Patient-Therapist Agreement Scale

The Patient-Therapist Agreement Scale (PTAS) measures the degree to which client and therapist agree on therapy goals, treatment focus, and expected treatment duration—a core component of the therapeutic alliance. Developed by Nash and colleagues in their foundational study of psychotherapy preparation, the PTAS operationalizes the principle that shared understanding of 'what we're working on and how long it will take' predicts engagement and outcome. It is used primarily in research and training to assess goal alignment and identify mismatches that may undermine treatment.