PsychU Spotlight

Did You Know?

• Research has demonstrated that the quality of the relationship between provider and patient, the therapeutic alliance, is a better predictor of whether an intervention works than the particular brand of intervention itself.

  Reference:
  Safran, J.D. (2018). Therapeutic alliance ruptures: Research sheds light on what to do when therapy isn’t working. Psychology Today. Retrieved from com.

• Some theories identify the therapeutic alliance as the agreement of goals and assignment of tasks in addition to the development of a bond between provider and patient.

  Reference:
  Koole, S.L. & Tschacher, W. (2016). Synchrony in psychotherapy: A review and an integrative framework for the therapeutic alliance. Frontiers in Psychology 7(862). Retrieved from FrontiersIn.org.

• Scales used to measure the therapeutic alliance have found that the patient’s core view of the alliance consists of being confident in and committed to a process that feels promising and helpful, and that there is a correlation between strong therapeutic alliances and outcomes.

  Reference:
  Koole, S.L. & Tschacher, W. (2016). Synchrony in psychotherapy: A review and an integrative framework for the therapeutic alliance. Frontiers in Psychology 7(862). Retrieved from FrontiersIn.org

• Studies have shown that the ability to form quality relationships and therapeutic alliances via telehealth will continue to eliminate barriers for individuals without access to face-to-face treatment, as it has been demonstrated that therapeutic alliances can develop in both methods of treatment.

  Reference:
  Gerson, M. (2018). Does telehealth allow for the development of a strong therapeutic alliance? Columbus Park. Retrieved from com.

• Studies have shown that the average effect of the therapeutic alliance on intervention outcomes is greater than the effects of other variables, including a provider’s adherence to the treatment manual or provider competence.

  Reference:
  Koole, S.L. & Tschacher, W. (2016). Synchrony in psychotherapy: A review and an integrative framework for the therapeutic alliance. Frontiers in Psychology 7(862). Retrieved from FrontiersIn.org