Client Involvement, Working Alliance, and Type of Therapy Termination

The study investigated the relationship of therapist-rated client and therapist involvement and client relatedness in the first session to strength of working alliance, measured after the third session, and type of client termination. Ten therapists and their 109 college student clients participated. How well the client related at intake was positively associated with client and therapist alliance scores. Client intake involvement was positively associated with client alliance assessment. Unilateral client terminations were related to weaker client and therapist working alliance evaluations. Results indicate the importance of building a strong alliance in the early phases of counseling.