Therapeutic Alliance
The Basic Idea
Let’s say you’ve been struggling with anxiety for a while, and after doing some research, you found a therapist who you think could be a good fit.
After having a few sessions with her, you’ve started to build mutual trust with one another. She trusts that you will arrive at your sessions and work on the agreed-upon skills, and you trust that she has your best interest at heart.
This type of partnership, founded on mutual trust, is referred to as a therapeutic alliance: a positive, collaborative partnership between a patient and their therapist. This relationship is made up of mutually agreed-upon goals and tasks, and is an essential component of therapy.
The theory of therapeutic alliance can be traced back to later versions of Sigmund Freud’s theory of transference from over a century ago. He argued that a supportive attitude from the therapist would prompt the patient to associate them with images of those who usually treat the patient with affection.1 While the field of psychology has made significant strides in the last century, Freud set the foundation for future understanding of therapeutic alliances.
