ABSTRACT

With the recent global pandemic, therapists have had to shift their psychotherapy practice online, as they have been unable to maintain a face to face relationship due to physical distancing measures. This has created an immediate need to understand how to build and maintain strong therapeutic relationships while navigating this new online therapeutic environment. With the removal of face to face therapy, there is a question of how the therapeutic relationship is to be maintained and fostered over the internet, through considering the necessity of cultivating and maintaining therapeutic presence. This article will discuss therapeutic presence as a precondition to effective therapeutic relationships and a positive therapeutic alliance. An exploration will follow of the challenges of cultivating therapeutic presence in online therapy ; followed by tips to encourage and support both the therapist and the client to remain present while engaging in telepsychotherapy. A final discussion will include implications for future research and clinical training for cultivating presence in telepsychotherapy as well as integrating what has been learned during the pandemic back into face to face sessions.

摘要

随着最近的全球大流行，治疗师不得不将他们的心理治疗实践转移到网上，因为由于身体疏远措施，他们无法保持面对面的关系。这迫切需要了解如何在浏览这个新的在线治疗环境的同时建立和维持强大的治疗关系。随着面对面治疗的取消，通过考虑培养和维持治疗存在的必要性，存在如何通过互联网维持和培养治疗关系的问题。本文将讨论作为有效治疗关系和积极治疗联盟的先决条件的治疗存在。接下来将探讨在在线治疗中培养治疗存在的挑战；其次是鼓励和支持治疗师和来访者在进行远程心理治疗时保持在场的技巧。最后的讨论将包括对未来研究和临床培训的影响，以培养远程心理治疗的存在感，以及将大流行期间学到的知识重新整合到面对面的会议中。