The therapeutic relationship in Rational-Emotive Therapy: Some preliminary data

Abstract

This study assessed the therapeutic relationship between psychotherapy clients and Albert Ellis and other Rational-Emotive Therapists. Clients at the Institute for Rational-Emotive Therapy completed the relationship questionnaire (Truax, & Carkhuff, 1967). The results suggest that RET therapists do develop positive therapeutic relationships. Clients receiving RET endorsed significantly higher scores on most therapeutic relationship subscales compared to subjects in the initial articles introducing the therapeutic relationship scale. There were no differences in therapeutic relationship scores by gender of the therapist. Also, there was no correlation between the relationship scores and the number of sessions completed, which suggests the therapuetic relationship develops early. Both clients of senior and junior therapists received higher relationship scores than did clients of Dr. Ellis. This disconfirms the argument that RET practices cannot lead to a therapuetic relationship and Ellis' therapeutic relationship is a result of his fame and could not be duplicated by other therapists using RET.