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“Sharing Success with Someone”: Building therapeutic alliance in physiotherapist-delivered physical activity coaching for healthy aging

ABSTRACT Introduction Therapeutic alliance, a goal-orientated partnership between clients and practitioners, can enhance program engagement and adherence, and improve treatment outcomes and satisfaction. Objectives To develop an empirical model that describes how therapeutic alliances can be operationalized in clinical and research settings and use this in our evaluation of the Coaching for Healthy Ageing (CHAnGE) trial. Methods Secondary analysis of interviews with participants in the CHAnGE trial (n = 32) and a focus group with the physiotherapists who delivered health coaching in that trial (n = 3). Analysis was inductive (thematic) and deductive (using a therapeutic alliance model derived from a literature review and informed by earlier analyses). Results Data from participants and physiotherapists indicated that health coaching in CHAnGE built effective therapeutic alliances (i.e. it facilitated collaborative decision-making and trusting person-centered relationships) which were underpinned by professional skills and structural supports. Components of the intervention that strengthened therapeutic alliance were health coaching training, home visits, the coaching format, and provision of free activity monitors. Conclusion This study identifies key concepts and practical ‘building blocks’ of therapeutic alliance, showing how these were operationalized within an intervention. This may help those in clinical and research settings to recognize the importance and characteristics of therapeutic alliance and put it into practice.