The Therapeutic Alliance Is The Foundation For Successful Or Unsuccessful Treatment Engagement

There are a multitude of reasons why an individual may need or want therapy; whether it’s due to learning how to cope with a mental disorder or disability, life happenings such as traumas or abuse, addictions, or even PTSD. Anybody can receive it – individual persons, families, or groups. It isn’t hard to argue that most therapists and psychologists will agree that the therapeutic alliance is one of the most beneficial foundations of a therapy session. Also referred to as the working alliance or working relationship, it represents the bond between therapist and

High-quality social relationships, wherein people experience camaraderie and happiness, yield substantial health benefits. For instance, social ties such as marriage and religious involvement have been linked to healthier choices with diet and exercise, possibly because these connections promote positive behavioral norms (Umberson and Montez, 2010). High-quality social relationships also promote mental health by offering individuals a sense of place within a meaningful environment. When people feel connected and supported, they tend to experience a greater sense of control, a psychological state shown to be both associated and causally linked to good health (Lachman and Weaver, 1998). Positive psychological effects of social relationships improve physical health by making it easier for the body to maintain chemical homeostasis over long periods of time by alleviating its “allostatic load” (Umberson and Montez, 2010). Ultimately, these components of high-quality social relationships make people less likely to get sick and die.

Throughout our lives, everyone that we share bonds with and interact with on a regular basis, either forms or has some sort of influence on our identity. Consequently, the majority of us naturally find ourselves striving to fit in with these people, especially during the tough transition from childhood to adulthood. It is this part of the human condition that makes us feel as though we must forge ties with something outside of ourselves in order to establish a strong sense of existence and a clear understanding of who we are. Although most individuals are able to make these connections with others naturally, others who stray from the social norm might not be so fortunate, but rather than

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

What is really interesting about the intake process, and what it looks like at my field placement. A pre-plan is a billable service that the electronic medical record takes into account for an intake appointment. The pre-plan is a therapist and consumer’s first insight into what the consumer wants to gain from this alliance, the desired optimal result to be reaped from this connection. It is my view that this person-centered planning approach goes beyond rapport building and actually begins the construction of a therapeutic alliance or bond (Bordin, 1979). I was present for V’s pre-plan where he gave us a brief overview of his goals and the tasks that he felt that he was comfortable and confident he could carry out with the support of his family and new therapist (MacEwan, 2008). The pre-plan prompted questions like, “What are you good at? What are some strengths you have?” He answered with a full-on smile about how great he was at video games, listening, reading, using his hands to make or fix things. V’s aunt could not help but agree and added additional information including that he is a whiz at all kinds of electronics and appliances. The other clinician, myself, and this family talked about books and even found some standards that we all liked in common. We made sure to remind him during this time that he would be seeing another therapist, a man like his aunt so adamantly requested and we confirmed that he would be aware of all he was

Depression significantly predicted the ‘lonely not isolated’ category, participants who were never or rarely depressed were significantly less likely to be ‘lonely not isolated’ when compared to their counterparts who were frequently depressed. Similarly, living in close proximity to family also significantly reduced the likelihood of being ‘lonely not isolated.’ In contrast, low self-esteem and low levels of interpersonal control (Q2) significantly increased the likelihood of inclusion in the ‘lonely not isolated’

One of the main instruments to success in client treatment is when professional is engaging and recall the client and family in treatment (Thompson, Bender, Lantry, & Flynn, 2007). Thompson, Bender, Lantry, & Flynn, (2007), states that engagement is a vital yet challenging element in active treatment. According to Thompson, Bender, Lantry, & Flynn (2007), “clients that engaged are likely to bond with therapists and counselors, endorse treatment goals, participate to a greater degree, remain in treatment longer, and report higher levels of satisfaction.” The engagement process involves the client and the professional to create and develop a connection or association (Thompson, Bender, Lantry, & Flynn, 2007). Engagement is successful with treatment replicates the value of the

Therapeutic alliance is an essential element of Interpersonal Psychotherapy. Wurm, Robertson, & Rushton, (2008) postulates establishing productive a therapeutic alliance is more important than any techniques. Therefore, the basic tenet of IPT is that all interventions should be therapeutic and seek to enhance the therapeutic alliance. Active listening is a critical part of building the relationship. Weissman et al., (2007) suggests that there should be an effective balance between activity and active listening. In addition to active listening, being able to communicate empathy, relate to the client’s experiences, exercising effective reflection and creative reframing also indirectly bring about therapeutic change and is will valuable to

