Components of the counseling relationship—an evolving model: Comment on Gelso and Carter (1994).

C. J. Gelso and J. A. Carter (see record 1994-38236-001) have revised their earlier model (Gelso and Carter; see record 1986-09708-001) of the relationship in counseling by including 19 propositions about how the components of the model interact and change over time. The heuristic value of including propositions about the dynamics of the working alliance, the transference–countertransference, and the real relationship is underscored. However, the propositions as worded are both vague and ambiguous, which does not make them immediately useful to researchers. Nevertheless, the propositions present many opportunities for researchers, because each of them can be turned into more empirically oriented statements. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)