The Effects of Cultural Differences on the Therapeutic Alliance

The increasing diversity of the United States raises
the probability that therapists will encounter clients
with a different cultural background than their
own. Thus, evaluating the relationship between the
culturally different therapists and clients is essential
in producing effective cross-cultural therapy. The
objective of this study is to determine any significant
effects that culturally similar or different clients and
therapists have on the therapeutic alliance. The
alliance was measured using the Working Alliance
Inventory (WAI) for both the clients and therapists. By
using this measure in therapist-client dyads, we are
able to evaluate the influences that cultures have
on the overall therapeutic alliance. The results of
the research can be used to show the importance of
multicultural competence in counseling relationships
in order to provide the best outcomes for culturally
diverse clients.