AI Article Synopsis
- Research highlights that therapist characteristics, particularly facilitative interpersonal skills (FIS), significantly impact psychotherapy outcomes.
- A clinical trial with 65 clients and 23 therapists showed that clients treated by high FIS therapists experienced better outcomes and stronger therapeutic alliances compared to those with low FIS therapists.
- The study concludes that relational skills of therapists play an essential role in enhancing client improvement and the effectiveness of therapy, regardless of the specific treatment provided.
Article Abstract
Objectives: Therapist effects, independent of the treatment provided, have emerged as a contributor to psychotherapy outcomes. However, past research largely has not identified which therapist factors might be contributing to these effects, though research on psychotherapy implicates relational characteristics. The present Randomized Clinical Trial tested the efficacy of therapists who were selected by their facilitative interpersonal skills (FIS) and training status.
Method: Sixty-five clients were selected from 2713 undergraduates using a screening and clinical interview procedure. Twenty-three therapists met with 2 clients for 7 sessions and 20 participants served in a no-treatment control group.
Results: Outcome and alliance differences for Training Status were negligible. High FIS therapists had greater pre-post client outcome, and higher rates of change across sessions, than low FIS therapists. All clients treated by therapists improved more than the silent control, but effects were greater with high FIS than low FIS therapists. From the first session, high FIS therapists also had higher alliances than low FIS therapists as well as significant improvements on client-rated alliance.
Conclusions: Results were consistent with the hypothesis that therapists' common relational skills are independent contributors to therapeutic alliance and outcome.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2015.1049671 | DOI Listing |
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