This essаy questiоn hаs twо pаrts: 1. Based оn research over the years and the information we covered in class, what are some qualities and attributes that would enable a person to be an effective therapist, whether at the master's or doctoral level? In addition to the secular research on this topic, what would prayer, faith, and virtue also add to this discussion (as covered in Dr. Link's opinion slide). If you want to be an effective therapist, what might be some things to avoid or try to minimize that you learned from our discussions as well as from the APA Code of Ethics. 2. Furthermore, research consistently demonstrates that the most curative factor in therapy is the therapeutic alliance. Talk about what you perceive the therapeutic alliance to be. What is it? Is it just a relationship or a paid friendship? What factors can be nurtured to make this relationship most effective? Do techniques or evidence-based practices even really matter?