Читать книгу Introduction to Abnormal Child and Adolescent Psychology - Robert Weis - Страница 173

An essential ingredient of successful treatment is the therapeutic alliance or collaborative relationship between the client and the therapist. The therapeutic alliance has both an emotional and cognitive component. With respect to emotion, the client and therapist must experience a positive emotional connection based on trust and support. With respect to cognition, the client and therapist must agree on the goals of therapy and the steps that are needed for reaching those goals. Building these emotional bonds and agreeing on the course of therapy are primary tasks early in treatment (Karver, De Nadai, Monahan, & Shirk, 2018).

The therapeutic alliance is important because it predicts children’s success in psychotherapy. Children who experience a greater connection with their therapists, and agree on the goals of treatment, show greater involvement in therapy, report a higher willingness to change their behavior, and display more openness during their sessions. Similarly, parents who build close relationships with their child’s therapist are more likely to attend sessions with their child and follow through on recommendations to help their children. In contrast, a weak alliance predicts poor participation in therapy, an uncooperative or confrontational approach to treatment, and high likelihood of dropout (Norcross & Lambert, 2020).

Few practitioners dispute the importance of the common factors of therapy and the need for a strong alliance. However, most clinicians regard these elements as necessary, but not sufficient, to bring about change. Consequently, they supplement these common factors and alliance-building techniques with specific strategies and tactics consistent with their theories of human development and the origins of psychopathology. The specific therapeutic methods they use depend on the system of psychotherapy they practice, the presenting problem of the client, and the family’s goals and resources (Karver et al., 2018).

Review

 Psychotherapy is a professional relationship between at least two people with the goal of alleviating distress or impairment and promoting growth and competence. This goal is achieved by altering the way the client thinks, feels, or acts in the context of the relationship.

 Rogers identified three factors that lead to change in therapy: (1) empathy, (2) congruence, and (3) unconditional positive regard.

 The therapeutic alliance describes the collaborative relationship between the clinician and the client. The quality of the relationship predicts change in therapy.