Alliance and Technique for Predicting Outcome in Short-and Long-Term Analytic Psychotherapy

Abstract

A previous clinical trial provided the opportunity to examine the roles and interaction of alliance and technique in both short- and long-term analytic psychotherapy. Two separate teams of trained clinical judges rates either alliance on the CALPAS or therapist interventions on the ITS. Outcome included symptomatology and interpersonal problems. In short-term therapy, working and therapeutic alliance ratings contributed significantly to the reduction of symptomatology only. In long-term therapy, working alliance ratings contributed significantly to the reduction of interpersonal problems, and the interaction of working alliance ratings with supportive or exploratory intervention rating were found to account for significant amounts of the variance of both symptomatology and interpersonal problems at termination. These findings should be considered with caution, given the restricted sample sizes.