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Relationships... What works in therapy...

Research also shows that 80% of the effectiveness in psychologically based counselling and therapy is dependant on the relationship between the client/s and the therapist. The therapeutic relationship is almost the everything. Trust and faith seems to be an element in other areas of medical practice.

The installation of hope and expectancy is paramount to successful therapeutic outcomes. It seems the working alliance facilitates and encourages confidence to be instilled in the client’s field of reference, toward a positive overcome. We believe things people say if we feel we can trust them.

Ernesto Spinelli elegantly describes the processes present in the therapeutic relationship regarding intentionality and how our reality is shaped by expectation. It seems, you can safely conclude that the expectations of your counsellor or therapist can greatly influence the outcome of your sessions.

So, intentionality refers to this fundamental structure whereby our ‘reality’ is shaped, or interpreted, though our relations, and whereby each new relation, while reliant on previous ones, nevertheless extends or reconstructs the structure or ‘meaning’ of the previous relations in order that the newly emerging structure can ‘enfold’ the new relation.” (Ernesto Spinelli, Demystifying Therapy, 1994, p291)

So, importantly, the way a client feels or thinks about the outcome of their session can affect that outcome. This is also noticeable in how the client feels about the therapist. Also, we choose to see things in a particular way, and we are led to believe things because of our upbringing, culture, influences and needs. Against all logic we still do things that are not effective. Every smoker knows that every time they inhale nicotine they are doing damage to their lungs. They can choose to do differently. They can choose to try and probably succeed in overcoming the addictive nature of nicotine. You can choose to behave differently if you can overcome the addictive and unhelpful ways you act.

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• Save the Children Australia

© 2000 - 2009 Relationships — choosingchange.com.au Philip Johnson