Social resources can be a health benefit because they aid our coping by changing our circumstances by making them appear less threatening. Social resources can help one relieve the emotional impact of stressful situations. In a study done by Cohen, Doyle, Turner, Alper, and Skoner (2003), it was found that higher levels of sociability correlated to lower levels of illness. Furthermore, it was found that having a “positive emotional style was associated with a lower risk of developing a cold” (Cohen, Doyle, et al. 2003; 393). Supporting what I mentioned above, having social ties means that ones has a larger network to draw support from – whether they are percieved are actual. One common trend is the importance of having a strong social support

The therapeutic alliance also known as a therapeutic relationship is about how I as a clinician/therapist connects, behave and engage with a client and also how a client relates to the therapist (Harely Therapy, 2016). This relationship is collaborative. I remember going into the first session nervous and incompetent. In our first meeting, Sarah asked me, you are just a student and how can you help her. I remember telling her, I am being trained at university and also, I am working under the supervision of J*. I let her know that I will be transparent about things I don't know, and I will come back with answers in the next session or sessions. As Sarah shared her fears of

Without fail, one of the first sections of every psychological exam will include questions surrounding one’s social involvement and friendship. To assess your level of withdrawal from daily life, the test will inquire “Do you have a good friend base?” and “Do you find pleasure in social settings?” Negative answers to these questions ignite a flurry of worry from health care professionals. As writer Edward Hoagland would agree, our life experiences and those of our ancestors have shaped our yearning for human connection and demonstrated the true importance of relationships for survival. As we grow and thrive we crave someone to indulge in; however, when we fall on desperate times we seek the loving eyes of a close confidant. Celie, the narrator

Chronic illness patients sometimes face criticism even from family and friends such as to “suck it up” because it could not be that bad or suggesting they are just being childish. Patients have a pseudo mental armour that makes them stronger than the average healthy person because of their struggles. The experiences chronic illness sufferers go through are not always strengthening, they are often scary and can lower overall happiness and hope for the future. Even those who struggle with chronic illness can become stronger due to their troubles. However, sometimes it can be just the opposite by tearing them down just as much.

Holt-Lunstad and Smith’s “Social Relationships and Morality” investigates the correlation between social relationships and life expectancy, as well as, investigates the linked variables and pathways. This study suggests social relationships are evolutionary advantageous for not only emotional and mental health, but physical health, despite a rise in the paradigm that humans do not need contact and communication to survive and thrive. As of late, research regarding social relationships have been restricted to psychological and sociological investigation, rather than medical research; therefore, there is a lack of precision and validity due to variability in measurement. Holt-Lunstad aims to establish a foundation of reliable, scientific data

Social connection can be a complex form of survival in the world today. The idea of being accepted by people can drive the sanest person crazy. This research shows that people invulnerable to pain or defy the basic human characteristics are more susceptible to social connections. This may result in the fact of possessing a higher power, allowing a form of confidence in oneself. I believe having the ability to be greater than your current self always brings forth positive behavior because the feeling of power unleashes our full potential. There are many factors that portray to this experiment, which researchers have attempted to prove this theory. The article states that people seek reconnection with those we are familiar with and turn away from those unlike us. The primary focus is on ostracism or past events causing the effects of social exclusion. Whereas; if ostracism results in exclusion than the forming a coalition can benefit one’s social reality. Surrounding oneself by influencing people can increase the chances of survival. Yet, by losing the connection, one becomes vulnerable to the outside world. The research also reviews the aspects of rejected people and how social exclusion can be caused by a social event. Lastly, exclusion can lead to physical invulnerability, which triggers behavioral changes. For example, someone who is alone can feel weak and overpowered by groups of close individuals, which results in lower social reconnection.

Cronin et al. (2007) explained a literature review as being a summary of research that has been carried out on the proposed research topic. The aim of the literature review is to provide a rationale for a new research topic to be undertaken. A good literature review will have a selection of information from varied sources. In this article the literature review is under the heading of background this may be a cause of confusion for some readers and could perhaps be more suited to its own heading. However, the literature review in this article clearly summarises the research that has been conducted into the topic of interest. The fact that the need to belong and accepted is a fundamental need is highlighted. Furthermore the effects of being depraved of this need are also brought to the forefront. In addition to this further studies have been conducted into the depravation of social relationships and its link with higher levels of somatic and psychosomatic illness.