The Therapeutic Relationship

Paper Summary:

The paper studies the characteristics of relationships formed between clients and mental health professionals, with the purpose of defining and describing the mental health professional's role and responsibilities in establishing a successful relationship. The paper looks at the importance of a relationship built on trust, integrity, reliability and empathic recognition of the client's past and current histories. The paper discusses the goal of empowering the client with autonomous self-directed decision-making skills.

Outline:
Introduction
Trust and Commitment
Suspension of Moral Judgment
Empathy
Freedom to Speak Openly
Problematic Relationships
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The therapeutic relationship is the single greatest component of the therapy process (Gerstein, 1999; Corey & Corey, 2005). It is recognized that therapy is facilitated through guidance, and while much of this guidance can eventually be self-directed by the client, the initial therapy process is dependent upon the strength, commitment, and direction provided to the client by the mental health professional (Collins, Jordan, & Coleman, 1999). If the client and the mental health professional are unable to form a successful working relationship, this guidance will not occur and the overall amount of progress made during therapy will be severely hindered, if indeed it is able to be achieved at all (Turner, 1996)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Collins, D.; Jordan, C.; & Coleman, H. (1999) An Introduction to Family Social Work. New York: Wadsworth Publishing.
• Corey, M. S. & Corey, G. (2005). Group: Process and Practice (7th Edition.). New York: Wadsworth Publishing.
• Crosston-Tower, C. (2004). Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect (6th Edition). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
• Dutton, D. (2003). The Abusive Personality: Violence and Control in Relationships. New York: Guilford Press.
• Gerstein, J. (1999) Sticking Together: Experiential activities for family counseling. New York: Taylor & Francis.

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