title: Building Alliances with (In)Voluntary Clients: A Study Focused on Therapists' Observable Behaviors.
abstract: This study aimed to compare therapists' observable behaviors to promote alliances with involuntary and voluntary clients during brief family therapy. The therapists' contributions to fostering alliances were rated in sessions 1 and 4 using videotapes of 29 families who were observed in brief therapy. Using the System for Observing Family Therapy Alliances, trained raters searched for specific therapist behaviors that contributed to or detracted from the four alliance dimensions: engagement in the therapeutic process, an emotional connection with the therapist, safety within the therapeutic system, and a shared sense of purpose within the family. The results showed that when working with involuntary clients, therapists presented more behaviors to foster the clients' engagement and to promote a shared sense of purpose within the family. However, in the fourth session, the therapists in both groups contributed to the alliance in similar ways. The results are discussed in terms of (a) the therapists' alliance-building behaviors, (b) the specificities of each client group, and (c) the implications for clinical practice, training, and research.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sotero
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: José Tomás
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain.
authors.forename: Valentín
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Escudero
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana Paula
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Relvas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D000076083:Involuntary Treatment, Psychiatric / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: 
  SOFTA
  ; Family Therapy; Involuntary Clients; System for Observing Family Therapy Alliances; Terapeutas; Therapeutic Alliance; Therapists; alianza terapéutica; clientes involuntarios; terapia familiar; 家庭心理治疗; 心理咨询师; 治疗联盟; 非自愿客户