Family therapists’ adult attachment styles and the therapeutic alliance

Therapists’ adult attachment style may affect their ability to form effective therapeutic alliances.An analysis of semi-structured interviews with eleven family therapists explored the relationship between their adult attachment styles, as assessed using a self-report measure, and their perceptions...

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Main Authors: Yusof, Yusmarhaini, Carpenter, John
Format: Article
Published: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2015
Subjects:
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author Yusof, Yusmarhaini
Carpenter, John
author_facet Yusof, Yusmarhaini
Carpenter, John
author_sort Yusof, Yusmarhaini
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description Therapists’ adult attachment style may affect their ability to form effective therapeutic alliances.An analysis of semi-structured interviews with eleven family therapists explored the relationship between their adult attachment styles, as assessed using a self-report measure, and their perceptions of the therapeutic alliance. A framework analysis was employed, using four dimensions of the therapeutic alliance: engagement in the therapeutic process, emotional connection to the therapist, safety within the therapeutic system and shared sense of purpose within the family.Responses were compared between therapists with secure and insecure attachment styles according to different dimensions of the therapeutic alliance.There were no substantial differences in therapists’ accounts of their approach to engagement and creating a sense of safety; however they differed in their approaches to managing clients’ hostility.Secure and insecure therapists differed in one of the dimensions of therapeutic alliance; emotional connections to family members.Training and supervision could incorporate an understanding of attachment style. Suggestions are made for future research based on this exploratory study.
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spelling uum-165002016-04-28T01:44:54Z https://repo.uum.edu.my/id/eprint/16500/ Family therapists’ adult attachment styles and the therapeutic alliance Yusof, Yusmarhaini Carpenter, John BF Psychology HQ The family. Marriage. Woman Therapists’ adult attachment style may affect their ability to form effective therapeutic alliances.An analysis of semi-structured interviews with eleven family therapists explored the relationship between their adult attachment styles, as assessed using a self-report measure, and their perceptions of the therapeutic alliance. A framework analysis was employed, using four dimensions of the therapeutic alliance: engagement in the therapeutic process, emotional connection to the therapist, safety within the therapeutic system and shared sense of purpose within the family.Responses were compared between therapists with secure and insecure attachment styles according to different dimensions of the therapeutic alliance.There were no substantial differences in therapists’ accounts of their approach to engagement and creating a sense of safety; however they differed in their approaches to managing clients’ hostility.Secure and insecure therapists differed in one of the dimensions of therapeutic alliance; emotional connections to family members.Training and supervision could incorporate an understanding of attachment style. Suggestions are made for future research based on this exploratory study. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2015 Article PeerReviewed Yusof, Yusmarhaini and Carpenter, John (2015) Family therapists’ adult attachment styles and the therapeutic alliance. Journal of Family Therapy, 37 (2015). pp. 119-133. ISSN 0163-4445 http://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6427.12079 doi:10.1111/1467-6427.12079 doi:10.1111/1467-6427.12079
spellingShingle BF Psychology
HQ The family. Marriage. Woman
Yusof, Yusmarhaini
Carpenter, John
Family therapists’ adult attachment styles and the therapeutic alliance
title Family therapists’ adult attachment styles and the therapeutic alliance
title_full Family therapists’ adult attachment styles and the therapeutic alliance
title_fullStr Family therapists’ adult attachment styles and the therapeutic alliance
title_full_unstemmed Family therapists’ adult attachment styles and the therapeutic alliance
title_short Family therapists’ adult attachment styles and the therapeutic alliance
title_sort family therapists adult attachment styles and the therapeutic alliance
topic BF Psychology
HQ The family. Marriage. Woman
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AT carpenterjohn familytherapistsadultattachmentstylesandthetherapeuticalliance