‘In my own comfort zone’: Client experiences of relational aspects of Skype therapy for alcohol problems

Atkinson, Louise

Abstract

Background: therapists and counsellors are increasingly using Skype or equivalent video-based applications to offer treatment in place of face-to-face delivery of talking therapies. In the alcohol treatment sector, this offers a range of potential benefits including value for money, accessibility, reduced stigma and increased privacy for service users. However, the impact on the therapeutic relationship remains unclear and under-researched, particularly from a service user or client perspective.

Aims: to explore how alcohol treatment clients make sense of the relational aspects of their Skype therapy, and to examine how Skype might disrupt existing ideas around the therapeutic relationship between client and therapist.

Methodology: qualitative design using thematic analysis, with 15 participant interviews, conducted via Skype and telephone, with male and female adult service users from a single treatment provider. All participants undertook a minimum of four Skype treatment sessions, and had completed their therapy in the six months prior to interview.

Findings: the themes that were identified highlighted the significance of the participant’s own home as the site of therapy, with emphasis on the comfort of the home, and the presence of family members and pets in the therapeutic environment. Participants stressed the importance of viewing the face of the therapist, the establishment of a therapeutic bond, and specific therapist qualities that were viewed positively. Participants also reflected on their relationship with alcohol, issues around denial and avoidance, and their decision to undertake therapy for alcohol problems ‘remotely’ via Skype.

Discussion: There are nuanced and potentially unforeseen consequences of undertaking therapy for alcohol problems via Skype, relating to the significance of the therapy environment and relationship between client and therapist. It is important for treatment providers and individual practitioners to be aware of these issues in light of rapid and radical changes in the way that therapy is increasingly delivered via new video-based technologies.

Citation

Atkinson, L. ‘In my own comfort zone’: Client experiences of relational aspects of Skype therapy for alcohol problems. (Thesis). University of the West of England. Retrieved from https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/6850076

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Nov 15, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 7, 2021
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/6850076
• Award Date: Apr 7, 2021