Revista Brasileira de Terapias Cognitivas
Print version ISSN 1808-5687On-line version ISSN 1982-3746
Abstract
MAIA, Rodrigo da Silva; ARAUJO, Tereza Cristina Santos de; SILVA, Neuciane Gomes da and MAIA, Eulália Maria Chaves. Instruments for the evaluation of the therapeutic alliance. Rev. bras.ter. cogn. [online]. 2017, vol.13, n.1, pp.55-63. ISSN 1808-5687. https://doi.org/10.5935/1808-5687.20170009.
The therapeutic alliance (TA) is a universal construct of the various theoretical approaches in psychotherapy. It is an important construct for psychotherapy, considering its clinical significance for the formation of bonding, maintenance, permanence in psychotherapy, therapeutic outcome and discharge process. The literature has pointed out different strategies to measure it. This study aimed to review the instruments available in the literature to evaluate aspects of the therapeutic alliance. It is a integrative review of literature, performed in SCIELO, LILACS and MEDLINE, using the following expression: ("therapeutic alliance" OR "therapeutic relationship") AND (psychology OR psychotherapy), in the Portuguese and English languages. From the search carried out, it was verified the reference to nine quantitative and self-reporting instruments to evaluate aspects of the therapeutic alliance. Seven of these can be used independently of the underlying theoretical approach and / or perspective, and only one refers to Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. Six instruments can be answered by both the therapist and the patient. This review evidenced the various instruments available to measure the therapeutic alliance available in the literature. Such findings are relevant, since they can subsidize in the methodological choice to use in research in psychology and psychotherapy.
Keywords : psychotherapeutic processes; surveys and questionnaires; review.