Re-thinking the Therapeutic Alliance: Suggestibility and Treatment Responsiveness

Virtually all clinicians recognize the importance of the relationship between the therapist and the client. Whether it’s called a therapeutic alliance, an attunement, or a rapport, a positive interrelationship is routinely characterized as being the most important factor shaping the client’s progress. While the alliance is certainly a key factor, a key question then is, what makes some clients more responsive to the alliance and intervention and others less so? What role does suggestibility play in the process? The art and science of clinical hypnosis offers some valuable insights into the multiple factors shaping a client’s response to clinical interventions. Some of these insights will be presented and discussed in this speech that is an ode to the merits of suggestion and hypnosis in psychotherapy.