| Course | PAC 240 Helping Skills |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 1 |
| Paper type | Helping relationship paper |
| Length | About 1,036 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Psychology and Addiction Studies |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for PAC 240 Module 1
Expecting a Lecture: Building a Helping Relationship With a Court-Referred Client and Why the Alliance Comes First
Student Name
Psychology and Addiction Studies Program, Aspen University
PAC 240: Helping Skills
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Expecting a Lecture: Building a Helping Relationship With a Court-Referred Client and Why the Alliance Comes First
Tony is forty-five, a diesel mechanic for a trucking company in Columbus, Ohio, and the father of two teenagers. Last month he was arrested for driving under the influence for the second time in five years. The court required an assessment and outpatient treatment, and he arrived at Riverside Recovery Services, an outpatient program created for this course, with his arms crossed. "I've heard it all before," he told me, a counseling intern. "You're going to tell me I'm an alcoholic and I need to go to meetings." His first experience with treatment, after the first arrest, had been a weekend class where, he said, an instructor shouted at the group for two days. This paper examines the helping relationship in addiction work and how I might build one with Tony. He is a composite and Riverside is invented, while every study cited is real.
The Working Alliance
The helping relationship is often described through the concept of the working alliance. The framework most counselors learn breaks the alliance into three strands: a shared sense of what the work is for, a shared sense of how it will be done and a bond of trust and respect between the two people doing it. The alliance is collaborative. It is not something the counselor gives the client, but something they build together, and it can be strained or broken and repaired.
For a mandated client like Tony, each part is hard. His goal is to satisfy the court, not to change his drinking. He expects the tasks to be lectures and meetings. And he enters the room expecting to be judged.
The Alliance and Outcomes
Connors et al. (1997) examined the alliance in Project MATCH, a large trial of alcohol treatment. In the outpatient arm, clients' and therapists' ratings of the alliance predicted treatment participation, such as attending sessions, and predicted drinking outcomes both during treatment and over the year after treatment. In the aftercare arm, for clients who had already completed inpatient or intensive treatment, the alliance was less consistently related to drinking outcomes. The findings suggested that the alliance matters most when clients are deciding whether to engage.
Meier et al. (2005) reviewed research on the alliance in the treatment of substance misuse more broadly. They found that early alliance, measured in the first sessions, consistently predicted engagement and retention in treatment. Its relationship with substance use outcomes after treatment was less consistent across studies. They concluded that the alliance's strongest role may be keeping clients in treatment long enough for treatment to work, and they recommended attention to the alliance from the first contact.
Differences Between Counselors
Najavits and Weiss (1994) reviewed studies examining whether some counselors achieve better outcomes than others in the treatment of substance use disorders. They found large differences in effectiveness between counselors, even when counselors delivered the same treatment. Counselors' interpersonal functioning, especially empathy and the ability to form relationships, was associated with better client outcomes. Counselors' level of training, years of experience and whether they were themselves in recovery were not consistently related to outcomes. The finding suggests that the skills of the helping relationship can matter more than credentials.
For me, as an intern, the finding is both humbling and encouraging. I cannot draw on years of experience or personal recovery, but I can work on the interpersonal skills the research links to better outcomes.
What Builds and Harms the Alliance With Mandated Clients
| Counselor behavior | Effect on the alliance | With Tony |
|---|---|---|
| Naming the mandate openly | Builds trust; removes pretense | "The court sent you here. That's a fact we both have to work with." |
| Explaining what is shared with the court | Builds trust; reduces fear | Tell him exactly what reports include and what stays private |
| Asking about his goals, not only the court's | Builds goal agreement | "Apart from the court, is there anything you'd want out of this?" |
| Lecturing about alcoholism | Harms the bond; confirms his expectation | Avoid entirely |
| Insisting on labels | Harms goal agreement | Do not require him to call himself an alcoholic |
| Listening to his story of the first class | Builds the bond; repairs past harm | Let him describe it and acknowledge it was not helpful |
A Plan for the First Three Sessions
In the first session, I would name the court's role, explain what I report and what I do not and ask Tony to tell me about the weekend class. I would listen to his account without defending the class. Before he left, I would ask what, apart from the court, might make these sessions worth his time.
In the second session, I would complete the assessment the court requires, explaining each part and why it matters, and share the results with him first. I would ask about his life beyond drinking: his work, his teenagers and what he cares about.
In the third session, we would work toward a goal he owns. Tony has mentioned that his license suspension means his sixteen-year-old son drives him to work, and that he hates it. A goal of keeping his license and his independence is his, not the court's, and it connects naturally to his drinking. With that goal agreed, the tasks of treatment, such as tracking his drinking and planning for the evenings he drinks most, become tools for his goal rather than punishments.
The Limits of the Alliance
The alliance is necessary but not sufficient. A strong relationship keeps Tony in treatment, but he also needs effective methods, such as the evidence-based approaches later modules will cover. The research suggests that the relationship carries those methods; without it, they are unlikely to reach a client who expected a lecture.
