Therapeutic Alliance in Integrative Addictions-Focused Psychotherapy and Counseling

Book excerpt: Psychotherapy and counseling take place within the basic context of human relationships. This book was written with the fundamental goal of providing an enhanced awareness and in-depth appreciation of the alliance impact and relevance within the context of all forms of addictions psychotherapy, counseling and treatment. Each chapter examines several specific facets of therapeutic alliance related to outcomes, patient retention, and exposure to interventions, actions, and ingredients that facilitate patient engagement and recovery. Beginning with an Introduction, the major topics include: psychotherapy relationships that heal; the therapeutic alliance; alliance ingredients in effective psychotherapy and counseling relationships; ancillary therapist-patient alliance dynamics; psychopathology, psychodynamics and alliance dynamics in integrative addictions-focused psychotherapy and counseling; a review of the Norcross-Wampold Clinical Practice Guidelines and Conclusions; clinical practice suggestions and recommendations for addiction-focused therapists, counselors, and treatment providers; alliance universality; and the heart and soul of change and recovery. This book includes a wealth of therapeutic vignettes, case studies, clinical information, treatment strategies, modalities, and diagnostic issues that will enhance the skill sets for counselors and therapists, resulting in improved therapeutic outcomes. Addiction-focused counselors, therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, family and marriage therapists, family physicians, nurses, and NAADAC professionals will find the evidence-based information and clinical strategies in this book to be extremely useful in their clinical work.