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The Efforts of Therapists in the First Session To Establish a Therapeutic Alliance
Document Type: Open Access
Degree Program
Psychology
Degree Type
Master of Science (M.S.)
Year Degree Awarded
2009
Month Degree Awarded
May
Primary Subject Category
Psychotherapy
Secondary Subject Category
Personality; Psychology
Keywords
First session, therapeutic alliance, psychotherapy
Advisor(s) or Committee Chair
Halgin, Richard P.
Abstract
Although the therapeutic alliance is known to be a principal therapeutic factor, little attention has focused on therapists’ perspectives on the impact of the first session on the development of the therapeutic alliance. The present study is a qualitative exploration of interviews with ten therapists regarding the first session and their efforts to establish a therapeutic alliance with their new clients. The data were analyzed using Clara Hill’s Consensual Qualitative Research paradigm (CQR). In considering Bordin’s (1979) three components of the alliance (tasks, goals, bond), therapists viewed the bond as the most influential contributor to the development of the alliance in the first session. The therapists emphasized being attuned to the client, being honest and open, generating curiosity, gently challenging, and setting the frame and expectations for therapy as important actions to take when working to establish an alliance in the first session. The findings from this study contribute to the literature on the therapeutic alliance, with particular attention to strategies for facilitating alliance development from the outset of therapy.
Discipline(s)
Clinical Psychology
Recommended Citation
MacEwan, Gregory H., "The Efforts of Therapists in the First Session To Establish a Therapeutic Alliance" (2009). Masters Theses. Paper 269.
http://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses/269
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