Despite social work's historical emphasis on the importance of the worker–client relationship, in recent years more attention has been paid to theoretical and technical aspects of social work practice than to relationship factors. At the same time, recent research has led the fields of psychology and psychiatry to place a much greater emphasis on the importance of relationship factors for counseling outcomes. The author examines the waxing and waning of interest in relationship factors within the helping professions, reviews research on the concept of the “therapeutic alliance,” and offers suggestions for a renewed emphasis on relationship factors in social work practice, research, and education.
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