Necessity is the mother of invention: Experiences of Israeli women child psychotherapists inexperienced in online therapy regarding the therapeutic space during COVID-19

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis qualitative study explored the experiences of child psychotherapists who were inexperienced in online therapy and transitioned in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Providing online therapy to children poses distinct challenges due to different factors, including the focus on play and developmental differences. The study aimed to shed light on the therapists’ perceptions of the therapeutic space in online therapy, and the impact of the transition on the practice of child psychotherapy. Twenty experienced child psychotherapists were interviewed in depth to explore their experiences of transitioning to online therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel. Participants were recruited voluntarily using convenience and snowball sampling. The study was designed and analyzed by two experienced clinical psychologists using qualitative content analysis. The findings revealed that the online space is an integral part of the transformative processes in psychotherapy for children and youth, and psychotherapists can make necessary adjustments to the new setting through adaptability.The study underscored the challenge of finding flexible personal resources to promote adaptation processes to change.KEYWORDS: Therapy settingtelehealthCOVID-19child psychotherapyonline psychotherapy Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1. The expression “most” (of the interviews) relates to 11 or more participants; the expression “some” (of the interviews) relates to 5–7 participants.2. All participants’ names are pseudonyms.3. “Holding” refers to the therapist’s ability to provide a safe and supportive environment for the client to explore their emotions and experiences; a term coined by Winnicott (Citation1960) to describe the quality of the maternal care that creates a sense of security and continuity for the infant.Additional informationFundingThe work was supported by the Unit of gender equality at Beit Berl College.