Therapists’ and clients’ ratings of real relationship, attachment, therapist self-disclosure, and treatment progress

Abstract

Objective: While there has been much research on the role of the working alliance in psychotherapy, researchers only recently began investigating the role of the real relationship in treatment. Methods: In the current study on therapist and client dyads, we used actor–partner interdependence modeling (APIM) to examine associations between therapists’ and clients’ ratings of the real relationship, therapist self-disclosure, attachment, and treatment progress. APIM analyses allowed for an examination into how therapists’ and clients’ views of a particular phenomenon might affect their own ratings (actor), as well as the others’ (partner) ratings of that same phenomenon. Results: Significant negative associations between therapist self-reported attachment anxiety and avoidance and therapist-rated real relationship and treatment progress. Significant positive associations were found between client-rated real relationship and client-rated treatment progress. These results and others are discussed in the context of the literature along with implications for future research in this area.