Therapeutic Alliance: Lessons from Psychology to the Practicing Behavior Analyst

Therapeutic alliance (TA) refers to a collaborative, mutually respectful, and caring partnership in a client-therapist relationship (Horvath, 2001). Defining features of TA include bond/trust between the therapist and client, agreement on goals of therapy, and alignment on the recommendations/behavior that will enable the achievement of those mutually shared goals. To date, TA is one of the most studied factors in psychotherapy (Baier, Kline, & Feeny, 2020). Robust research has shown that strong TA can improve attendance at therapy sessions, foster adherence to intervention recommendations, and lead to meaningful treatment outcomes (e.g., Lejuez & Hopko, 2006). While not often discussed in a behavior analytic frame, TA should receive attention by practicing behavior analysts. To that end, this presentation will review the concept of TA, summarize research findings, and discuss translations to behavior analysis. Special attention will be provided on the implications for TA in productive parent, teacher, and behavior analyst collaboration. Finally, actionable steps will be provided on how to teach, shape, and bring awareness to TA in behavior analytic practice.

Hosted by Hopebridge’s Chief Clinical Officer, Jana Sarno.

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