The Loss of the Shared Space: Process Issues in Telepsychotherapy

Psychologists' experiences with telepsychology during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic, South African psychologists started to use telepsychology to continue providing services. However, diverse factors may influence psychologists' decisions regarding the use of telepsychology.

Aim

To investigate South African psychologists' experiences with using telepsychology during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Setting

Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA)-registered psychologists practising in South Africa.

Methods

A quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted. Psychologists were invited to complete an online survey on the REDCap platform. Convenience sampling was used for respondent selection (n = 179). The study explored demographic variables, telepsychology use, changes in psychotherapy format, guidelines, ethical considerations, training, socio-economic factors, and individual patient and psychotherapist factors. Descriptive statistics, including categorical variables (frequencies and percentages) and numerical variables (medians and percentiles) were utilised for the data analysis. A bivariate analysis with backward selection was subsequently used, and significant variables were integrated into the logistic regression model.

Results

Most respondents (84.8%) used telepsychology, with 72.8% considering it a positive experience. Private psychologists used electronic means for delivering services significantly more than public sector psychologists. The public sector psychologists had more challenges relating to changes in the therapeutic format, additional training requirements and technology access.

Conclusion

During the COVID-19 pandemic, psychologists turned to telepsychology as a valuable tool for providing services while navigating the unique challenges it presented.

Contribution

This study provides insights into the utility of telepsychology in the South African context during COVID-19. It underscores the experiences, importance of guidelines, and needs regarding training and technology access among psychologists.

When No One's The Expert: A Preliminary Study of Social Workers' Perspectives on Shared Loss in Counseling During COVID-19

In this preliminary study, social workers' experiences of adjustment and loss during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic were explored as they, along with their clients, coped with the resulting emotional and psychological impacts. As death and illness rates increased alarmingly, masters-level social work students' discourses and feedback in a course on grief and loss revealed a knowledge gap surrounding counseling in face of shared loss that led to a pilot study. Subsequently, a qualitative research study (n = 7) of video self-reports from clinical social workers was conducted to further explore their losses and their consequent professional impact. They responded to the question, "What losses have you felt in this pandemic that have impacted you professionally?" Participants listed multiple losses related to work (e.g., loss of professional therapeutic space, loss of the work/life divide) and recognized the challenges to maintaining a personal sense of well-being. In consideration of the pandemic's impact when counseling others, participants identified the following themes: greater emphasis on one's own well-being, greater focus on maintaining strong therapeutic rapport, the value of creativity in the new therapeutic space, and a continual assessment of dynamic shifts. For society to process-which means, largely, to grieve-the losses related to COVID-19 and adjust to the world as is, there is a need for counselors to do so as well. This paper explains how some counselors have experienced loss through their work and coped with it; thus, they have been able to support their clients through the pandemic.