Brazilian Psychologists’ Experience with Online Psychotherapy during the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract:

With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, psychologists began to offer online consultations to their patients, who were previously seen in person. In most cases, this change happened in an improvised way and with no prior training required. In this context, this study, of a descriptive-exploratory, quanti-qualitative character with cross-sectional design, aimed to understand the experience of psychologists in the transition from in-person to remote modality during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, identifying difficulties and gaps regarding the guidelines provided by the Federal Council of Psychology. A total of 385 psychologists participated in the research. An online questionnaire was used for data collection, distributed via a digital platform between May and November 2020. The study was also shared in professional Psychology groups on several social networks. The quantitative data were analyzed by descriptive statistical analysis, and the answers to the open questions by reflective thematic analysis. The findings were organized into three thematic categories: (a) gaps perceived in the guidance regarding the choice of the digital platform; (b) gaps regarding the completion of the registration on the E-Psi website; and (c) lack of adequate training to make the transition to the online format. Among the main results were the insecurity generated by the lack of previous preparation of the professionals and the resistance of some clients to accept the transposition of the face-to-face services to the online model. It is expected that the mapping of the main difficulties faced by the category will contribute to qualify the debate about the effectiveness of the orientations made available to psychologists.

Keywords:
COVID-19; Online Therapy; Online Service; Information Technology; Psychology