
The present paper gives the basic outlines of research programmes that were carried out at the Institute of Psychology, Bologna University since the early 1970s, concerning clinical interview and some its basic processes, that were always an object of prof. Canestrari interest and attention. The main studies here described concern interpersonal communication, non verbal-behaviour, expression and regulation of emotions. The last part of the paper considers some applications of the main results of these studies to the training in clinical interviews for medical students, physicians and psychologists; in this regard some experiences of training adopting the role-playing technique and the videorecording of the interaction and of training to the first clinical interview through the video feedback technique are described.