Title

Therapeutic Alliance and Treatment Progress in Couple Psychotherapy

Document Type

Article

Language

eng

Publication Date

4-8-2007

Publisher

Wiley

Source Publication

Journal of Marital and Family Therapy

Source ISSN

0194-472X

Abstract

This study examined the ability of the therapeutic alliance to predict treatment progress on individual‐ and relationship‐level variables from the early to middle phase of couple treatment. Although alliance did not predict progress in individual functioning, it accounted for 5–22% of the variance in improvement in marital distress. Women’s mid‐treatment alliance uniquely predicted improvement in marital distress, over and above early treatment alliance. When men’s alliances with the therapist were stronger than their partners’ at session 8, couples showed more improvement in marital distress. Treatment response was also positively associated with women’s ratings of their partners’ alliance. Results confirm that the therapeutic alliance in conjoint treatment is composed of distinct client subsystems that are useful predictors of treatment progress.

Comments

Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, Vol. 33, No. 2 (April 8, 2007): DOI.

Lynne M. Knobloch-Fedders was affiliated with Northwestern University at the time of publications.

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