Conclusion
Tony expected to be lectured, and the research suggests that meeting that expectation would end his engagement before treatment began. Connors and colleagues and Meier, Barrowclough and Donmall show that the alliance predicts whether clients stay and participate, and Najavits and Weiss show that counselors' interpersonal skills matter more than credentials. By naming the mandate, listening to his history and finding a goal he owns, a counselor can build the relationship through which help becomes possible.
References
Connors, G. J., Carroll, K. M., DiClemente, C. C., Longabaugh, R., & Donovan, D. M. (1997). The therapeutic alliance and its relationship to alcoholism treatment participation and outcome. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 65(4), 588-598. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.65.4.588
Meier, P. S., Barrowclough, C., & Donmall, M. C. (2005). The role of the therapeutic alliance in the treatment of substance misuse: A critical review of the literature. Addiction, 100(3), 304-316. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2004.00935.x
Najavits, L. M., & Weiss, R. D. (1994). Variations in therapist effectiveness in the treatment of patients with substance use disorders: An empirical review. Addiction, 89(6), 679-688. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.1994.tb00954.x
PAC 240 Module 1 instructions, in plain terms
The first module of PAC 240 usually asks what the helping relationship is in addiction work and why it matters, with research and an application to a client. Read the Module 1 directions in your Aspen course as the governing prompt; the client and program here are invented. Define the working alliance and its parts. Review research linking the alliance to engagement and outcomes, reporting what is consistent and what is not. Address differences between counselors and what accounts for them. Apply the research to a client whose situation makes the relationship hard to build, such as a mandated client. Plan specific early sessions, with APA 7 references for the research behind them, and decide in advance what you will tell the client about reports to a court or employer.
How this PAC 240 Module 1 example is built
Tony sits with his arms crossed and says he has heard it all before. The paper defines the alliance as agreement on goals and tasks plus an emotional bond. Connors and colleagues' Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology study shows the alliance predicting participation and drinking in the outpatient arm of Project MATCH. Meier, Barrowclough and Donmall's Addiction review summarizes the alliance's stronger link to engagement than to later outcomes. Najavits and Weiss's Addiction review shows counselor differences and their sources. A six-row table lists what builds and harms the alliance with mandated clients. The plan covers the first three sessions, from naming the mandate and explaining court reports to agreeing on a goal Tony owns, keeping his license.
PAC 240 Module 1 rubric: what earns full marks
Relationship papers earn credit for accurate definitions, honest reporting of research and practical application. This example defines the alliance through its components, then reports that alliance predicts engagement more consistently than long-term outcomes, which shows careful reading. Najavits and Weiss's finding about counselor differences turns attention to the writer's own skills. The table connects research to concrete behavior. The plan addresses the specific difficulty of a mandated client, naming the court's role openly and finding a goal Tony owns. The tone avoids treating Tony as resistant; it treats his guardedness as reasonable, which is the stance the research supports. Every claim about the alliance is tied to a cited study.
PAC 240 Module 1 help from the desk
Students often describe the helping relationship in warm generalities without research or specifics. Define the alliance and its parts. Report what research shows, including where findings are inconsistent. Address counselor differences, since they suggest what you can improve. Apply the research to a hard case, such as a mandated or guarded client, rather than an easy one. Plan specific behaviors for early sessions. Avoid labeling clients as resistant or in denial. Be honest about the limits of the alliance; it supports engagement but does not replace effective treatment. Write the plan so a supervisor could watch a recording and tell whether you followed it, session by session.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Aspen University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
More PAC 240 and Psychology and Addiction Studies sample papers
- PAC 240 Module 2: Assessment and DSM Diagnosis
- PAC 240 Module 3: Evidence-Based Treatment Models
- PAC 240 Module 4: Ambivalence and Resistance
- PAC 240 Module 5: Co-Occurring Disorders
- PAC 240 Module 6: Spirituality and Coping
- PAC 240 Module 7: Relapse Prevention
- PAC 240 Module 8: Helping Diverse Populations
- SBS 105 Module 1: Psychology as a Science
- PAC 310 Module 3: Confidentiality of SUD Records
- PAC 110 Module 8: Integrating Theory Into Personal Practice
- PAC 302 Module 3: Reliability
PAC 240 Module 1 questions, answered
What does PAC 240 Module 1 usually ask for?
Aspen's PAC 240 begins with the helping relationship in addiction work, so a paper on the alliance, its research and its application to a client is typical. Read your Module 1 prompt.
What is the working alliance?
The collaborative relationship between client and counselor, usually described as agreement on goals, agreement on tasks and an emotional bond.
Does the therapeutic alliance predict addiction treatment outcomes?
Meier, Barrowclough and Donmall found early alliance consistently predicted engagement and retention, with less consistent links to later substance use outcomes.
Where can I find a free PAC 240 Module 1 sample paper?
It is all above: the helping relationship with a court-referred client, with a table of what builds and harms the alliance and a plan for three sessions.
Do some addiction counselors get better results than others?
Yes. Najavits and Weiss found large differences between counselors, related more to interpersonal skills than to training, experience or recovery status.