The Impact of Clients’ and Therapists’ Characteristics on Therapeutic Alliance and Outcome

This article investigates distances between therapists and their clients in their experience of the therapeutic alliance across the duration of the psychotherapeutic treatments in a naturalistic study. We looked at the working alliances from different vantage points—rupture, repair of ruptures, distances in the alliance impressions of both clients and therapists—and their correlation with treatment outcome. The only predictive variable of alliance ruptures was the inability of therapists to bond sufficiently with their clients regarding a sustainable working atmosphere, which could be identified through a continuous distant alliance rating by the therapists. Alliance ruptures in turn significantly predicted premature termination of treatments, whereas alliance ruptures per se did not necessarily predict treatment outcome. The paper discusses the possible role of the quality of therapists’ attachment styles as a potentially crucial variable in an effective working alliance in psychotherapy.

The foundations of the working alliance in assertive community treatment teams

Background In this study, we aimed to identify and define the fundamental components of the working alliance in multidisciplinary (Flexible) Assertive Community Treatment teams with shared caseloads, in order to support their daily practice and further research. Methods After reviewing the literature, concept mapping with professionals and clients was used to define the working alliance in (F) ACT teams. The resulting concept maps formed the basis for the working alliance assessment instrument, which was pilot tested with professionals and clients through cognitive interviews with a think-aloud procedure. Results The study led to the development of a twenty five-item assessment instrument to evaluate working alliances in multidisciplinary teams (WAM) that was comprised of three subscales: bond, task/goal and team. Two different versions were developed for clients and professionals. Conclusions The WAM instrument was developed to determine the quality of the working alliance in (F) ACT teams. Future research will focus on testing its psychometric properties and predictive value.

Working alliance among mental health nurses in Indonesia: A comparative analysis of socio-demographic characteristics

Background: Working alliance between therapist and client in psychotherapy practice has become proven to compensate for a significant difference in various psychotherapy modalities. However, few studies have investigated the structure of alliance in the context of nurses working at mental health hospitals in Indonesia. Objective: This study aimed to compare the working alliance of mental health nurses according to socio-demographic characteristics. Methods: A cross-sectional research was performed at the Mental Health Hospital in West Java, Indonesia, as a referral hospital in Indonesia from May to December 2019. The inclusion criteria were nurses with a minimum of one year of working experience and a Diploma III certificate in nursing. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 120 nurses who agreed to join in this study. The working alliance was measured using Working Alliance Inventory-Short Revised-Therapist (WAI-SRT).Results: The majority of the respondents were female (77.5%), holding a Diploma III degree in nursing (49.17%), having working experience ranged from 11 to 15 years (34.17%), and working at the chronic unit (32.5%). The mean score of the working alliance was 44.46 (SD = 11.32). The domain of agreement on goals had a higher mean score (17.65 ± 3.45), followed by the task domain (16.56 ± 5.81) and bond domain (22.10 ± 7.23). There was a significant difference in working alliance according to education level and working experience (p < 0.05), while no significant differences in terms of gender and working unit.Conclusion: Mental health nurses with higher education levels and more vast working experience had higher working alliances. Thus, nurse managers and hospital policymakers should provide Continues Nursing Education (CNE), working alliance training, and therapeutic strategies for nurses to improve their working alliances. It is also essential to cooperate with nursing schools to include working alliances as learning objectives.Funding: This study was fully funded by Padjadjaran University, Indonesia.

Investigating Possible Effects from a One-Year Coach-Education Program

The main purpose of the current study was to examine possible effects from a coach education program over one year, in which each coach was supervised by a mentor who facilitated their learning based on coach-centered values. The current study was designed as an experiment with a control group, where the coaches in the experiment group received mentoring by a mentor over one year, whereas the coaches in the control group did not. Ninety-four coaches completed the study over one year from a variety of sports (n > 30), where cross-country skiing, soccer, biathlon, handball and swimming were the most represented sports. Among the coaches in the sample, 87% were coaches for athletes who competed or had ambitions to compete at an international level. The results from self-reported questionnaires at the pre-test and post-test show that the coach education program had a significant effect on the bond dimension in the coach–athlete working alliances and the coaches’ perceived coach performances. The analysis did not find any effects from the coach education program on the goal and task dimension in the coach–athlete working alliances. The findings are discussed in terms of applied implications and possible future research.

