Alliance in common factor land: A view through the research lens

Abstract

The alliance has evolved into one of the most researched psychotherapy process variables. In this paper it is argued that migration of the concept of the alliance from its psychodynamic roots onto "Common Factor Land" has brought not only great benefits but substantial challenges as well. Currently the alliance has no consensual definition, nor has its relation to other relationship constructs been clearly charted. As a consequence, alliance assessment tools have been substituted for a concept definition and taken over the grounds that theorizing about a construct would normally occupy. The historical background of the events that lead to the current state are reviewed and some consequences of positioning the alliance on the conceptual space where Common Factors "live" are examined. Some possible avenues of moving the alliance project forward and re-connecting the empirical research to clinical practice are explored.