La alianza terapéutica en tratamiento conjunto de parejas: evaluación de la alianza y análisis de los factores influyentes en el triángulo terapéutico.

The concept of therapeutic alliance in psychotherapy has been shaped as an existing and necessary interpersonal relationship between the patient and the therapist. Nowadays, all theoretical orientations have assigned to the therapeutic alliance a central role in the therapeutic relationship, as the relationship between the therapeutic alliance and the treatment efficacy in psychotherapy has been proved in numerous studies. The therapeutic alliance should be taken into consideration in any treatment, because if it is not properly treated, it can jeopardize the analytic work and, therefore, interpretive and non- interpretive interventions must be used when required. In couple psychotherapy, because of the therapeutic triangle and the great diversity of mechanisms that operate in this type of conjoint treatment, the formation and the development of the alliance become more difficult. This paper describes the dimensions of the therapeutic alliance in this type of treatment based on the System for Observing Family Therapy Alliances (SOFTA). The therapeutic alliance established by the psychotherapist and a couple who undergoes a treatment for nine sessions in the North American TV series In Treatment is assessed with the observational version of the SOFTA (SOFTA-o), as well as the other elements of the therapeutic relationship that interact with the alliance. The paper is useful as a training tool for getting familiar with the instrument and as teaching material, since the most important aspects of the therapeutic relationship between the therapist and the couple are represented.