Therapeutic Alliances in Family Mediation. Is There a Link Between Trust-Building Between Mediators and Disputing Parties and the Establishment of a Therapeutic Alliance?

A connection has been found in various studies between trust-building and the success of mediation processes. Within the field of social work, trust is seen as an emotional link which, in turn, is one of the components of a therapeutic alliance. This paper therefore presents a research study, based on a quantitative methodology, aimed at clarifying whether there really is a link between a relationship of trust and the establishment of a therapeutic alliance between mediators and disputing parties. The results of the study determine what impact the construct of a therapeutic alliance has in predicting general trust-building between mediators and the parties involved in family mediation.