Clinician Perceptions of Online Therapy During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Albeit the height of COVID-19 has ended, clinicians have continued to regularly provide online therapy services. In the spring of 2021 during the third wave of COVID-19, we conducted an online survey study to examine psychosocial experiences among mental health clinicians ( N = 196). The survey included two open-ended questions about the use of online therapy as a mode of service delivery. Using a qualitative content analysis of those responses, this article reports the findings on clinicians’ perceptions of online therapy. The following themes identified are: (a) greater access to specialized mental health services, (b) contested notion of therapy as a “safe space,” (c) less immersive clinical interventions, and (d) enhanced opportunity for professional growth. Implications for online-based social work practice are discussed.