The Therapeutic Relationship

Therapeutic outcomes

Research has shown the most important factor in therapeutic outcomes the quality of the therapeutic relationship. As such, contemporary psychotherapy has a strong interpersonal emphasis.

While being a professional relationship the therapeutic relationships is also intensely personal. Like any relationship it is likely to have its ups and downs. Clients are encouraged and express their thoughts and feeling about the therapist and the therapeutic process in the therapy with their therapist. This not only gives the therapist feedback but keeps the therapy alive and real. It has the potential to provide exploration and insight into basic ways of being and relating.

You might like to think of therapy as like going to the gym, in this case an emotional and relational gym. It takes time and consistent effort to gets results. Part of the therapy is doing the difficult stuff; saying the things that are hard to say. This requires taking the challenges yet with careful pacing. It may be tough at first but ultimately rewarding!