What have we lost?

Abstract

The concept of digital therapeutics is becoming increasingly popular. At the end of 2019, NHS England announced that over 300,000 patients were using some form of digital therapy, ranging from CBT and psychoeducation to counselling and psychotherapy. With the advent of the COVID-19 crisis the numbers are now far higher, with most therapists expected, even required, to offer their services via online platforms such as Zoom or Skype. But in the rush to capitalise on the convenience and accessibility of online therapy, it seems as if something, somewhere, has gone missing. In this paper, I will try to characterise and articulate the sense of loss that frequently attends online work, drawing on the work of Freud and the German philosopher and cultural critic Walter Benjamin.