Speech and language therapists' perspectives of therapeutic alliance construction and maintenance in aphasia rehabilitation post-stroke.

CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS: The findings suggest that therapists used multiple, complex, relational strategies to establish and manage alliances with people with aphasia, which were reliant on a fluid interplay of verbal and non-verbal skills. The data highlight the need for further training to support therapists to forge purposive alliances. Training should develop: therapeutic reflexivity; inclusivity in goal setting, relational strategies; and motivational enhancement techniques. The conceptualization of therapeutic alliance, however, is only provisional. Further research is essential to elucidate the experiences and perceptions of alliance development for people with aphasia undergoing rehabilitation. PMID: 29349881 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders - Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tags: Int J Lang Commun Disord Source Type: research