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characteristic of stages that commonly emerge when ruptures are resolved. In the process
of exploring, understanding, and resolving alliance ruptures, the patient develops a
modified interpersonal schema that is capable of being more interpersonally related.
Furthermore, the working through of the rupture and the negotiation of the relationship is
the very essence of change itself (Bordin, 1979, 1994; Safran & Muran, 2000). Over the
years, research on BRT has resulted in refining the model. Findings coming out of studies
investigating the effectiveness of the model are promising.
Research on the rupture resolution model. Muran and colleagues (2005)
conducted a study comparing BRT to two short-term psychotherapies: a form of
psychodynamic therapy and another of cognitive behavioral therapy. These researchers
were able to demonstrate that
Although the three therapies were equally efficacious, BRT was superior to the other two
therapies with relation to patients' drop-out rates, providing further support for BRT.
In a later smaller-scale study, researchers identified poor alliance cases at risk for
treatment! failure and compared the three treatments with these patients. Findings from
this study demonstrate that certain interventions such as exploring patients' negative
feelings towards the therapy/therapist in a non-defensive manner contribute to resolving
ruptures in the alliance and improving weakened alliances.
As previously noted, patients are often reluctant to talk openly about their
negative feelings towards their therapists (Rennie, 1994; Regan & Hill, 1992; Hill et al.,
1993). Training in BRT teaches therapists to use interventions that focus on exploring the
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