CLIENTS REPRESENTATIONS OF CHILDHOOD EMOTIONAL BONDS WITH PARENTS, SOCIAL SUPPORT, AND FORMATION OF THE WORKING ALLIANCE

Survey data were collected from 102 client-counselor dyads at 3 counseling centers with regard to (a) client and counselor 3rd-session working alliance ratings, (b) quality of clients' current social relationships, as evidenced by social-support satisfaction, and (c) clients' representations of care and overprotection in their memories of childhood emotional bonds with their mothers and fathers. Care pertains to memories of parents' emotional responsiveness, warmth, and attention to clients' need. Overprotection pertains to memories of parents' intrusive control and resistance at attempts to gain independence. Results indicated that social support was a significant predictor of client-rated working alliance, whereas clients' bonds with fathers were a significant predictor of counselor-rated working alliance. A trend toward interactions between social support and parental bonds in predicting counselor-rated alliance was also suggested.