ABSTRACT
Working alliance theory holds that when a client and therapist share similar views on a range of therapeutic issues, then therapy is more likely to be effective than when their views differ. The goals domain of the working alliance directs attention to the therapist’s and client’s objectives for working together. The views domain of the working alliance points to the client’s and therapist’s understandings about important aspects of psychotherapy. Person-centred therapists have later emphasized the point that it is this experiential component that makes the 'core conditions' therapeutic. Different approaches to therapy emphasise different ways in which the therapist can promote client safety, trust and faith. Different therapeutic approaches recommend different interactive stances, which vary along two main dimensions. One of these dimensions concerns level of activity, and the other concerns level of direction. The therapist’s interactive stance can be combined with different therapeutic styles.
