Different perspectives of the therapeutic alliance and therapist technique in 2 forms of dynamically oriented psychotherapy

Abstract

Objective: This study addresses several issues concerning patients' and therapists' perceptions of key therapy process variables. This includes examining whether patients and therapists differ in their perceptions of the therapeutic alliance and therapist technique, what the relation is between perceptions of the alliance and technique, and whether these perceptions are predictive of treatment outcome. Method: Patient and therapist perceptions of the therapy process were provided in a comparative trial of 2 forms of short-term individual dynamic psychotherapy. Patients (n = 144) were randomly assigned to each condition. Treatment outcome was assessed using a large, comprehensive battery of reliable measures. Results: The findings revealed several differences in the patients' and therapists' ratings of the alliance and technique in the 2 forms of therapy. Patient ratings of the alliance and technique were predictive of treatment outcome. Conclusion: The findings contribute to understanding the extent to which therapy participants share views of therapy processes and highlight the importance of the therapist's attending to the patient's perception of therapy.