Bindungstheorie und personzentrierte Beziehungsgestaltung: Überlegungen zu einem ‚allgemeinen Wirkfaktor‘

Abstract

Attachment theory and person-centered relationships. Professional support ultimately depends on the quality of the therapeutic relationship. Psychotherapy research confirmed the therapeutic relationship as the strongest general effectiveness factor, irrespective of the type or school of psychotherapy. However, exactly how this relationship is created still remains surprisingly unexplained. Recent research on attachment has focused on practice-oriented issues, the results of which are directly applicable to psychotherapy. These results have provided me with a systematic model describing my experience that the same patterns of successful interactions that ensure good interpersonal relationships in early infancy also form an important part of the basis for psychotherapy. This article throws light on how attachment phenomena can be drawn upon in the handling of the therapeutic relationship as conceptualized by client-centered theory. It attempts to provide some insight into the power of ‘relationship’ as a resource for the person-centered mode of handling psychotherapy.