Study-based clinical observations and two premises are presented as indications for a need to identify “therapeutic relationship techniques” or the like that can extend the reach and efficiency of the psychotherapies. The premises are: (1) advances in psychotherapy practice and research now highlight one of the field's most longstanding challenges, signified by terms like “treatment resistance”; and (2) some proportion of outpatients whose problems are resistant to the psychotherapies (and medications) have marked limitations in the capacity to relate positively and productively to others, including therapists. Thus, ironically, they cannot optimally utilize a treatment modality that largely has developed to ameliorate problems relating to others.