Therapeutic alliance and the retention of couples in conjoint alcoholism treatment

Differences were investigated in the degree to which less versus more exper ienced therapists formed a therapeutic alliance with their clients and how these differences were related to retaining couples in treatment. Two rater s, using the Vanderbilt Therapeutic Alliance Scale (VTAS) and the Vanderbil t Negative indicators Scale (VNIS), coded 15-minute audiotaped segments of the first treatment session for 66 couples participating in a randomized cl inical trial of three types of couple therapy for alcoholism. Ten therapist s, whose experience ranged from 15 years of postdoctoral practice to a 1 ye ar predoctoral practicum, administered the treatment. Results indicated tha t the more experienced therapists scored significantly higher on the VTAS a nd lower on the VNIS than did the less experienced therapists. Therapists' scores on these scales were significantly related to number of treatment se ssions attended and number of couples completing treatment, but not to trea tment outcomes. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd.