Therapists’ teletherapy experiences during the pandemic in China and the United States

ABSTRACT

Therapists’ experience with teletherapy pre-pandemic differed widely across countries. We explored potential differences in teletherapy use in therapists in China and the USA in 2020. Results showed that pre-pandemic, therapists in China had more teletherapy training and experience, and they also had more positive views about teletherapy. During the pandemic, both groups reported more positive views on the effectiveness of teletherapy. Unlike the therapists in China, therapists in the USA reported an increase in their use of self-disclosure. Therapists reported similar experience with the therapeutic relationship. These findings highlight general similarities along with specific differences between the groups, and future research is needed to examine teletherapy experiences and to develop effective therapist trainings, outside of the pandemic context.

KEYWORDS:

• Teletherapy
• therapist experience
• China
• pandemic
• therapeutic relationship

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the China American Psychoanalytic Alliance (VB, KAVD).

Notes on contributors

Zhaoyi Chen

Dr. Zhaoyi Chen, is a clinical psychologist at Elmhurst Hospital Center, New York, who is fluent in both English and Mandarin Chinese. She holds a MA in Mental Health Counseling from New York University and a PsyD in Clinical Psychology from Yeshiva University. Dr. Chen is committed to serving marginalized populations, including the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities, utilizing psychodynamic and trauma-focused approaches. Her research interests span multicultural psychology, psychotherapy process research, and teletherapy.

Katie Aafjes-van Doorn

Dr Katie Aafjes-van Doorn, is Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology at Yeshiva University, New York. She completed a MSc in Clinical Psychology at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands, and MSc in Psychological Research, and Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at University of Oxford, United Kingdom. After moving to the United States she gained licensure as Clinical Psychologist in New York. She is also the Associate Editor for the journal Clinical Psychology: Science & Practice, and the Clinical-lead of the startup company Deliberate.ai that develops AI-based multi-modal assessments for mental health. She has published over 70 peer reviewed papers, co-authored several books and book- chapters and is a regular speaker at (inter)national conferences. Her research focuses on psychotherapy research and training including teletherapy, and the use of AI in developing automated feedback for clinicians.

Vera Békés

Vera Békés, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology and Co-Director of the Psychodynamic Program at Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, New York. She is trained in psychoanalysis, clinical psychology, and philosophy, and is a practicing psychologist. Her research focuses on the psychotherapy process and the therapeutic relationship in various settings, including online interventions, as well as trauma, PTSD, and transgenerational trauma.