Assessment of the Therapeutic Alliance within the Framework of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Approaches

Esra Canpolat*, Uskudar University, Clinical Psychology, Master Student, esra.canpolat@st.uskudar.edu.tr

The therapeutic alliance is a special bond established between the therapist and the client, based on the principle of partnership and cooperation. In the literature, it is reported that the strongest variable predicting the effectiveness of psychotherapy is the therapeutic alliance. The concept of therapeutic alliance, which was first conceptualized in psychoanalytic approaches, has gained diversity in terms of meaning and application with the development of different psychotherapy approaches. Despite various theoretical approaches about the core and function of the therapeutic alliance, the existence of a good alliance becomes a common ground for the client’s development. Cognitive behavioral therapies, which are umbrella term in psychotherapy approaches, have recently emphasized and discussed the development of therapeutic alliances. There are basically two reasons why CBT therapists try to establish a good relationship with their clients. First, a strong relationship basically provides a facilitating context for specific techniques. Second, the relationship can be used directly as a tool to promote therapeutic learning. In order to develop this relationship, various elements are highlighted, such as exhibiting good counseling skills and proper understanding, sharing conceptualization and treatment plan, making collaborative decisions, seeking feedback, diversifying his style, helping clients to solve their problems. In this article, the concept of therapeutic alliance will be evaluated and discussed within the framework of cognitive behavioral therapy approaches.

Keywords: therapeutic alliance, Cognitive Behavioral Therapies, psychotherapy