Therapeutic Alliance in Personality Disorders Therapy from the Perspective of Transactional Analysis Cover Image

Przymierze terapeutyczne w terapii zaburzeń osobowości z perspektywy analizy transakcyjnej
Therapeutic Alliance in Personality Disorders Therapy from the Perspective of Transactional Analysis

Author(s): Lidia Cierpiałkowska, Anna Frączek
Subject(s): Psychology
Published by: Uniwersytet Jana Długosza w Częstochowie
Keywords: personality disorders; therapeutic alliance; overt and ulterior transactions

Summary/Abstract: The present research on the effectiveness of psychotherapy demonstrates that it is dependent toa great extent on both specific and common treatment factors, i.e. on the quality of the therapeuticrelationship and alliance. Therapeutic alliance within the transtheoretical approach is defined interms of the therapist-patient bond as well as the agreed therapy goals and tasks (Bordin, 1994).Since persons with personality disorders from clusters A, B and C according to DSM-5 (APA,2013) for various reasons have great difficulties in maintaining stable interpersonal relationships,which is reflected in building and maintaining of the adequate level of the therapeutic alliance.We have assumed that the conception of overt and ulterior transactions in Transactional Analysisallows a novel description and explanation of problems related to the fluctuations of the therapeuticalliance with patients suffering from different personality disorders. The considerations presentedin the article aim at: 1) the description of difficulties in the therapeutic relationship characteristicof patients with personality disorders from clusters A, B and C; 2) the indication to typicaltransactional games between patients with various personality disorders and the therapist and theirinfluence on the fluctuation of the strength of alliance and 3) the presentation of Paul Ware’s(1985) conception of “open door, target door and trap door” in psychotherapy along with the resultingrecommendations as regards the order of applied therapeutic strategies.

  • Issue Year: 2017
  • Issue No: 6
  • Page Range: 129-144
  • Page Count: 16
  • Language: Polish