Patient attachment orientation and the early working alliance - A study of patient and therapist reports of alliance quality and ruptures

This study investigated the relationship between attachment orientation in adult patients and the early therapeutic alliance. Attachment was measured by self-report following the first session of therapy. The alliance was studied using patient and therapist ratings of its quality and reports of ruptures following early sessions. The sample comprised 30 clinical psychology outpatients treated by 11 experienced therapists. Correlation and multiple regression statistics provided partial support for the hypothesized relationships between attachment orientation and reports of alliance quality and ruptures. In line with predictions, fearful attachment was associated with lower alliance ratings (significantly with patient ratings at sessions 3 and 5 and therapist ratings at session 2) and secure attachment was associated with higher alliance ratings (significantly with therapist ratings at session 5). Preoccupied attachment and dismissing attachment were associated with improvement in alliance ratings over time, although there was some question about the reliability of these findings. Additionally, the frequency of rupture reporting varied with attachment orientation. Preoccupied attachment was associated with more frequent reports of ruptures and dismissing attachment was associated with fewer reports of ruptures. Implications for clinical understanding and future research are discussed.