Journal article
Therapists’ experiences of alliance formation in short-term counselling
European Journal of Psychotherapy and Counselling, Vol.18(1), pp.75-92
2016
Abstract
While therapeutic alliance formation has been widely researched over many sessions of psychotherapy, the question of alliance formation in short-term counselling has been less explored. Given the increasing evidence in the literature for the positive impact of alliances on therapy outcomes, providing counsellors - who may work with clients for a limited number of sessions - with enhanced insight into alliance formation will be of value. This qualitative study investigated the experiences of eight counsellors forming alliances with clients over short periods. Semi-structured interviews were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Five major themes emerged, that while congruent with the alliance literature, add some details relevant to day-to-day practice. These themes included: the importance of strong alliances; the need for psychologically comfortable environments; the timing of alliance formation; and the impact of counsellor personal qualities - such as being real - in strengthening and maintaining alliances. In addition, an unexpected sixth theme revealed that body language was highly valued as an indicator of strong or weak alliances. Implications for increasing the use of body language to enhance counselling practice and education are discussed.
Details
- Title
- Therapists’ experiences of alliance formation in short-term counselling
- Authors
- Mark R Pearson (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts, Business and LawCaroline Bulsara (Author) - University of Notre Dame
- Publication details
- European Journal of Psychotherapy and Counselling, Vol.18(1), pp.75-92
- Publisher
- Routledge
- Date published
- 2016
- DOI
- 10.1080/13642537.2015.1131729
- ISSN
- 1364-2537
- Copyright note
- Copyright © 2016 The Authors. This is an Author's Accepted Manuscript of an article published in European Journal of Psychotherapy and Counselling 2016, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/13642537.2015.1131729
- Organisation Unit
- School of Social Sciences - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Law and Society
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99449495102621
- Output Type
- Journal article
Metrics
420 File views/ downloads
1124 Record Views
InCites Highlights
These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Psychology, Clinical
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
Source: InCites