A comparison of the role of task, goal & bond in the therapeutic alliance with clients diagnosed with ADHD

This study explored the alliance between therapist and client. The study focused on the perceptions of clients diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and their therapists' perceptions regarding their therapeutic alliance. The study used a survey called the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI) that identified the therapists' and the clients' perceptions of the therapeutic alliance using subheading variables from the WAI including Task, Goal, and Bond as variables. The WAI was developed out of the psychodynamic theory. It is well known in the field of psychology that clients and their therapists work as a team on the therapeutic issues of the client, and the WAI outlines tasks, goals, and bonds as specific venues to build the therapeutic alliance in order to address the issues of the clients. For this study, therapists and their clients completed the WAI-S and the data was collected in order to analyze whether there was a significant correlation between the perceptions of clients with ADHD and their therapists regarding the therapeutic alliance. Prior studies have established a correlation between therapeutic alliance and positive therapeutic outcome.