Skip to main content
Log in

What Is and Can Be Attributed to the Therapeutic Relationship?

  • Published:
Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper reviews findings from two studies that support the contentions of the Generic Model of Psychotherapy that therapeutic outcome must be viewed as arising from a complex interaction of common and specific factors. Patient, therapy, and relationship factors are shown to selectively add to the variance predicted in psychotherapy outcome studies. Moreover, an inspection of procedures that are common to two different therapies, and those that are unique to these approaches reveal that both contribute to outcome and do so in ways that suggest the presence of both synergistic and inhibiting effects.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Ahn, H. & Wampold, B. E. (2001). Where o where are the specific ingredients? A meta-analysis of component studies in counseling and psychotherapy. Journal of Counseling Psychology 48, 251–257.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrews, H. B. (2000). The myth of the scientist-practitioner: A reply to R. King (1998) and N. King and Ollendick (1998). Australian Psychologist, 35, 60–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beutler, L. E., & Clarkin, J. (1990). Systematic treatment selection: Toward targeted therapeutic interventions. New York: Brunner/Mazel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beutler, L. E., Clarkin, J. F., & Bongar, B. (2000). Guidelines for the systematic treatment of the depressed patient. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beutler, L.E., Moleiro, C., Malik, M., & Harwood, T. M. (2000, June). The UC Santa Barbara Study of fitting therapy to patients: First results. A paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Psychotherapy Research (international), Chicago, Ill.

  • Chambless, D. L., & Hollon, S. D. (1998). Defining empirically supported therapies. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66, 7–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chambless, D. L., & Ollendick, T. H. (2001). Empirically supported psychological interventions: Controversies and evidence. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 85–716.

    Google Scholar 

  • DeRubeis, R. J.& Crits-Christoph, P. (1998). Empirically supported individual and group psychological treatments for adult mental disorders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66, 37–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harwood, T. M., Beutler, L. E., Castillo, S., & Karno, M. (in press). Common and Specific Effects of Couples Treatment for Alcoholism: A test of the Generic Model of Psychotherapy. Journal of Clinical Psychology.

  • Horvath, A. O., & Symonds, B. D. (1991). Relation between working alliance and outcome in psychotherapy: A meta-analysis. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 38, 139–149.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, E. E., Cummings, J. D., & Horowitz, M. J. (1988). Another look at the nonspecific hypothesis of therapeutic effectiveness. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56, 48–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karno, M., Beutler, L. E., & Harwood, T. M. (in press). Interactions between psychotherapy process and patient attributes that predict alcohol treatment effectiveness: A preliminary report. Addictive Behaviors.

  • Lambert, M. J. (1992). Psychotherapy outcome research: Implications for integrative and eclectic therapists. In J. C. Norcross and M. R. Goldfried (Eds), Handbook of Psychotherapy Integration (pp. 94–129). New York: Basic Books, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luborsky, L., Rosenthal, R., Diguer, L., Andrusyna, T. P., Berman, J. S., Levitt, J. T., Seligman, D. A., & Krause, E. D. (in press). The dodo bird verdict is alive and well mostly. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice.

  • Martin, D. J., Garske, J. P., & Davis, M. K. (2000). Relation of the therapeutic alliance with outcome and other variables: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68, 438–450.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nathan, P. E., & Gorman, J. M. (Eds.). (1998). A guide to treatments that work. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Orlinsky, D. E., & Howard, K. I. (1987). A generic model of psychotherapy. Journal of Integrative and Eclectic Psychology, 6, 6–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patterson, K. (1994). The determination of distinctions and commonalities between two manualized treatments for alcoholism. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of California, Santa Barbara.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roth, A., & Fonagy, P. (1996). What works for whom? A critical review of psychotherapy research. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rounsaville, B. J., Chevron, E. S., Prusoff, B. A., Elkin, I., Imber, S., Sotsky, S., & Watkins, J. (1987). The relation between specific and general dimensions of the psychotherapy process in interpersonal psychotherapy of depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 55, 379–384.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shapiro, D.A., & Shapiro, D. (1982). Meta-analysis of comparative therapy outcome studies: A replication and refinement. Psychological Bulletin, 92, 581–604.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, M. L., Glass, G. V., & Miller, T. 1. (1980). The benefits of psychotherapy. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stevens, S.E., Hynan, M.T., & Allen, M. (2000). A meta-analysis of common factor and specific treatment effects across the outcome domains of the phase model of psychotherapy. Clinical Psychology: Science & Practice, 70), 273–290.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wampold, B. E. (2001). The Great Psychotherapy Debate: Models, Methods, and Findings. Hillsdale, NJ: L. Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Beutler, L.E., Harwood, T.M. What Is and Can Be Attributed to the Therapeutic Relationship?. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy 32, 25–33 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015579111666

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015579111666

Navigation