Therapeutic alliance

Understanding the components of building an effective helping relationship is fundamental. The therapeutic alliance evolves from an effective helping relationship. In family therapy the alliance, exist among the individuals, subgroups, and whole family. It is imperative for the family and clinician to have a positive relationship in order progress towards resolution of the presenting problem. In the alliance, the clinician and family work as a team. The alliance can have an impact on the outcome of therapy. Positive alliances increase the likelihood of resolution and positive outcome in therapy. A negative alliance will yield a less than expectable outcome. The therapeutic alliance hinges on the bond that is created between the client and clinician. Having a positive therapeutic alliance and solid theoretical rationale a family therapist can join hands with his or her client(s) and together can achieve goals.
Therapeutic Alliance in Family Therapy: Together We Can
When delving into the components and benefits of the therapeutic alliance one must fully understand the definition of the alliance. The therapeutic alliance is best defined as the mutually investment of the therapist and the client in the pursuit of the client’s goals. The implications for the therapist in developing this alliance go beyond the empathic, genuine, and respectful helping relationship. Within the realm of therapeutic alliance, the therapist is in essence creating personal and emotional relationship with the client within the confines of their ethical standards of practice. For family therapist the therapeutic alliance can seem complicated. Family therapist must create the alliance with each member of a family as well as each subgroup within the family....

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...em to conform to a specific mold. What is means is that the therapist and family express a “together we can” approach to therapy and the outcome.
Within the therapeutic alliance, the clinician-client relationship can be critical to the outcome of therapy. If a client does not feel that his or her feelings, expressions, and or thoughts matter to the therapist, there is no alliance much less a relationship. When a client feels invested in it can certainly change the outcome of therapy. For instance if a client has come to therapy with feelings of inadequacy, lack of visibility and indifference if the therapist treats him or her in the same manner it is highly unlikely the client will return to this clinician. A study (Friedlander, Bernardi, and Lee, 2010) shows that outcomes were more negative when clients felt clinician lack of engagement and involvement in session.