Developing a collaborative relationship with clients during the initial sessions of psychotherapy

Abstract

Establishing a collaborative therapeutic relationship is an important research-supported goal for the initial sessions of psychotherapy. Fostering a collaborative relationship can occur through strategies such as recognizing the client's expertise in treatment, involving the client in the treatment decision-making process, and discussing the possibility of therapist mistakes. In this article, we present theoretical and research support for establishing a collaborative relationship. We then provide a case example that illustrates different collaboration-building strategies. The article concludes with several clinical recommendations for how therapists can increase client collaboration in the initial sessions of treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).