"Bye, Click, and Gone"-A Qualitative Study About the Experiences of Psychotherapists and Adolescent Patients on Remote Treatment During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Due to the high risk of infection during the COVID-19 pandemic, direct contact between patients and their therapists, which is usually considered crucial, became a potential threat. In order to prevent the disruption of psychotherapeutic treatment, many psychotherapists switched to different forms of synchronous remote video or telephone communication. However, the implementation of remote treatment was quite abrupt and led many therapists to question how the therapeutic process might continue using this technology-based communication, especially in the context of children and adolescents. Accordingly, the aim of the study was to explore psychodynamic child and adolescent psychotherapists and adolescent patients about their experiences with a remote setting. In Germany, we interviewed 24 psychodynamic child and youth therapists and 11 patients, aged 15-23 years. The qualitative analysis resulted in four themes: during remote treatment therapists and adolescent patients primarily experienced altered conditions of (a) time and space, (b) closeness and distance, (c) corporeality and body awareness, and (d) transitions. We discuss here the potentials and limitations of remote therapy with adolescents and young adults, while especially considering a developmental and adolescent theoretical perspective.