The Bond of the Working Alliance

Abstract

The authors describe the “working bond” aspect of Bordin’s conceptualization of the working alliance. Within the working alliance, the bond refers to an emotional attachment formed and maintained between client/patient and therapist. This bond reflects the feelings and attitudes that client/patient and therapist have toward each other and enables the therapeutic work through a sense of collaboration and trust. First, the authors discuss the defining features of the bond. Then they identify various skills and facilitative attitudes that can foster the bond, such as empathy, unconditional positive regard, and genuineness. Finally, they discuss how the working bond and possible ruptures will manifest at various stages in the treatment, from building the initial bond to working through termination.