Clarkson’s Therapeutic Relationship and it’s five facets

Clarkson was born in 1947 in south Africa, she died at age 58 from suicide while residing in Amsterdam. She was influence by Fritz and Laura Perls, and her key idea was systemic integrative therapeutic model. She integrated the world of philosophy to psychology, written many papers and was a professor.

            Her idea was based in the intersubjective relationship. Which has three components. Shared emotion (atunement or empathy). Shared attention, both people need to be paying attention. And finally shared intention. So, to have an intersubjective relationship those three things need to be in place

Clarkson built on this by with the systemic integrative psychotherapeutic model. She talks about the working alliance the transferential and counter transferential, the reparenting, the person to person (core conditions and therapeutic alliance) and finally the transpersonal.

The working alliance has at least 5 relationships going on all at one. The therapeutic alliance is where we make the contract is made with a client, all the practical elements of the relationship this foundation will hold the relationship together even if it gets rocky.

The transferential and counter transferential is the unconscious part of the transaction. Transference is the mental process in you that goes back into your past and takes away certain influences from past relationships and brings them into this new relationship. It is possible they are reminding you of someone from your past and this is triggering transference. This can be dangerous because you are not exploring this new relationship as a new person but s the person from your past. This can lead to counter transference. This is when you react as if you are interacting with the person from the past, rather than the person who is Infront of you. This is dangerous and it can work both ways.

The next relationship is the reparative or reparenting. This is where the therapist is willing to be what the client needs you to be. The client might need to take you in their mind to support them. They might wonder how the therapist would deal with certain situations between sessions. The therapists role might be a mother a father a teacher etc. although this can be a good thing for the client to have part of the therapist to sustain them between sessions. The client might go back into a child state when in the room, the therapist will have to guide the client back to their organismic self in the room in order for the client to be in their own power. At the later stages of therapy the client will be able to trust their own thoughts and needs rather than relying on the therapist.

The person-to-person relationship or the I, thou relationship. This in essence remaining human as a therapist in the room. the therapist is authentic, congruent and empathetic towards the client and this creates a person-to-person relationship. It is particularly important in person centred therapy where the core conditions are offered to the client.

Finally, the transpersonal relationship. It can be expansion of consciousness which can be spiritual and healing. It is not about faith. Spirituality is a feeling of connectedness with self and others. It is the feeling that makes you belong to community. It can’t really be measured, but it is part of the connection between client therapist, and the wider world. When clients do this they are beginning to access their own emotional regulation.