Real relationship, working alliance, transference/countertransference and outcome in time-limited counseling and psychotherapy

Abstract

Six client/therapist dyads (three therapists each working with two clients) were studied to determine how the real relationship unfolds over the course of time-limited treatment and how this unfolding relates to the development of the client/therapist working alliance, client transference, and therapist countertransference. We also examined how these indices of the relationship fluctuate as a function of treatment outcome. Results indicate that in general for all six dyads, therapists’ and clients’ ratings of the real relationship and working alliance were strong throughout treatment. However, patterns of real relationship and working alliance over the course of treatment varied between dyads categorized as more vs. less successful. Therapists’ countertransference was low, as was client transference, but differences in ratings were evident when the dyads were classified by outcome.

Keywords:

• counselling
• psychotherapy
• process
• outcome
• real relationship

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Claudia Perolini, Adam Joncich, and Marissa Miller for their assistance with the ratings of countertransference and Andi Xhihani for his help with the transcription of the therapy sessions.