Counselor and Client Predictors of the Initial Working Alliance:

Abstract

One mission of the International Forum section in The Counseling Psychologist is to increase the globalization of counseling psychology (Leong & Ponterotto, 2003). The goals of this study are in line with this mission: (a) to replicate U.S. counseling research on the working alliance to Taiwan by examining clients’perceptions of their counselors’ credibility and (b) to extend the working-alliance literature by examining the role that counselors’problem-solvingstyles play in predicting the initial working alliance. Thirty-one counseling dyads from four counseling centers in Taiwan participated by completing inventories after their first counseling sessions. Results found that (a) clients’ perceptions of their counselors’ credibility and (b) counselors’ perceptions of their problemsolving styles significantly predicted the client-rated, but not the counselor-rated, working alliance. Counseling implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.

“Directive Approach” for Chinese Clients Receiving Psychotherapy: Is That Really a Priority?

“…The preference for pragmatic elements in therapy found in our study is also evident in the research (e.g., Wei and Heppner, 2005; Cao, 2008; Kuo et al, 2011). For instance, Cao (2008) found that Chinese college students were likely to be willing to stay in therapy and provide high ratings of therapist credibility when they perceived that therapy was directive and involved concrete and tangible techniques such as conveying information, probing for information, giving advice, directing behavior, and making interpretations.…”

“…Only four studies have specifically explored effective therapeutic approaches with Chinese clients (i.e., Lin, 2001; Wei and Heppner, 2005; Cao, 2008; Kuo et al, 2011), and these studies have significant limitations. They are often based on experts’ self-reports or interpretations of data through theories and concepts in the field of psychotherapy in the west.…”

“…Limited evidence, similar to findings that emerged from Asian participants, revealed that Chinese clients tend to perceive directive therapeutic styles as most effective. Specifically, studies showed that Chinese clients appeared to prefer a therapeutic style characterized by information and solution offering, action taking, problem solving, and an orientation toward presence (Lin, 2001; Li and Kim, 2004; Wei and Heppner, 2005; Cao, 2008; Kuo et al, 2011). For example, by combining quantitative and qualitative research methods, Wei and Heppner (2005) investigated therapist and client predictors of the initial working alliance with 31 counseling dyads from in Taiwan.…”

“…Specifically, studies showed that Chinese clients appeared to prefer a therapeutic style characterized by information and solution offering, action taking, problem solving, and an orientation toward presence (Lin, 2001; Li and Kim, 2004; Wei and Heppner, 2005; Cao, 2008; Kuo et al, 2011). For example, by combining quantitative and qualitative research methods, Wei and Heppner (2005) investigated therapist and client predictors of the initial working alliance with 31 counseling dyads from in Taiwan. They found that client participants perceived therapists to be especially credible when the therapist provided strategies on problem solving, such as encouraging clients to manage their problems, giving clients suggestions on how to cope with their issues, and providing concrete ideas on how to proceed.…”

Psychophysiological Predictors of Working Alliance Among Treatment‐Seeking Women With Complex Trauma Exposure

“…Because of the many benefits of the working alliance and its consistent influence on therapeutic outcomes, fostering and maintaining the working alliance is viewed as a crucial aspect of the therapy. Research has begun to examine the individual factors that predict alliance strength, such as a client's willingness to seek help (Calsyn, Morse, & Lemming, 2006) and the therapist's perceived credibility (Wei & Heppner, 2005). Given the well-documented relationship between the working alliance and therapy outcome, individuals who experience difficulty forming or maintaining a working alliance may be at a considerable disadvantage in therapy.…”