QUALITIES OF THE PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC RELATI ONSHIP - DO COMMON FACTORS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY REFLECT COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF PSYCHOTHERAPISTS

In view of the great diversity to be found among psychotherapists in m any countries in terms of professional background, theoretical orienta tion, and other personal and demographic characteristics, it is surpri sing to find certain areas of great commonality. Among the most striki ng of these are therapists' reports of their ideals and perceptions co ncerning their manner of relating to their patients, A very large majo rity of nearly 2.400 therapists surveyed in an on-going study of psych otherapeutic development wanted to and did see their behavior vis-a-vi s patients as accepting, friendly, warm, tolerant, committed, and invo lved, These traits, which indicate a strong proclivity toward forming a positive therapeutic bond or alliance, also closely match qualities that therapists perceive in their own personal relationships, Discussi on of these findings focuses on the possible sources and therapeutic c onsequences of this common pattern of interpersonal behavior.