Facets of the therapeutic alliance and perceived progress in psychotherapy: relationship between patient and therapist perspectives

✍ Scribed by A. Jill Clemence; Mark J. Hilsenroth; Steven J. Ackerman; Carla G. Strassle; Leonard Handler

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 98 KB
• Volume: 12
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1063-3995
• DOI: 10.1002/cpp.467

✦ Synopsis

This study investigates the facets of the alliance and their relationship with estimated effectiveness of psychotherapy using a measure called the Combined Alliance Short Form (CASF; Hatcher, 1999; Hatcher & Barends, 1996; Hatcher, Barends, Hansell, & Gutfreund, 1995). Because the CASF has both patient and therapist versions, it was possible to compare ratings of various facets of the alliance from each perspective. Data were collected from 125 patient-therapist dyads, and all participants completed the CASF as well as measures of perceived progress during therapy. Convergence was examined for each alliance subscale for the patient-therapist dyads. Both the patient and therapist Confident Collaboration factors were found to be primary predictors of perceived improvement in psychotherapy. Number of psychotherapy sessions was related to patient estimates of improvement and therapist ratings of the amount of help received by their patients as well. Confident Collaboration, a factor that reflects the level of confidence and commitment a patient experiences regarding the therapy as well as the degree to which the therapy is experienced as worthwhile, is discussed in relation to previous research. Implications regarding the presence of this factor during psychotherapy are considered in detail.