ABSTRACT
The therapeutic relationship is different from any other type of relationship. Repeated studies have demonstrated that the most curative factor in psychotherapy is not the techniques the therapist uses, or their theoretical orientation, but the strength of the therapeutic relationship (Horvath and Greenberg, 1994). The therapeutic relationship in many respects is a relationship of potentiality. It can be likened to a relationship laboratory, with client and therapist engaged in experimentation with different means of relating to each other and re¯ection upon these relational experiments. The potentiality includes the potential to relate to each other from a range of ego states, from scripted positions, and autonomous positions. The length of time needed to establish a strong therapeutic alliance can vary quite considerably and is substantially in¯uenced by the client's level of organization and integration. More seriously disturbed clients, such as those with personality disorders, may require over a year before the alliance can be considered to be properly formed. Clients with neurotic-level problems, where there is the discernible presence of both an observing and an experiencing ego, are likely to form an alliance with the therapist more readily, maybe only requiring a few sessions before a suf®ciently strong alliance can be considered to be established, whereas those with less or even no observing ego are likely to need extensive therapeutic input to get to the stage where such an alliance between the therapist and the observing ego is possible (McWilliams, 1994).
