Exploring Therapists’ Experiences of the Therapeutic Relationship in Videoconferencing Psychotherapy: A Qualitative Study

Background: The exponential growth of videoconferencing psychotherapy (VP) due to pandemic restrictions has required a more specific conceptualization of the therapeutic relationship in VP. We, therefore, investigated the nature of the therapeutic relationship in VP from the clinicians’ perspective. Methods: . We conducted three focus groups with 27 VP therapists of different orientations through a semi-structured interview focusing on their experience of the therapeutic relationship in VP. Data analysis relied on inductive thematic analysis. Results: . Results comprised the following themes: construction and management of the online setting, meaning construction of the request for help and the therapeutic process, patient and therapist involvement in the online relationship, new elements of the therapeutic relationship introduced by VP, nonverbal aspects and corporeality in VP, differences in the quality of the emotional and relational level of VP, treatment satisfaction and drop-out, and personal characteristics of the patient and therapist that influence VP. Conclusion: These results suggest that the therapeutic relationship in VP has some specific features that distinguish it from the therapeutic relationship in face-to-face psychotherapy. Future research should consider this specificity to more adequately investigate the therapeutic relationship in VP, for example, through the development of specific measures or by investigating it with reference to different therapeutic approaches.