The Experiences of Psychotherapists Delivering Therapy During the Shared Crisis of a Pandemic

Abstract

The objective of this study was to capture therapists’ experiences of delivering therapy throughout the COVID‐19 pandemic and how this experience impacted therapeutic alliance. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted on the responses to three surveys distributed to all UKCP members. The qualitative and quantitative analyses found significant variability in therapists’ feelings regarding the transition to online therapy, with overall perceptions continuing to be divided similarly throughout the nine months surveyed. While qualitative data highlighted positive perceptions of online therapy for some, quantitative results showed that most did not find online therapy to be as effective as face‐to‐face therapy. The pandemic and subsequent shift to online work had significant implications for therapists, including navigating unfamiliar changes to the therapeutic space resulting from experiencing a shared crisis, and holding the frame in relation to boundaries of safety. In the wake of the pandemic, as things shift increasingly towards a hybrid model of delivering therapy, it is important to reflect on what can be learned from this transition and how this influences future therapeutic practices.