Understanding the Therapeutic Alliance in Young Offender Treatment through the Experiences of Male Youth

Abstract

Therapy with youth involved in the criminal justice system presents a variety of challenges. Especially challenging is the establishment of a therapeutic alliance, which psychotherapeutic research shows is a strong predictor in the success of therapy. The purpose of this study was therefore to investigate the therapeutic alliance in young offender rehabilitation. A qualitative approach was used and semi-structured interviews were conducted with four young offenders. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis yielded three major themes and the study concluded that building a therapeutic alliance within a young offender population is a complex process, but that youth have a stronger relationship with therapists who engage them using active therapeutic tasks, foster the establishment of an emotional bond, and collaborate on the progress of sessions. These results provide useful information for the development and improvement of young offender treatment.