Dalia Kujalienė, Teresa Sausaitis
Abstract
Relations between the counselor and client are among themain factors ensuring success of psychological counseling andpsychotherapy. The aim of this article is to review literaturedescribing approaches regarding the therapeutic relationship andplace of the therapeutic relationship in the context of varioustheoretical orientations of the psychological counselling. In thearticle, different concepts on the therapeutic relationship providedin the scientific literature are discussed as different authorsrelate therapeutic relationships to feelings and attitudes of thecounselor and client, communication skills, cooperation andinterpersonal influence. It has also to be noticed that the therapeuticrelationship is multifaceted and a kind of phenomenon that hasits own dynamic. Consequently, the therapeutic relationship isdiscussed in the perspective of different theoretical paradigms ofpsychological counseling, such as psychodynamic, person-centered,existential, constructivist, cognitive-behavioural; and taking intoaccount the significance attributed to different components of thetherapeutic relationship, such as working alliance, transference,real relationship. The article also reflects on the debate aboutwhat is more important: the therapeutic relationship or theoreticalapproaches and technical instruments.
Keyword(s): therapeutic relationship, working alliance, real relationship, transference, psychological counseling
DOI: 10.5200/sm-hs.2014.068
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