Abstract

This study was to investigate the relations between working alliance and counselor-client verbal exchange patterns focused on complementarity. To perform this study, 30 sessions (the first three sessions per case) of 10 practical counseling cases were analysed. Message units were coded using SASB(Structural Analysis of Social Behavior: Benjamin, 1974). The results are as follows. In the relation between the base rates and working alliance, although the power dimension was not related to working alliance, the base rates of counselors' friendly response and hostile response were positively correlated with working alliance. Clients' response of 'asserting and separating' was negatively correlated with working alliance and clients' response of 'trusting and relying' was positively correlated with working alliance. This result implies that client's directive control has a negative effect on counseling. In the results of sequential analysis, complememtry interaction on control dimension was positively correlated with working alliance but non-complementary interaction on control dimension was negatively correlated with working alliance. Complementary interaction on affiliation dimension (friendly-friendly) was positively related to working alliance. Therefore, even though counselor has the controllability of the counselling process, he can make the strong working alliance when he gives some autonomy to client and controls counselling process in friendly manner.