Psychotherapy: patient-therapist matching reconsidered

The personality of the therapist does influence the psychotherapeutic process. Given that therapists are human, they do, in fact, bring into the encounter their moral and cultural, and sometimes even racial, attitudes in spite of efforts to maintain objectivity and neutrality. Ignoring the impact of the therapist-client, organismic variables may lead to spurious research findings and impractical interventions. Research and practical intervention, therefore, should be concerned with matching clients with the most appropriate therapist.