ABSTRACT
In the field of psychotherapy, it is generally viewed that the working alliance between the therapist and the client is an important ingredient for client change. In walk-in therapy, when a person comes for one session and does not return for another, then it is possible that the person has gotten what they want from the session and that a good working alliance has contributed to this. However, that person may return for a second walk-in session. It may be that the person did not get what they want the first time and are trying again. Or they may have gotten what they wanted and are 'walking-in' for help with another problem. This may not trouble the person because in their mind they do not have a working alliance with a specific therapist. Rather, they have a working alliance with the walk-in centre. For them a particular practitioner is not looking after their well-being, a helping community is.
