting, mutuality, social closeness, intersubjectivity, and social connectedness—seek to capture the unique experience of interpresence, a shared psychological here and now. While these concepts are well-recognized, they have been difficult to study scientifically. Recent methodological advancements, including the 4E/MoBI framework and the ConNECT approach, provide new avenues for empirical investigation. A key question is how therapeutically informed practices can be applied in cross-disciplinary studies to explore experientially enhanced relational processes. This study examines the feasibility of studying therapeutic interventions in a laboratory setting by investigating experiences in therapist-therapist dyads engaging in Moment-to-Moment Tracking, a method designed to foster psychological closeness. Thematic analysis of participant experiences revealed that authenticity was largely preserved despite laboratory constraints. While factors such as the presence of fNIRS equipment and observational pressures influenced engagement, participants reported experiencing genuine moments of connection. These findings suggest that therapeutic interventions can be effectively studied in laboratory environments, opening new possibilities for neuroscientific research on interpersonal processes.