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Luborsky identifies two types of "helping alliance": Type 1 characterizes the early stages
of therapy and is more evident in the beginning stages of treatment. Type 2 emerges later
in treatment and essentially is more responsive to changes in the therapeutic process.
In 1979, Edward Bordin proposed a broader definition of the working alliance, one
that would lead to the development of a transtheoretical construct. Bordin suggests that
the alliance is primarily a conscious "here-and-now" relationship that is generic to all
helping processes. Bordin's transtheoretical definition of the alliance is made up of three
interlocking components: bonds, tasks, and goals. These components are theorized to
facilitate therapy and are beneficial therapeutic agents in their own right.
Briefly, "tasks" refer to the behaviors that inform the therapeutic process. In an
effective treatment both patient and therapist must perceive these tasks as efficacious and
important and both must agree to perform them. "Goals" refer to the patient and
therapist's perception of outcome. A positive alliance is characterized by the therapist's
and the patient's mutual agreement and valuing of the goals of the treatment. Finally, the
concept of "bonds" includes issues of mutual trust, acceptance, positive personal
attachment and confidence. The quality of the alliance is a function of the degree to
which the patient and therapist are able to negotiate an agreement about the tasks and
goals in the therapy and this, in turn, mediates the quality of the bond.
Bordin's conceptualization of the alliance placed emphasis on the interdependent
relationship between the specific technical aspects of therapy and the non-specific,
therapeutic effects. Furthermore, Bordin suggested that the quality of the alliance is
mediated by this complex, multidimensional, and interdependent relationship.
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