The Therapeutic Alliance in Family Therapy
Lisa R. Parks
Columbia College
Abstract
The therapeutic alliance is used in therapy that consists of the client and therapist system. This paper will discuss why this alliance is effectively used in therapy how it is used, and how a therapist establishes this alliance with their clients. The goal of the therapist is to help the entire family, not just the individual seeking the therapy and by doing so, the entire family can become a part of the change.
The therapeutic alliance or therapeutic relationship is a form of therapy that emphasizes the collaborative nature of the partnership between counselor and client. This perspective partnership incorporates client preferences …show more content…
Most people begin therapy with the expectation that it will help. Hope accompanies this expectation. It is essential to maintain that hope through a positive therapeutic relationship. A positive relationship between a client and a counselor may be one of the most important variables for foreseeing client responses to an intervention. Several counselor attributes and behaviors contribute to a positive therapeutic relationship. Warmth (treating people in a way that makes them feel safe); genuineness (the ability to be honest with others as well as oneself); respect (a positive regard of a deep and honest acceptance), and empathy (accurately perceives what people are experiencing, and the ability to communicate what was perceived back to the client (Kilpatrick & Holland, 2009, p. 33). The combination of all four of these characteristics can formulate a great therapeutic relationship. William Pinsof whose work is known for developing the therapy about therapeutic alliances within family therapy uses the term of “therapist and patient systems” instead of “client and therapist” (Johnson & Wright, 2002, p. 6). Pinsof suggests that there are two dimensions in the alliance and modified the definition as the “content dimension” and the “interpersonal dimension”. There are four parts to his theory within the interpersonal dimension; individual, subsystem, whole system, and within-system (Johnson & Wright, …show more content…
A helpful technique for establishing the therapeutic alliance through listening is to use a motivational interviewing method known as reflecting listening (Daddario, et al.). To use reflective listening, simply repeat back to the client what you heard. You can also restate or reword what they said. At the inmost level of reflective listening, you are repeating the client’s feelings back to them in your own words (Daddario, et al.). Many factors can jeopardize the establishment of the therapeutic alliance. A therapeutic relationship should never include sexual contact. A sexual relationship between a client and a therapist is never acceptable; abuse (neither the client nor the therapist should engage in in the use of racist or sexist language). As a therapist, one should be careful not to give advice to a client unless asked directly for it, even then it should be very selective and unbiased (Corey, 2009). Giving advice to a client that is not ready to receive it or deal with it, will lessen the strength of the therapeutic alliance, and could make the client feel as though you are not really listening to what they want or need in order to make life better for them (Corey,
Lisa R. Parks
Columbia College
Abstract
The therapeutic alliance is used in therapy that consists of the client and therapist system. This paper will discuss why this alliance is effectively used in therapy how it is used, and how a therapist establishes this alliance with their clients. The goal of the therapist is to help the entire family, not just the individual seeking the therapy and by doing so, the entire family can become a part of the change.
The therapeutic alliance or therapeutic relationship is a form of therapy that emphasizes the collaborative nature of the partnership between counselor and client. This perspective partnership incorporates client preferences …show more content…
Most people begin therapy with the expectation that it will help. Hope accompanies this expectation. It is essential to maintain that hope through a positive therapeutic relationship. A positive relationship between a client and a counselor may be one of the most important variables for foreseeing client responses to an intervention. Several counselor attributes and behaviors contribute to a positive therapeutic relationship. Warmth (treating people in a way that makes them feel safe); genuineness (the ability to be honest with others as well as oneself); respect (a positive regard of a deep and honest acceptance), and empathy (accurately perceives what people are experiencing, and the ability to communicate what was perceived back to the client (Kilpatrick & Holland, 2009, p. 33). The combination of all four of these characteristics can formulate a great therapeutic relationship. William Pinsof whose work is known for developing the therapy about therapeutic alliances within family therapy uses the term of “therapist and patient systems” instead of “client and therapist” (Johnson & Wright, 2002, p. 6). Pinsof suggests that there are two dimensions in the alliance and modified the definition as the “content dimension” and the “interpersonal dimension”. There are four parts to his theory within the interpersonal dimension; individual, subsystem, whole system, and within-system (Johnson & Wright, …show more content…
A helpful technique for establishing the therapeutic alliance through listening is to use a motivational interviewing method known as reflecting listening (Daddario, et al.). To use reflective listening, simply repeat back to the client what you heard. You can also restate or reword what they said. At the inmost level of reflective listening, you are repeating the client’s feelings back to them in your own words (Daddario, et al.). Many factors can jeopardize the establishment of the therapeutic alliance. A therapeutic relationship should never include sexual contact. A sexual relationship between a client and a therapist is never acceptable; abuse (neither the client nor the therapist should engage in in the use of racist or sexist language). As a therapist, one should be careful not to give advice to a client unless asked directly for it, even then it should be very selective and unbiased (Corey, 2009). Giving advice to a client that is not ready to receive it or deal with it, will lessen the strength of the therapeutic alliance, and could make the client feel as though you are not really listening to what they want or need in order to make life better for them (Corey,