Therapeutic alliance in the clinical practice of social workers with families within the child protection system in Chile: a longitudinal perspective

The therapeutic alliance is a key process associated with favorable outcomes in psychotherapy. However, its applicability to other disciplines, especially beyond individual therapy, remains underexplored. This article examines the concept of the therapeutic alliance in social work with families within the Chilean Child Protection System. It focuses on the parental therapeutic alliance formed with parents or relatives who assume caregiving roles. Using a longitudinal qualitative design, the study followed six dyads of social workers and family caregivers for eleven months, employing diverse research techniques. The findings show that the emotional bond is the strongest and most stable component of the alliance. Yet, the mandatory nature of interventions demands a stronger focus on safety and trust. Agreements on goals and tasks were more difficult to achieve, as contextual pressures constrained opportunities for collaborative planning. The study concludes that a family intervention alliance model better captures the dynamics of social work in protection settings, particularly given the involvement of multiple actors. The findings also highlight the need for further research on how other common factors operate in social work practice in order to enhance intervention outcomes.