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Client and Therapist Therapeutic Alliance, Session Evaluation, and Client Reliable Change: A Moderated Actor-Partner Interdependence Model.

  • Divine Mercy University
    ,
  • Department of Counseling and Personnel Services, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742.
    ,
  • Department of Psychology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
    ,
  • The Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, Adelphi University.
Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 15-23 (9 pages)

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

Journal of Counseling Psychology (Volume 61, Issue 1)

Publication milestones

  • Published - 01/01/2014

Publication status

Published - 01/01/2014

ISSN

0022-0167

Abstract

Actor-partner interdependence modeling (APIM; Kashy & Kenny, 2000) was used to study the early therapeutic alliance in 74 clients being treated by 29 therapists to explore the relationship between the alliance and treatment progress, while prioritizing the dyadic nature of the alliance. The APIM examines collaboration/ influence by modeling the impact of one dyad member's alliance ratings on the other member's session impact rating (partner effects). In terms of the alliance, the results revealed significant client-actor effects for client ratings of session depth and positivity as well as significant therapist-actor effects for therapist ratings of session smoothness and positivity. For client-rated alliance, there were also significant client-partner effects for therapist ratings of session depth. For clients who made a reliable change in treatment, an increase in client-reported alliance was related to therapist reporting more arousal in the 3rd session. For clients who did not make a reliable change in treatment, client-reported alliance was not related to therapist arousal. Limitations of the study and implications of the findings are discussed.

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