Online child psychotherapy and the pandemic – vignettes from the Canadian Association of Psychoanalytic Child Therapists

ABSTRACT

At a time when psychoanalytic psychotherapists are struggling worldwide to provide ongoing psychotherapy to children and adolescents during the current pandemic, this paper provides three vignettes, which focus on the impact of the pandemic and of providing psychotherapy online. These vignettes elaborate on contributions made to ‘Town Hall’ meetings of the Canadian Association of Psychoanalytic Child Therapists. We describe some of what we have learned in our efforts to provide online therapy during this disjointed time. We conclude by reflecting on the crucial importance of peer groups meeting together to contain our own pandemic anxieties, to maintain the therapeutic frame in online treatment, and to be supportive of the internal psychic frames of our patients, all of which have been battered during the pandemic.

KEYWORDS:

• Containment
• digital screens
• online psychotherapy
• osmotic anxieties
• therapeutic frame
• Town Hall meetings

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Robin Holloway

Robin Holloway is a Registered Psychologist providing psychoanalytic psychotherapy to children, adolescents, and adults in Toronto, Canada. He is a graduate of CICAPP (The Canadian Institute for Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy) where he is a now a supervisor and a teacher. Robin is in private practice at The Willow Centre in Toronto, Canada.

Felipe Ramirez Hinrichsen

Felipe Ramirez Hinrichsen is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist and a Licensed Psychologist in the province of New Brunswick. Felipe’s clinical training includes a six-year psychology program and a Master's degree in psychoanalytic psychotherapy for children and adolescents. Felipe has worked as a psychologist in Chile and in Canada, in both public agencies and in his private practice at Psyché Services in Moncton, New Brunswick. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Psychoanalytic Child Therapists (CAPCT), as are all four contributors. Felipe, Robin and Robyn are also members of the Board of Directors of this organisation.

Fӓggie Oliver

Fäggie Oliver is a Registered Psychotherapist and was senior therapist at the West End Creche (now Child Development Institute) in Toronto before she entered private practice in 1991. She is a graduate of CICAPP (The Canadian Institute for Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy) and was a founding member of this organisation under its earlier name of the Toronto Child Psychotherapy Program. She graduated in its first class and subsequently served on the board of the Canadian Association of Psychoanalytic Child Therapists.

Robyn Weddepohl

Robyn Weddepohl is a Registered Psychotherapist. She is a graduate of CICAPP (The Canadian Institute for Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy). Robyn is now in private practice in Ontario with an interest in group and individual therapy with ASD individuals.