The transition to teletherapy in marriage and family therapy training settings during COVID‐19: What do the data tell us?

Abstract

In the wake of the COVID‐19 pandemic, little is known about how university training programs transitioned to teletherapy. This study describes the transition of two university marriage and family therapy (i.e., master's and doctoral) training clinics to teletherapy and presents preliminary analyses of the types of clients and cases that converted to teletherapy. A series of chi‐square analyses, a t‐test, a logistic regression model, and a multiple linear regression model were employed. Four key findings emerged: (1) most cases converted to teletherapy; (2) Hispanic ethnicity was the only demographic characteristic to significantly predict conversion to teletherapy; (3) individual cases were significantly more likely to convert to teletherapy than relational cases; and (4) the number of prior in‐person sessions attended significantly predicted conversion to teletherapy. Teletherapy conversion implications are discussed across four systemic levels: client, student trainee, supervision, and larger systems.

“Each week feels like a mountain”: The impact of COVID-19 on mental health providers’ well-being and clinical work.

“…As strict social distancing and lockdown measures were abruptly imposed at the onset of the pandemic, mental health providers were forced to transition their traditional in-person care practice to online platforms (Eppler, 2021; Madigan et al, 2021; Morgan et al, 2021; Shklarski et al, 2021). The primary adaptation was transitioning from in-person services to teletherapy, which we define as the use of technology (e.g., video conferencing), to deliver remote mental health assessment and treatment (Whaibeh et al, 2020).…”

“…The primary adaptation was transitioning from in-person services to teletherapy, which we define as the use of technology (e.g., video conferencing), to deliver remote mental health assessment and treatment (Whaibeh et al, 2020). With little prior training and experience in delivering mental health services on a new platform, the unanticipated and radical shift suddenly disrupted the way mental health providers deliver their services, which required immediate adaptations and a steep learning curve for many (Feijt et al, 2020; Fish & Mittal, 2021; Morgan et al, 2021). Indeed, findings by Phillips et al (2021) indicate that of 207 surveyed mental health providers, the vast majority had never used teletherapy before (i.e., 46.80%) or used it less than a quarter of the time (i.e., 42.36%).…”

“…Indeed, in early 2020, mental health providers and agencies were suddenly faced with navigating the logistics, ethical and legal considerations, and best practices of teletherapy to prioritize continuity of care (Morgan et al, 2021). The rapid shift from healthcare-as-usual to a virtual teletherapy context likely has consequences for providers and client care alike.…”

“…The rapid shift from healthcare-as-usual to a virtual teletherapy context likely has consequences for providers and client care alike. For example, emerging research illustrates the concerns providers experienced in the transition to teletherapy, such as learning how to do teletherapy “on the fly,” working virtually from home, and having a general sense of unpreparedness (Morgan et al, 2021). As we surpass the 2-year mark of COVID-19’s existence, many important questions regarding teletherapy have begun to be addressed, such as technological logistics, legal considerations, and best practices.…”

Online clinical supervision in couple and family therapy: A scoping review

“…In addition, professional associations responded with recommendations and guidelines for the ethical and effective use of telesupervision (AAMFT, 2020 ; AFT, 2020 ; COAMFTE, 2020 ) and the most recent version (12.5) of COAMFTE accreditation (Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education, 2021 ) allows for greater freedom in adopting the practice. As a result, both the conceptual and empirical bases of knowledge expanded rapidly, some of them already in the early stages of development (Bell et al, 2020 ; Eppler, 2021 ; Hardy et al, 2021 ; Maier et al, 2021 ; Mc Kenny et al, 2021 ; Morgan et al, 2021 ; Simpson et al, 2021 ). In addition, while most supervisors are not familiar with online work, a small number have engaged in online work through various companies, such as Motivo and Clinical Supervision Now.…”