Psychotherapy- Working Alliance

Contents

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………Pg 1
The Working Alliance Concept………………………………………………………Pg 1-2
Assessing the Establishment of the Working Alliance……………………………....Pg 2
A solid foundation - The Core Conditions of Rogers……………………………………………………...Pg 2-3
Practicalities of initial meetings & establishing collaboration regarding bonds, goals and tasks………...Pg 3
Is the therapeutic relationship positive? - Attending to the transference configuration………………….Pg 3-4
What is the attachment style?........................................................................................................................Pg 4
What is the client’s experience of the relationship?......................................................................................Pg 4
My understanding of Ruptures & Examples of dealing with them…………………Pg 5-6
Rupture resolution…………………………………………………………………………………………..Pg 6
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………Pg 7
References……..………………………………………………………………………..Pg 8-9

INTRODUCTION
When I initially ponder the basic concept of the ‘working alliance’ and review the pertinent literature reflecting the varied research and theoretical allegiances, I am aware of elements of concurrence within myself yet also quite a degree of confusion and puzzlement. On the one hand, there is a sense of an instinctive affirmative understanding of the ‘working alliance’ as a phenomenological, felt, reality; of a bond or alliance in the relationship between therapist and client. However, counter to this, or more correctly, in parallel with this, is the puzzlement as to what exactly is this ‘so called’ ‘working alliance’? How can it be construed and constructed? Can it truly be differentiated from the ‘real’ or the ‘transferential’ as Greenson (1967) suggests. My questioning arises from multiple perspectives – reflections on my experience as a client within long-term psychoanalytic therapy and shorter-term humanistic therapy, reflections on my

References: “If the relationship is negative, then the client’s attention is deflected from themselves to the task of managing the therapy” (Watson & Greenberg, 1994) This is fundamental to the progress of therapy What is the client’s experience of the relationship? Horvath (1993) in reviewing research pointed out that there was often low correlation between client and therapist experience of the working alliance Agnew et al. (1994), Resolving a challenge to the therapeutic relationship: a single case study. Brithish Journal of Medical Psychology, 67, 155-170 Bordin, E Bowlby, J. (1973), The Origins Of Attachment Theory. Developmental Psychology Vol 28, p 759-775 Brenner, C (1979), Working alliance, therapeutic alliance, and transference Clarkson, P. (1995), The Therapeutic Relationship. Whurr Publishers Ltd, London Elton-Wilson, J Dykeman, C. (1993), An Introduction To Working Alliance Theory For Professional Counselors. Department Of Applied Psychology, Eastern Washington University Gelso, C Greenson, R. R. (1967), The technique and practice of psychoanalysis. Vol. 1. New York International Universities Press Horvath, A Mearns, D. & Cooper, M. (2005), Working at relational depth in Counselling and Psychotherapy. London: Sage McLeod, J Safran, J. & Muran, J (2006), Has The Concept Of The Therapeutic Alliance Outlived Its Usefulness? p286-290. American Psychological Association, Vol 43. Watson, J.C. & Greenberg, L.S. (1994) The experiential paradigm unfolding: relationship and experiencing in therapy Zetzel, E. (1956), Current concepts of transference. International Journal of Psychoanalysis. 37, 369-376.