Coaching With Artificial Intelligence: Concepts and Capabilities

Artificial intelligence (AI) has brought rapid innovations in recent years, transforming both business and society. This paper offers a new perspective on whether, and how, AI can be employed in coaching as a key HRD tool. We provide a definition of the concept of AI coaching and differentiate it from related concepts. We also challenge the assumption that AI coaching is feasible by challenging its capability to lead through a systematic coaching process and to establish a working alliance to clients. Based on these evaluations, AI coaching seems to encounter the greatest difficulties in the clients’ problem identification and in delivering individual feedback, which may limit its effectiveness. However, AI generally appears capable of guiding clients through many steps in the coaching process and establishing working alliances. We offer specific recommendations for HRD professionals and organizations, coaches, and developers of AI coaching programs on how AI coaching can contribute to enhance coaching practice. Combined with its lower costs and wider target group, AI coaching will likely transform the coaching profession and provide a future HRD tool.

Building Strong Working Alliances with American Indian Families

A strong working alliance between school and home is essential for positive student outcomes. Such alliances are based on a spirit of respect and a desire for collaboration. Given their unique roles and training, school social workers, counselors, and psychologists play a pivotal role in the formation of a strong school–home alliance. With American Indian families, this alliance can be developed only through a sound understanding of the cultural characteristics of these families. Only through such understanding will stereotypes of American Indian families be replaced by more accurate and positive perspectives. To help school social workers, counselors, and psychologists promote strong school–home working alliances, this article outlines six key cultural characteristics of American Indian families: geographical isolation, cultural heterogeneity, extended family, inclusive role for children, group primacy, and traumatic educational history. In addition, the implications of these characteristics for effective consultative and psychotherapeutic activities are discussed.

Relationships Matter – The Impact of Working Alliances in Employment Services

A central assumption in social policy research and practice is that a strong working alliance between caseworkers and clients produces the best outcomes. There is, however, limited empirical evidence to support this assumption. This is especially the case within Active Labour Market Policies, where existing research focuses on programme effects rather than relationship effects. In this article, we examine whether strong working alliances produce higher employment and education outcomes for disadvantaged jobseekers. The case is a Danish municipality that invested in reducing the caseloads of caseworkers working with disadvantaged social assistance recipients. The data combine survey data on social assistance recipients with outcome data from national administrative registers. Based on linear regressions, the analysis indicates that strong working alliances are positively related to subsequent employment and education outcomes. We discuss the implications, limitations and generalisability of this finding and the conditions for providing stronger working alliances in employment services.

Sport Psychology Consultants’ Reflections on the Role of Humor: “It’s Like Having Another Skill in Your Arsenal”

Previous research demonstrates that sport psychology consultants use humor to facilitate working alliances, reinforce client knowledge, and create healthy learning environments. The current study sought to gain further insights into consultants’ reflections on the role of humor, humor styles, purposes for humor, and experiences of humor use. Forty-eight sport psychology consultants completed an online survey comprising open-ended questions. Thematic analysis revealed four themes: “It’s the way I tell ’em,” “It’s the way I don’t tell ’em,” “This is why I tell ’em,” and learning to use humor in consultancy. Participants used 2 styles of humor (deadpan and self-deprecating), each with the goal of facilitating the working alliance. Although not all participants used humor during consultancy, its incorporation might render the working alliance and real relationship as resources in ways (e.g., a “barometer” that predicts consultancy outcomes) previously not considered in applied sport psychology.