Does Mismatching Matter? A Systematic Review into the Impact of
Therapist-Client Personality Similarity on the Therapeutic Alliance
Abstract
Purpose. The Therapeutic Alliance (TA) can be conceptualised in
terms of three interrelated elements: (a) agreement between therapist
and client about the goals of the treatment, (b) agreement between
therapist and client about the necessary tasks to achieve the goals, and
(c) a bond between therapist and client (Bordin, 1979, 1994). The aim of
this review was to systematically identify and review relevant studies
that have explored the association between client-therapist personality
similarity on the Therapeutic Alliance. Method. We
systematically searched the PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Web of Knowledge, COPAC,
CINAHL, and Science Direct databases from 1960 to 2013. Of the 105
articles identified, 6 met inclusion criteria for the review. Of the 6
studies, four were conducted in the USA, one in Israel and one in the
Netherlands. Results. One study found that clients reported a
better-quality bond with the therapist when client-therapist personality
similarity was greater. Five out of the 6 studies reviewed found support
for the role of dissimilarity whereby differences between client and
therapist were beneficial. Findings appear to differ depending on the
characteristic examined, the specific component of TA, gender and
whether the measure of TA is client or therapist reported
Conclusions. This review has highlighted an under researched
area of inquiry. Initial findings suggest that Therapist-Client
Personality (dis)similarity is linked to therapeutic alliance. Key
methodological and analytical differences across studies were also
identified along with key challenges for future research.
Practitioner Points: 1) Measurement of client and
therapist Therapeutic Alliance is important 2) The differential effects
of therapist-client personality (dis)similarity on the various
components of TA (e.g., bond, task and goal setting) is important 3) The
effect of therapist-client (dis)similarity varies depending on the
personality trait being measured