Conclusions: The tapestry of the therapeutic relationship and recommendations for clinicians and researchers

The ongoing search to better understand what makes therapy work has led clinicians and researchers to focus on the therapeutic relationship. Pluralism of research paradigms and multiple methods are needed to study such complex phenomena as human relationships and therapeutic change. This book provides a convincing case for studying psychotherapy through reliance on methodological pluralism. Specifically, the authors advocate combining systematic case studies with quantitative data that can be used to describe the therapeutic relationship, processes, and outcomes. The chapters demonstrate a variety of methods for data collection and analysis: self-report questionnaires, observer coding systems of therapy sessions, semistructured interviews, and qualitative analysis. All of the cases combine the use of such measures with supplemental clinical information—watching the video recordings, reviewing process notes, and more. There is much to be learned from the continuous back-and-forth movement between research and practice, towards enhancing the fit of our treatments to our clients. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)