The Concept of Therapeutic Alliance in Emotion-Focused Therapy

Habibe Aykan*
Psikoterapi Enstitüsü, Turkey

In this study, the conceptualization and applications of the concept of therapeutic alliance according to the emotion-focused therapy approach, which is based on the exchange of emotion with emotion, will be included. With the literature review method, the concept of therapeutic alliance in emotion- focused therapy approach will be examined and its application will be explained. The concept of therapeutic alliance, which explains the structure of the relationship between the therapist and the client, is a concept that is considered important by all theoretical approaches. Process studies investigating what happens in psychotherapy sessions reveal that the therapeutic relationship is an important variable. Among the factors affecting the well-being of the client, the result that the therapeutic relationship has a greater impact than the therapy techniques and methods was revealed by the process researchers. In the first stage of the emotion-focused therapy approach, which is a process-oriented approach, it is aimed to establish a bond and create awareness between the client and the therapist. The structure of the relationship between the therapist and the client should include mutual interest and respect on a trust-based basis. However, the concept of therapeutic alliance; indicates a broader meaning, including the formation of collaborative emotional tasks about therapeutic goals and objectives. Emotion-focused therapists consider establishing a positive therapeutic alliance with their clients as the primary goal of therapy in the first phase of therapy. In the interaction established for this purpose, they fully devote themselves to the relationship and show warmth, empathic attunement, and acceptance. They maintain sincerity in the relationship with the client. They maintain an open and transparent relationship. Such a relationship is considered as a way of being, and it is accepted that this way of being itself creates a healing effect and rapidly increases the self-organization processes of the client’s emotional processing capacities.The client, whose optimal emotion regulation capacity is increased, develops relationships with herself/himself and others. The therapeutic alliance has an important place in achieving the therapeutic goals in emotion-focused therapy.

Keywords: therapeutic alliance, bonding, emotion focused therapy *terapistaykan@gmail.com