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This study examined the therapeutic alliance from the perspective of the involved client, using 66 descriptive accounts provided by 34 clients over 3 phases of therapy. Through phenomenological analysis, 3 relatively distinct types of perceived alliance were identified across therapy, which were labeled nurturant (46% of reports), insight-oriented (39%), and collaborative (15%) to emphasize therapist facilitative attitudes, client improved self-understanding, and client involvement, respectively. A 2nd method of content analysis provided a list of the individual characteristics representative of clients' perceptions and their prevalence within and across the 3 types of alliance. Findings suggest that theoretician-defined alliance variables are not equally relevant for clients and that some crucial features of the perceived working relationship are not accounted for in current alliance theory.
Alexandra Bachelor (Sat,) studied this question.