COMPONENTS OF THE PSYCHOTHERAPY RELATIONSHIP - THEIR INTERACTION AND UNFOLDING DURING TREATMENT

C. J. Gelso and J. A. Carter (1985) suggested that all counseling and psychotherapy relationships, regardless of theoretical orientation, co nsist of three components: a working alliance, a transference configur ation (including therapist countertransference), and a real relationsh ip. Drawing on theoretical and research literature and using clinical examples, this article offers 19 propositions about how these three re lationship components interact with one another, how each operates acr oss the course of psychotherapy, and how they affect the treatment in both brief and longer term therapies.