The therapeutic alliance in treatment of traumatized youths: Relation to outcome in a randomized clinical trial.

Abstract

This study was the first to investigate the contribution of alliance to outcome among adolescents with posttraumatic symptoms, treated with TF-CBT or TAU. Our findings indicated that there was an important interaction between alliance and therapeutic approach, as alliance predicted outcome in TF-CBT, but not in the nonspecific treatment condition. A positive working relationship appeared to be especially important in the context of this evidence-based treatment, which requires youth involvement in specific therapy tasks. Further, findings showed that use of a manual did not compromise alliance formation.