The Sixth Therapeutic Relationship By Joanna Beazley Richards Petruska Clarkson (1990) describes 5 ways in which we can think

about relationships between therapist and client. The 5 ways of thinking about relationships between us and our clients provide a central framework for TA as a model of Integrative Therapy. All of the theory learned can be seen as helping us to understand what is going on between ourselves and our clients in terms of these 5 categories. Similarly the skills that we aim to develop are geared towards the capacity to develop strong working alliances with a wide variety of clients. Within which there is the potential for I-You intimacy. Along the way we need to be able to deal with how we and our clients may distort our thinking, feeling and behaviour through past experience (transference/countertransference) and what our client may need from us that is different (developmentally needed). The Working Alliance This is the fundamental psychological link between therapist and client. It develops within the framework of a clear business contract (regarding times/fees/limits of responsibility etc.). On the therapists part, we encourage its development using all our basic skills of active listening and by modelling the Adult Adult relationship and the philosophy of TA. In TA terms, the ulterior messages that we give to clients must be in line with these, and need to demonstrate basic competence and trustworthiness to client. On our part, we can only be part of a working alliance when we have made a good enough assessment of the client, and are clear that we can reasonably commit to helping them. In TA terms, the working alliance is the Adult-Adult bond characterized by a shared understanding of what the client is here for, and that this is the place where they may get it. It is the bedrock of therapy. The Transferential/Countertransferential Relationship This refers to the way in which we are all capable of distorting the way in which we perceive and relate to other people on the basis of our past experience with important others. Our task as therapists is to identify with clients when and how they may be distorting their perception of us, thus separating here and now from there and then. On our side, we need to filter our countertransferential responses to clients, deciding what is useful to offer back to them, and what is our issue to work on elsewhere. The power of a clients transferential reaction and our countertransferential responses are useful indicators as to whether we can ethically work with them. Where they are very strong, we may decide that this indicates longer term psychotherapy as opposed to counselling or short term therapy. Theoretically, the concepts of Ego states, Rackets and Games are other ways of talking about transference/countertransference relationships. This relationship has been expanded upon by those who write of the Relational approach to TA.

The Developmentally Needed relationship This refers to what it is that the client needs from their therapy that they did not get when they were younger. To some extent all therapy can be thought of as involving this. When we empathise with someone in a way that is new to them, this may be thought of as filling a gap, perhaps one that has existed from childhood. The greater the extent of the clients gap or needs, the more we need to be thinking whether therapy is appropriate, or whether some other form of help is required. Theoretically, this type of relationship links again with ego state. Where we think that our client is relating to us in a manner that is in some way past (Child ego state), we can think about what it is that this child did not get. Our images or associations (what Berne called an ego image) are often helpful here. The I-You Relationship This describes contact between 2 people that is present-oriented and is free of distortion by either party. In TA terms this is intimacy. It is the bedrock of the Humanistic approach. Such contact is characterised by openness to ourselves, the other person and the process between us. Experientially, it is powerful, and in TA terms leads to the greatest exchange of strokes. We can see the capacity for I-You relating as a desirable end state of long-term therapy/psychotherapy. To be available for such relating, we must be in touch with, and deal with, our own self and our own needs. We can use the concept to think about how the clients/ourselves may be blocking themselves from intimacy in this relationship at this time. Given that the importance of a capacity for intimacy is a value that we hold. It is important that we be Careful as to how we deal with this with clients who may be coming to us for specific problems. We cannot demand intimacy. The Transpersonal Relationship It may be that there are links between us that goes beyond current understanding. From time to time we may need simply to acknowledge that there are more things in heaven and earththan are dreamt of in (y)our philosophy. Firstly we must recognize that such relating cannot be approached directly, and secondly, it is not the aim of therapy. Whilst it may be that from time to time we may address matters with clients that can come under the heading of spirituality we must be clear that it is not our job to give spiritual guidance, and not be seduced by our own or our clients needs into doing so. Also, like many odd phenomena, most occurrences that we may think of as indicating some higher form or relating may be more simply explained by more conventional means. The Sixth Therapeutic Relationship I maintain that there is a need for therapists to be trained in a sixth therapeutic relationship, which I call the resourcing relationship. In order to provide this Resourcing relationship, therapists need to be trained in a

knowledge of psychopathology, and its developmental roots. A knowledge of what works in relation to particular difficulties is also needed, as are Skills in selecting which technique to be used. Trainees also need to develop skills in using each technique. Eg NLP, EMDR, Gestalt and TA itself e.g. Jo Cassius, Muriel James, Elaine Childs Gowell, Jean Illsley Clark. No doubt all TA trainees are familiar with and skilled in the use the techniques in Bernes Principles of group treatment to change the energetic content of the ego states, but we need also to recognise, for example, splitting. Without such knowledge, we may, for example, use the Nurturing Parent functional mode and by so doing invite regression, and positive, and then devaluing transference. We need instead to invite the addressing of 2 the two split off parts, (my client, here would use 2 cocoa cola tins). We can help them to heal the splits quickly. If not, and we let the transference stew, then they can brew up the primitive transference, that can become unbearable, then they will slip in rejecting, devaluing transference.

Reference: Clarkson, P. A Multiplicity of psychotherapeutic relationships. British Journal of Psychotherapy, 7 (2) 1990.