Upon completion of the activity, participants will be able to:

• Understand the fundamentals of the therapeutic alliance.
• Review current scientific evidence regarding its impact on clinical outcomes.
• Identify factors that facilitate or hinder the development of an effective therapeutic relationship.
• Explore person-centered clinical communication strategies.
• Reflect on the therapist’s role within the therapeutic process.
• Recognize the importance of the relational context in the patient’s experience.

The Therapeutic Alliance in Contemporary Clinical Practice

• What we mean by the therapeutic alliance.
• Evolution and development of the concept.
• Fundamental components of an effective therapeutic relationship.

Scientific evidence and clinical outcomes

• What current research tells us.
• Impact on treatment adherence.
• Impact on the patient experience.
• Relationship between the therapeutic alliance and clinical outcomes.

Person-centered clinical communication

• Active listening.
• Building trust.
• Therapeutic communication.
• Shared decision-making.

• The therapist as part of the process
• Contextual factors.
• Therapeutic presence.
• Reflection on clinical practice

Space for questions and professional dialogue

Jorge Sánchez Mateos

Physical therapist, graduate-level instructor, mentor, and director of the Lekiné Physical Therapy Clinic in Madrid, Spain.

For more than twenty years, he has been working with people experiencing pain and musculoskeletal health issues, developing a clinical practice centered on the integration of science, clinical reasoning, and the therapeutic relationship.

His work has focused particularly on the study of the therapeutic alliance, clinical communication, contextual factors, interoception, and the role of the therapeutic relationship in processes of change and recovery.

He combines his clinical practice with the training of healthcare professionals, teaching courses, seminars, and lectures on relational skills, the therapeutic encounter, pain, and contemporary physical therapy.

He is currently finalizing the publication of his first professional book, in which he explores the therapeutic alliance, clinical communication, context, touch, and other elements that permeate everyday clinical practice and that often take a back seat to the more technical aspects of treatment.

Synchronous training: 3.5 hours

Live online session: The session will be delivered in a synchronous format and will be recorded for registered participants.

Asynchronous training: 2.5 hours

Participants will receive access to supplementary materials selected by the instructor.

As an additional resource, participants will receive access to the Masterclass on Clinical Interoception taught by Jorge Sánchez Mateos.

This Masterclass is specifically designed for students and practitioners of Craniosacral Therapy in Water^™, Watsu^®, and other aquatic therapy disciplines, as well as physical therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, and healthcare professionals interested in deepening their understanding of clinical communication and the therapeutic relationship.

No specific prior knowledge is required.

At the end of the activity, participants will receive a Certificate of Participation issued by the Watsupath^™ Training Institute, certifying 6 hours of continuing education.

These hours may be recorded within the professional pathway recognised by the Worldwide Aquatic Bodywork Association (W.A.B.A.) for students and professionals participating in accredited training programmes in Craniosacral Therapy in Water^™, Watsu^®, or other related disciplines, in accordance with the association’s current regulations.

This Masterclass forms part of the Ethics and Communication continuing education programme of the Watsupath^™ Training Institute, focused on the development of competencies related to therapeutic alliance and the quality of the clinical encounter.

Together with the in-person programme “Therapeutic Alliance and Trauma-Informed Approach”, both activities constitute two independent training proposals which, together, form a 20-hour educational pathway focused on therapeutic alliance, integrating clinical, relational and embodied perspectives.

Date

Saturday, October 17, 2026.

Time

Standard registration: €95 (VAT included).

Early Bird: The first five people to complete their registration will have access to a special rate of €75 (VAT included).

Registration includes:

• Participation and training materials.
• Access to the online preparatory work, the Clinical Interoception Masterclass taught by Jorge Sánchez Mateos, and the recording of the session, available for later reference.
• Certificate of Participation issued by the Watsupath^™ Training Institute.
• Registration of the corresponding training credits, in accordance with applicable regulations.

Places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis upon confirmed registration.

Cancellations must be requested in writing.

• Up to 15 days before the start of the activity: full refund minus €20 for administrative fees.
• Between 15 and 7 days before the start: 50% refund of the amount paid.
• Less than 7 days before the start: no refunds will be issued.
• Registration may be transferred to another person at no additional cost.

In the event of cancellation by the organization, the full amount paid will be refunded.