Psychology

A. Horvath, B. Symonds

1991.4.1JOURNAL OF COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY

DOI: 10.1037/0022-0167.38.2.139

tlooto Summary

A 1991 meta-analysis found a moderate but reliable association between working alliance quality and positive therapy outcome.

Abstract

Results of 24 studies (based on 20 distinct data sets) relating the quality of the working alliance (WA) to therapy outcome were synthesized using meta-analytic procedures. A moderate but reliable association between good WA and positive therapy outcome was found. Overall, the quality of the WA was most predictive of treatment outcomes based on clients' assessments, less so of therapists' assessments, and least predictive of observers' report

Citation format

HORVATH, A.; SYMONDS, B. Relation between working alliance and outcome in psychotherapy: A meta-analysis. JOURNAL OF COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY, 1991, 38: 139–149.