Researching online counselling and psychotherapy: The past, the present and the future

Abstract

This paper reflects upon the history of online counselling and psychotherapy research. It provides a reflection upon the growing body of research in this field and discusses the impact of the recent global COVID-19 pandemic upon it. It specifically argues that the pandemic has been an evolutionary catalyst for developments in online therapy. Therapeutic practices, and attitudes towards them, have changed in ways that will alter the shape and form of therapies in the future. As a consequence, research into online therapeutic work needs to be responsive and adapt to this changing world. Counselling and psychotherapy researchers therefore have to situate themselves in a way that allows them to keep one foot in the present and one foot in the future to stay abreast of technological developments. There may be a reluctance to do so from some areas in the therapeutic profession, but their presence might prove vital in ensuring that ethical sensitivity, which acknowledges and values the complexity of the human experience, remains at the foreground of psychological support.