Counselling Relationships: Factors for Effectiveness and Success

This essay delves into the concept of the counselling relationship (CR), also known as the therapeutic alliance, highlighting its significance for positive therapeutic outcomes. It explores the reciprocal association between the counsellor and client, emphasizing factors that contribute to its effectiveness. Key elements discussed include a collaborative approach, a trusting environment, the counsellor's genuineness and empathy, confidentiality, and the client's personality congruence. The essay also considers the importance of time dedicated to the counselling session. It concludes that a strong CR, built on trust, safety, and the personalities of both the client and counsellor, is crucial for successful counselling and determines whether the client will continue with the therapy.

Running head: THEORIES IN COUNSELLING
Theories in Counselling
Author Name(s)
Institution
Author Note

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Introduction
Counselling is one of the services in the society that ensures that people are able to
relieve themselves from factors that are affecting their psychological wellbeing. However, every
successful counselling must start with the development of a relationship. The degree of this
relationship must be able to create a professional environment grounded on trust, confidence,
empathy and care among other factors. This paper seeks to discuss the concept of the counselling
relationship (CR). The analysing focuses on the idea of CR and then proceeds to discuss the
different factors for its success.
Counselling Relationships
Counselling relationship (CR) has also been termed as a ‘therapeutic alliance’, ‘helping
alliance’, ‘working alliance’, and ‘treatment alliance’ (Ardito & Rabellino, 2011). All the terms
have been used in the studies to mean a level at which the patients feel that there is a context
between them and the therapist that would lead to positive outcomes or experience (Ardito &
Rabellino, 2011). CR refers to the quality of the reciprocal association between the counsellor
and the client. According to a definition provided in Moloney, (2016), counselling involves a
collaborative discussion in a context that is confidential and supportive taking into account the
needs of the client. The author further states that counselling should aim at reaching a point
where the problem ends, the client acquires better self-management skills. The work of
Furlonger, Snell, Di Mattia, and Reupert, (2018) view counselling is a professional relationship
whose goal is to empower individuals, groups and families in accomplishing mental wellness,
health, education and their career goals.
While studies have shown different opinions regarding the construct of the therapeutic
alliance, none of the studies disputes it’s important to the clients. A lot of empirical studies have

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proved that there is a positive psychotherapeutic outcome whenever a client seeks counselling
(Arnd-Caddigan, 2012). Most studies have also stated that a CR is important to any counselling
session for the efficacy of the therapy (Drew, Stauffer, & Barkley, 2017). Most researchers have
agreed to these claims including the recent meta-analysis conducted by Uckelstam, Holmqvist,
Philips, and Falkenström, 2018. In this study, the authors sought to find whether alliance ratings
can predict the outcome of the therapist. In their perspective, alliance rating meant the patient’s
evaluation of their relationship with the counsellor. On analysis, the study found that there was
substantial reciprocity in the relationship. Even when considering the outcome of counselling
among the aboriginal community, studies have shown that developing a therapeutic relationship
is central to the success of the counselling (La Rochelle, 2013).
Factors for Effectiveness Of CR
A large number of recent studies have shown different results showing the factors that
influence a CR. According to Moloney (2016), the core definition of counselling contains a
number of elements. The first element is a collaborative discussion. Moloney (2016) states that
collaboration between the client and counsellor provides a relational approach as opposed to an
advisory one. Another element is a shared contextual approach which provides an understanding
of the clients’ problems. More importantly, there should be a trusting environment between the
client and the provider.
Some other studies have emphasized specific characteristics of therapists. One of those
studies an analysis conducted by Zimmerman and Bambling (2012). Among the characteristics
that were key to the therapeutic relationship were the attitude, personality, and therapists’ level of
developing an attachment. The authors found that therapists who had positive personality and
attitude were able to quickly develop an attachment, and the attachment had significant effects on

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CR. Another important factor is the counsellor’s genuineness. From the perspectives of the
counselling models, individuals seek counselling to only those people who are ready and willing
to listen to their problems (Mcleod, 2011). The main driver of the need for counselling is that
from where the client is coming from, there is no one who was will to listen or engage in a
constructive conversation regarding the issue (Mcleod, 2011). In a meta-analysis that intended to
analyse the relationship that exists between a therapeutic relationship and perceptions of the
therapist’s genuineness and empathy, the study found that genuineness and empathy had a greater
contribution to the therapeutic experience (Nienhuis, 2014).
CR also requires a high degree of confidentiality. According to a report prepared by
Marsh, O’Toole, Dale, Willis, and Helfgott (2013) for the Government of Southern Australia,
CRs are confidential and counsellors have a duty to refrain from actions that can cause the
release of the client’s information. The report further says that disclosing client’s information is
an act of negligence. In addition to confidence, the work of Mcleod (2011) has emphasized on
the need for safety as a characteristic of a CR. In this case, Mcleod (2011) states that the
counsellor must be someone supportive to the client as opposed to someone with an intention to
abuse, harm or exploit the client.
Some studies have also looked at the characteristics of the clients themselves as factors
for a successful CR. While analysing the effects of the personality of the clients in creating bonds
with the counsellor, the study of Taber, Leibert, and Agaskar (2011) found that both parties’
personality congruence can determine the degree of CR and hence affect the therapeutic
outcome. Lastly, studies have shown that the time dedicated for the counselling is also a major
factor for a successful CR. In a study that sought to analyse time one of the factors that can affect

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a counselling alliance, the authors found that maximum time, focused time and elimination of
distractions during the session were a great determiner of the CR.
Conclusion
This paper intended to discuss the concept of the counselling relationship and various
factors that determine its success. The paper found that the counselling relationship is important
for the realization of the positive outcome of the client. Whereas there are different constructs of
a counselling relationship, most of them depend on similar factors which are confidence, time,
trust, safety and personality of both the client and the counsellor. As the relationship is the main
determiner of a successful counselling session, counsellors must watch the key factors to ensure
that clients would achieve the desired outcome after the end of the counselling. Besides, it is
important to note that the relationship would also determine whether the clients’ decision to
continue or to end the counselling.

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References
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