Two case examples are presented to illustrate methods of recognizing and wo
rking with strains in the therapeutic alliance in an integrative cognitive
therapy. I argue that developmental, personality, and therapy-readiness con
structs are useful in understanding strains in the alliance and whether to
confront such strains directly. Attachment theory was relevant to understan
ding the therapeutic alliance in the first case, when the client reacted to
the possibility of termination in an insecure manner. Direct discussion of
the alliance strain was useful in this case. The client in the second case
was resistant to interpersonal influence. I did not address strains direct
ly because the client would probably not have seen this work as relevant to
his goals. In this case, a focus on strains could have weakened our allian
ce rather than strengthened it. (C) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.