The role of relationship and technique in therapeutic change

This article discusses varying perspectives on the role of technique and the relationship in therapeutic change. The theoretical assumptions underlying the debate are briefly described, as are the positions of humanistic, behavioral, psychodynamic, and experiential orientations. Theory and research that consider the integration of relationship and technique are presented. It is then proposed that there are general principles of therapeutic change that are facilitated by both the relationship and technique. It is suggested that these principles of change should be seen as the active ingredients of therapy, thereby moving the field away from a debate about whether technique or the relationship is more important. Instead, an emphasis on studying general principles of change and the processes by which technique and relationship facilitate these principles is encouraged.