Interactional theory of therapeutic relationship formation and change

Theory · All theories
Evidence · 1 claim (1 against) · 1 study (1 review), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description

Interactional theory (attributed to Strong, 1982, and Claiborn & Lichtenberg, 1989) holds that therapeutic change is generated in the process of forming the relationship rather than after a stable relationship is established. Therapist and client each attempt to influence the other to respond consistently with their definition of the relationship; congruence is the mutuality of those definitions and stability is the relationship's continuance. The article states these "concepts combineto form a four-fold classification of relationships" (stable congruent, unstable congruent, stable incongruent, unstable incongruent), and that "Successful psychotherapy, then, evolves from an unstable incongruent relationship into an unstable congruent relationship."

Design Implications

Context

Requirements

• A therapist and client whose interaction can be analyzed for mutual versus discrepant relationship definitions across sessions

Constraints

• The article notes the theory component of who controls the relationship definition was not assessed in this study
• The therapeutic relationship is by definition time-limited and thus unstable

Target Learners

• adult psychotherapy clients in time-limited therapy

Target Learning Objectives

• therapeutic change (symptom reduction) through relationship formation

Claims

• Congruence Change Correlates With Immediate Symptom Reduction [+W]
• Quality of the therapeutic relationship and counseling effectiveness are not correlated with each other, though both correlate with therapist experience [-W]

Related Theories

Examples

• Conduct admissions as a gradual therapeutic process examining needs, forming relationships, involving supports, and celebrating arrival
• Admission structured as a rite of passage combining rituals and constructivist therapy
• Care-Giver Primacy as a worker stance for meeting new youths' needs

Key Sources

• Wettersten, Kara B.; Lichtenberg, James W. (1995). Relationship Formation and Change in Psychotherapy: An Analysis of Cases. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED386668

Page metadata

Field	Value
type	theory
title	Interactional theory of therapeutic relationship formation and change
description	Interactional theory (attributed to Strong, 1982, and Claiborn & Lichtenberg, 1989) holds that therapeutic change is generated in the process of forming the relationship rather than after a stable relationship is esta...
status	review
canonical	True
generated	by claude/unspecified on 2026-09-25
trust	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
sources	1 — wettersten-1995

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