Premium
The therapeutic alliance: Adolescent perspectives
Author(s) -
Everall Robin D.,
Paulson Barbara L.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
counselling and psychotherapy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.38
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1746-1405
pISSN - 1473-3145
DOI - 10.1080/14733140212331384857
Subject(s) - alliance , therapeutic relationship , trustworthiness , psychology , psychological intervention , psychotherapist , perspective (graphical) , perception , therapeutic approach , clinical psychology , therapeutic community , medicine , social psychology , psychiatry , disease , pathology , artificial intelligence , neuroscience , political science , computer science , law
This paper presents a conceptualisation of the therapeutic alliance from the adolescent perspective and discusses implications for practitioners. The main aim of the study was to focus on the factors that participants identified as important in relationship formation and maintenance. Eighteen individuals were interviewed using a semi‐structured format. Three major themes were identified: therapeutic environment, uniqueness of the therapeutic relationship, and therapist characteristics. Participants identified both positive and negative aspects of the therapeutic relationship. A strong alliance was found to be necessary in that the perception of the therapist as accepting, supportive and trustworthy influenced the adolescent's evaluation of the appropriateness of therapeutic tasks and goals. Participants stressed the importance of the supportive nature of the relationship in their willingness to collaborate in therapeutic interventions.