A therapeutic relationship is a connection between a therapist and a client that is built on trust, mutual respect, and a sense of hope. It provides a safe space for the client to express themselves freely without judgment and allows for collaboration in the therapeutic process.
Types of therapeutic relationships are:-
(a) The working alliance - The therapeutic alliance, also referred to as the working alliance, is a description of the interaction between the health care professional and their patients. The therapeutic alliance is considered an important aspect of the therapeutic process and can have an impact on treatment outcomes.
(b) The transference/countertransference relationship - Transference is subconsciously associating a person in the present with a past relationship. For example, you meet a new client who reminds you of a former lover. Countertransference is responding to them with all the thoughts and feelings attached to that past relationship.
(c) The developmentally needed/reparative relationship - The developmentally-needed or reparative relationship is defined by Clarkson (1995 p108) as “intentional provision by the psychotherapist of a corrective, reparative or replenishing relationship or action where original parenting was deficient, abusive or over-protective.” She suggests that it is an important ingredient of many therapeutic encounters, sometimes unacknowledged by the therapist, but often remembered by the patient as the most significant part of the relationship.
(d) The person-to-person relationship - The person-to-person relationship highlights the importance of genuine human connection in therapy. And – last but not least – the transpersonal relationship introduces a spiritual dimension to the therapeutic relationship, acknowledging the potential for transcending the self in the process of healing and growth.
(e) The transpersonal relationship - The transpersonal relationship refers to a type of relationship that transcends the individual ego and involves a deeper, spiritual, or holistic connection between individuals. It focuses on the recognition of a higher consciousness or collective consciousness that goes beyond the personal self and the immediate interaction. This concept is often explored in psychology, especially in transpersonal psychology, which integrates spiritual aspects into the understanding of human development and behavior.
