Clinician experiences of remotely delivering psychodynamic and intensive psychoanalytic psychotherapy within an NHS institution during the COVID-19 pandemic, and possible implications for future clinical practice.

When it became clear that the COVID-19 pandemic would require significant shifts in working practice, staff in the Adult Complex Needs department at the Tavistock clinic designed a study to explore the emotional impact of remote working on clinicians and patients, and to consider related clinical im...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Vol. 38; no. 1; pp. 20 - 38
Main Authors: Croxford, Anna, Baban, Alan, Kreel, Sasha, Stern, Julian
Format: Article
Published: Taylor & Francis Ltd Mar2024
Subjects:
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=176014487&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: ssf
    uiTerm: 176014487
    longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson)
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        02668734
        GX8
      jtl: Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
      issn: 02668734
      maglogo: N
    pubinfo:
      dt: Mar2024
      vid: 38
      iid: 1
      pid: 377
      pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd
    artinfo:
      ui:
        176014487
        10.1080/02668734.2023.2263509
      ppf: 20
      ppct: 18
      formats:
      tig:
        atl: Clinician experiences of remotely delivering psychodynamic and intensive psychoanalytic psychotherapy within an NHS institution during the COVID-19 pandemic, and possible implications for future clinical practice.
      aug:
        au:
          Croxford, Anna
          Baban, Alan
          Kreel, Sasha
          Stern, Julian
        affil:
          Adult Complex Needs Department, Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
          Previously director of Adult and Forensic Services and consultant psychiatrist in psychotherapy, Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust. Currently in private practice, London, UK
      su:
        United Kingdom
        Medical care
        Interviewing
        Emotions
        Experience
        COVID-19 pandemic
        Medical practice
        National health services
        Psychodynamic psychotherapy
        Outpatient services in hospitals
        Thematic analysis
        Telemedicine
        Medical consultation
        Research methodology
        Attitudes of medical personnel
      sug:
        subj:
          Medical care
          Interviewing
          Emotions
          Experience
          COVID-19 pandemic
          Medical practice
          United Kingdom
          All Other Outpatient Care Centers
          National health services
          Psychodynamic psychotherapy
          Outpatient services in hospitals
          Thematic analysis
          Telemedicine
          Medical consultation
          Research methodology
          Attitudes of medical personnel
      keyword:
        COVID-19
        psychoanalytic psychotherapy
        psychodynamic psychotherapy
        remote
        COVID-19
        psychoanalytic psychotherapy
        psychodynamic psychotherapy
        remote
      ab: When it became clear that the COVID-19 pandemic would require significant shifts in working practice, staff in the Adult Complex Needs department at the Tavistock clinic designed a study to explore the emotional impact of remote working on clinicians and patients, and to consider related clinical implications both individually and collectively. A set of semi-structured questions were designed to tap into experiences of working remotely, and clinicians were interviewed. The material arising from these interviews has been summarised into themes. The predominant theme was clinicians' awareness of the importance of their own emotional milieu in delivering psychoanalytic psychotherapy, especially at a time of crisis, in their initial emotional responses and as they gathered further remote experience. They raised challenges around maintaining an analytic frame amid therapeutic uncertainties, and in the context of the many physical losses of a remote frame: blurred clinical boundaries, altered emotional experiences and resonance, and important impacts on holding, patient attendance, and worsening distress and risks for patients who struggled remotely. Strategies to adapt were key, particularly remaining emotionally consistent and observant amidst uncertainty, and support was paramount to do so. These experiences assist in informing clinicians about the limitations and uses of remote clinical work.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
    refInfo:
    copyright:
      @attributes:
        flag: N
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N