The Impact of Interpersonal Style on Ruptures and Repairs in the Therapeutic Alliance Between Offenders and Therapists in Sex Offender Treatment

Abstract

The therapeutic relationship is a critical component of psychological treatment. Strain can occur in the relationship, particularly when working with offenders, and more specifically, those offenders with interpersonal difficulties; strain can lead to a rupture, which may affect treatment participation and performance. This study examined ruptures in the therapeutic relationship in sexual offenders participating in offense-focused group treatment. Fifty-four sex offenders rated the therapeutic alliance at the commencement and completion of treatment; at the completion of treatment, they also reported on the occurrence of ruptures and whether they believed these ruptures were repaired. Ruptures were separated by type, according to severity-Each relationship was therefore characterized as experiencing no rupture, a minor rupture, or a major rupture. Offender characteristics including interpersonal style (IPS) and psychopathy were assessed at the commencement of treatment; their relationship with ruptures was examined. Results revealed that more than half of the offenders (approximately 55%) experienced a rupture in the therapeutic alliance, with one in four of these ruptures remaining unresolved. Offenders who did not report a rupture rated the therapeutic alliance significantly higher at the end of treatment compared with those offenders who reported a rupture that was not repaired. Offenders who reported a major rupture in the therapeutic relationship were higher in interpersonal hostility and hostile-dominance. No interpersonal or offense-specific factors affected the likelihood of a rupture repair.

Ruptures and repairs of group therapy alliance. An untold story in psychotherapy research

“…As indicated, group research on alliance ruptures-repair patterns and their association with patient’s outcome is scarce. To our knowledge, only one study has examined patterns of alliance ruptures in group treatment (Watson, Thomas & Daffern, 2017 ) and none have examined the repaired-rupture event as a predictor of treatment outcome in group therapies. Watson and colleagues ( 2017 ) explored the ruptures in the therapeutic alliance between sexual offenders and their therapists in a structured group treatment program.…”

“…To our knowledge, only one study has examined patterns of alliance ruptures in group treatment (Watson, Thomas & Daffern, 2017 ) and none have examined the repaired-rupture event as a predictor of treatment outcome in group therapies. Watson and colleagues ( 2017 ) explored the ruptures in the therapeutic alliance between sexual offenders and their therapists in a structured group treatment program. Thirty participants (55.6%) reported experiencing a rupture in the alliance; and half of them reported that the rupture was repaired.…”

Lessons of a Failed Study: Lone Research, Media Analysis, and the Limitations of Bracketing

“…Indeed, most of these studies focus largely on historical or quantitative analysis of sex offenders' behavior. While a few recent papers have centered on sex offender treatment (Jones & Neal, 2018;Stinson, Becker, & McVay, 2015), therapeutic alliance (Watson, Daffern, & Thomas, 2015), and community-based sex offender integration (Keer, Tully, & Vo ¨llm, 2018), biometric assessment dominates the body of work (Davis & Archer, 2010;Janka, Gallasch-Nemitz, Biedermann, & Dahle, 2012) conducted on sex offenders. Most biometrics assessment range from arousal assessment (Reyes, Vollmer, & Hall, 2011), risk assessment scales to determine the rate of recidivism (Janka et al, 2012;Kim, Benekos, & Merlo, 2015;Lehmann et al, 2013;Simon, 2000) to "multiscale inventories" that enhance typologies to distinguish types of offenders (Davis & Archer, 2010).…”

The Good Lives Model and the Rehabilitation of Individuals Convicted of Sexual Offending

“…This is a limitation of the RNR model's translation into treatment contexts, and likely has a significant impact upon the therapeutic relationship. For example, Watson, Thomas, and Daffern (2017) found that 55.6 percent of their sample (sexual offending treatment participants, n=75) experienced a rupture to the therapeutic alliance, caused largely by disagreement on treatment goals and tasks. This indicates that perceived discrepancies between the goals and priorities of treatment participants and providers can have a negative impact upon the therapeutic alliance, and consequently reduce effectiveness.…”