Telepsychotherapy during a pandemic: A traumatic stress perspective

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak poses unique challenges for psychotherapists and other mental health professionals. The widespread fear, helplessness, illness and death, economic hardship, and disruption of social support caused by the pandemic will create a global need for both supportive crisis counseling and formal mental health treatment. As physical distancing aimed at reducing contagion sharply limits in-person contact, psychotherapists have suddenly been forced to adopt new technologies and learn to provide telepsychotherapy. At this same time, psychotherapists must contend with their own stressors as part of the pandemic-exposed population. We integrate several different literatures to outline how telepsychotherapy can help psychotherapists address patient needs during this pandemic. We review epidemiological literature on the mental health impact of pandemics, crisis counseling approaches developed from prior disasters, and clinical research on telepsychotherapy treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. Based on this research, we provide a roadmap for ways that clinicians can use telepsychotherapy technologies for 2 levels of intervention: (1) providing strengths-based preventive interventions to help people cope with distress during a period of disruption, life-threat, and loss, and (2) delivering effective treatments to people who develop chronic conditions in response to traumatic stress.