The Importance of Empathy in the Therapeutic Alliance

Feller, Candi P.; Cottone, R. Rocco

doi:10.1002/j.2164-490x.2003.tb00168.x

Cited by 64 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Consequently the review only partially represents the literature that has documented the therapeutic relationship, or therapeutic/working alliance, the full extent of which was beyond the scope of this review. There are existing reviews and metaanalyses that have shown that a weak therapeutic alliance is associated with attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety (Bernecker, Levy & Elison, 2014), while a strong therapeutic alliance is associated with a secure attachment style (Diener, Hilsenroth & Weinberger, 2009;Smith, Mfseti & Golding, 2010), motivation, treatment readiness, positive treatment experiences (Meier, Barrowclough & Donmall, 2005), and therapists' empathy (Feller & Cottone 2003), all of which are consistent with the findings of this review (Korfmacher et al, 1998;Lecomte et al, 2012;Simpson et al, 2009). …”

Section: General Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Client engagement in psychotherapeutic treatment and associations with client characteristics, therapist characteristics, and treatment factors

Holdsworth

Bowen

Brown

et al. 2014

Clinical Psychology Review

132

100

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Client engagement has been associated with positive psychotherapeutic outcomes, yet it is relatively undertheorized. The aims of this review were to establish how client engagement with psychotherapeutic interventions targeting psychological or behavioral change has been operationally defined and assessed, and the associated client characteristics, therapist characteristic, and treatment factors. Seventy-nine studies were selected for review, revealing inconsistent definitions and assessments of engagement and a broad array of client characteristics and treatment factors investigated. Attendance was frequently used as a proxy for engagement, but may not be reliable. Participation or involvement in conjunction with homework compliance which reflects clients' efforts within and between sessions may more reliably reflect engagement. The findings of associations between client characteristics and engagement variables were equivocal, although clients' capacities to address their problems tended to be positively associated with engagement. Nearly all therapist characteristics, particularly therapists' interpersonal skills, and most treatment factors, particularly strengths-based approaches and the therapeutic relationship, were positively associated with engagement. A theory of engagement is needed that characterizes the function and inter-relations of variables across different psychotherapeutic settings.

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Section: General Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Client engagement in psychotherapeutic treatment and associations with client characteristics, therapist characteristics, and treatment factors

Holdsworth

Bowen

Brown

et al. 2014

Clinical Psychology Review

132

100

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Counselor empathy is often described as a component of therapeutic alliance (Anderson et al, 2009; Baldwin, Wampold & Imel, 2007;Horvath, De Re, Flückiger & Symonds, 2011) and even a necessary ingredient (Boardman, Catley, Grobe, Little, & Ahluwalia, 2006; Feller & Cottone, 2003; Hoaas, Lindholm, Berge, & Hagen, 2011; Meissner, 1996; Rogers, 1959). Baldwin et al (2007) have demonstrated that the robust relationship between therapeutic alliance and client outcomes is driven by therapist, and not client, variability in the alliance construct.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Is low therapist empathy toxic?

Moyers¹,

Miller²

2013

Psychology of Addictive Behaviors

186

137

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One of the largest determinants of client outcomes is the counselor who provides treatment. Therapists often vary widely in effectiveness, even when delivering standardized manual-guided treatment. In particular, the therapeutic skill of accurate empathy originally described by Carl Rogers has been found to account for a meaningful proportion of variance in therapeutic alliance and in addiction treatment outcomes. High-empathy counselors appear to have higher success rates regardless of theoretical orientation. Low-empathy and confrontational counseling, in contrast, has been associated with higher drop-out and relapse rates, weaker therapeutic alliance and less client change. The authors propose emphasis on empathic listening skills as an evidence-based practice in the hiring and training of counselors to improve outcomes and prevent harm in addiction treatment.

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“…The success of nurses administering the interventions was reported in the various included studies (Penckofer et al, 2012;Piette et al, 2011;Rungreangkulkij et al, 2011). In psychosocial interventions, the therapeutic alliance that a therapist has with the individual is one of the pivotal factors in Page 26 of 53 A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t 26 determining a successful treatment (Feller & Cottone., 2003). This important bond formed between the therapist and client helps the individual work towards agreed upon goals and/or tasks (Del Re, Flückiger, Horvath, Symonds, & Wampold, 2012).…”

Section: Page 25 Of 53mentioning

confidence: 99%