Marianne Welmers

Chapter 3 76 Table 3 shows the distribution of WAI-therapist and WAI-client scores. Results indicate that family members’ reports of the alliance were somewhat higher as compared to therapist reports. Differences between T1 and T2 were very small. Table 3 Scores on Working Alliance Inventory T1 T2 n Mean (SD) n Mean (SD) Therapist reports 87 3.9 (0.4) 77 4.0 (0.4) Client reports 86 4.2 (0.6) 69 4.3 (0.6) Note. T1 = starting phase of treatment; T2 = mid-treatment. n = number of individual family members with a therapist or client report on the alliance. Predictors of Therapist-reported Alliance We found that several variables significantly predicted therapist reports of mid- treatment alliance (Table 4). Family role predicted therapist reports of the alliance (β = -.156, p = .003), with therapists reporting stronger alliances with parents as compared to youth. As for demographic therapist features, only gender predicted therapist reports of the alliance, with female therapists reporting stronger alliances as compared to male therapists (β = .331, p <.001). Therapist age did not predict therapist reports of the alliance. As for therapist personality, all five personality domains were significant predictors of therapist-reported mid-treatment alliance, which was in line with our hypothesis. As expected, openness to experience (β = .517, p <.001) and agreeableness (β = .306, p <.01) were positively associated with therapists reports of the alliance, and neuroticism (β = -.472, p <.001) was negatively associated. In contrast to our expectations, extraversion (β = -.304, p = .001) was also negatively associated, as was conscientiousness (β = -.230, p = .006), of which we had no previous expectations on the direction of the association. Our hypothesis on the contribution of therapists’ clinical experience was not confirmed, as clinical experience was not significantly associated with therapist reports of mid- treatment alliance. As hypothesized, therapist alliance building behaviors predicted therapist reports of the alliance. Observed in-session therapist engagement (β = .374, p <.001) and emotional connection (β = .318, p <.001) behaviors at T2 were positively associated with therapist reports of the alliance right after the observed session. In contrast to our hypothesis, observed in-session therapist safety behaviors (β = -.806, p < .001) were negatively associated. Early therapist-reported alliance positively predicted therapists mid-