The Therapeutic Alliance: A Must for Clinical Practice

The role of the therapeutic alliance in the success of interventions has been well demonstrated in areas related to speech-language pathology and audiology. Based on this knowledge, this article presents the theoretical foundations of the therapeutic alliance, distinguishing it from the therapeutic relationship. The central concept of shared decision making is presented, followed by factors that may influence the establishment and quality of the therapeutic alliance. A low-quality therapeutic alliance is associated with the possibility that the client will discontinue the intervention, hence the importance of paying special attention to this dimension. In situations where clinicians have difficulty establishing an alliance, it is their responsibility to identify how they may be contributing to this situation and reflect on their own actions in order to make the necessary corrections.