There are many variables that influence the success of therapy for the client, none more so than the therapeutic relationship. The therapeutic relationship is defined as the strength and collaborative relationship between the client and therapist that emphasises mutually agreed goals and tasks within the context of a strong affective bond (Horvath, 1994.) In the therapeutic relationship, the clinician offers care, touch, compassion, presence, and any other act or attitude that would foster healing, and expects nothing in return (Trout, 2013.) Some clinicians believe that the “therapeutic relationship is a precondition of change, others as the fertile soil that permits change, while others see it as the central mechanism of change itself” (Norcross, 2010.) This is not to devalue other variables that impact the success of the therapy such as client involvement and the treatment method.
During the twentieth century, innovations in technology such as the ability to record therapy sessions, made possible the exploration of empirically reliable research into psychotherapy. Along with many other researchers, Carl Rogers turned his interest to the therapeutic relationship. Rogers recognised that to be in a therapeutic relationship with another person takes practise, discipline and consciousness as the therapist must suspend their innate tendency to see themselves as the centre of their world in order to put the patients’ needs above their own. Bordin (1976, 1980, 1994) established a
Rogers worked with many others in developing the idea that clients could heal themselves, if only the therapist provided ‘facilitative’ or core conditions of, ‘empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard.’
The whole reason for a therapeutic relationship is to facilitate a successful patient outcome. Each person is unique and has different needs.
Therapeutic relationships ease and comfort a client`s mind. A full-bodied therapeutic relationship fosters a comfortable environment constituting contentment, thus decreasing anxiety levels (Gardner,
In this essay, I am going to give a structured reflective account on the development of a therapeutic relationship with a client on one of my clinical placements as part of my training as a student nurse. I will be using a reflective model which explores the processes involved in developing and maintaining such relationships bearing in mind theoretical knowledge and how it applies to this clinical experience. Jasper (2003) describes reflective practice as one of the ways that professionals learn from experience in order to understand and develop their practice. As a trainee health care professional, I have learnt the importance of reflection in
Therapeutic relationship is defined as the collaboration and attachment between the client and therapist that focuses on meeting the health care needs of the client (Bordin, 1979). In this relationship, the therapist without prejudice shows Empathy, insight, understanding and acceptance of the client. Duan and Hill (1996) defined Empathy as “feeling into” the experience of the client. Over the years, the research evidence keeps piling up, and indicating a high degree of Empathy in a Therapeutic relationship is possibly one of the most potent factors in bringing about positive outcome in the therapy
Research has shown that a strong therapeutic alliance is necessary for establishing a beneficial contact between the therapist and the client. If the therapist does not encourage the creation of a reliable therapeutic alliance from the beginning of the treatment, it will be hard to develop a constructive relationship with the client later. Establishing the therapeutic alliance will increase the chances of achieving the goal of the treatment because the clients will be willing to cooperate if they trust and respect the therapist. Clients are not likely to cooperate with therapists who impose their authority aggressively. Instead of imposing their authority on the patient, therapists should develop work with their patients by
I am on a life-long path as a Skilled Helper (Egan) with some training in Integrative Psychotherapy. I am currently striving to integrate Carl Rogers’ ideas and practices into my existing knowledge framework whilst attempting to see previously identified phenomena through new eyes. My aim is to use this knowledge to influence my practice as co-creator of therapeutic relationships. My principal aims in this essay are to define some of the basic ideas of Rogers, to then describe how this links and informs his notions of a joint therapeutic endeavour through his Core
Scales evaluated by the client were: the Barrett Lennard Relationship Inventory, sessions 3, 8,16 (BARLEN; Barrett-Lennard, 1962). The Retrospective assessment of therapy experience, after treatment, a 1 to 5 scale rating of how well treatment moved. SASB, sessions 3, 8, 16, 22.2. The measures assessed through the therapist were SASB, sessions 3, 8, 16, 22. The Post-Session assessment, a unique detail of how well the meeting went. On a ten-point scale rated regarding sessions 3 and 16 (PSR); and Therapist Regrets, a yes/no evaluation of whether the therapist reported, having made mistakes during session 3. Finally, supervisors evaluated the therapist after training on six items, for example, competence and motivation). The individual observers, progressive clinical psychology graduate students or practicing clinicians trained to use the measures, obtuse to the theory of the current training, and formed into teams of at least two evaluation per measure from which their average score was taken to improve reliability. Therapists on every cohort grasp certain evaluation process throughout. Furthermore, and, at least, two other groups were available for all measures, except the VNIS and the HA, for each which only had one cohort. Assignment of each cohort videotape segments based on a goal of equal numbers of parts for each cohort, as well as the availability for the evaluation of the cohorts. The mediocre was also taken, wherever data occurred and available from multiple
with the other (or within a group) is trust and a slow but sure build up of a strong, steady terapeutic
Chapter 1 provides a grand tour of the landscape of psychotherapy as it is practiced today. It describes expertise in general and in regard to psychotherapy. It provides a profile of master therapists and how early life experiences and professional work settings have influenced the development of their own expertise. The text in chapters 2-8 is centered around the extended case example. It will help you understand all the aspects of the therapeutic process and how all the components of successful therapy fit together: the therapeutic alliance; assessment of the client’s change potential; clinician credibility; case conceptualization; interventions that foster first, second, and third order change; monitoring and evaluation; and termination. It sets the stage for better understanding the transcribed therapy segments and the two sets of commentaries. Chapter 9 lays out the necessary developmental tasks and
The key to dealing with our client Ben who has a psychosis condition is to establish a therapeutic relationship. This includes active listening, learning and act on the information has been communicated with Ben about what is important to him. Active listening involves asking appropriate questions, pay attention, paraphrasing, offer appropriate response to his emotions and showing interest in what he is saying.
There are many values this writer wishes to incorporate into a counseling relationship. The fundamental values this writer wishes to incorporate are: flexibility, self-awareness, self-regulation, and empathy. The ability to be flexible and alter what one does in order to fit the client’s needs is crucial to establishing and maintaining a therapeutic relationship. Flexibility can be demonstrated in many different ways, such as the way the therapist interacts with the client, the tone of voice that is utilized, down to the way the therapist provides material to the client. In being flexible, treatment is able to remain focused on the client and his or her needs (Egan, 2014).
A therapist has many clients, but the client has only one therapist. Therefore, it is understandable why the therapist holds such a special place in some clients’ minds. Moreover, it is also reasonable to assume a therapist, while deeply caring for their clients, will not have the same intensity of feelings towards their clients. However, this tension is not an excuse for therapists to not let their clients matter to them. I believe an “I-Thou” relationship as defined by Balswick, King, and Reimer (2005) must be present for true therapy to take place. As Rogers notes, it is the therapist’s presence, or their authentic caring presence, which is the greatest tool in the therapeutic process (Corey,
The client-centred therapeutic relationship between a client and a therapist is the underlying groundwork of motivational interviewing, in order to increase inducement to pursue client behaviour change and, conversely, client changed goals. Naar-king (2011), demonstrates that by maintaining a person-centred conversational style, the client will build up the courage, confidence and, consequently, commitment to a client preferential self-transition and ambitious strive. This makes it evident that, client-centred counselling will stimulate client’s desire to change unhealthy substance use behaviours. In addition, Miller and Rollnick (2013, pp. 29), suggests that motivational interviewing is “a collaborative, goal-orientated style of communication with a particular attention to the language of
Yalom, Y.D. (2009). The Gift of Therapy: An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists and Their Patients: Harper Perennial