The Rapid Adjustment to Tele-analysis and Therapy Due to COVID-19

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a need to be physically distant from our patients while we were all experiencing a massive life-threatening change in our lives. Analysts and therapists had to stop seeing patients in-person. The overnight shift to teletreatment required many adjustments. This was particularly difficult for child analysis. Exploring these changes allows us to further our understanding of the differences between child and adult analysis as well as to better understand what analysis is.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• pandemic
• teletreatment
• teleanalysis
• teletherapy
• child
• adolescent
• adult
• parents
• analysis
• therapy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Daniel W. Prezant

Daniel W. Prezant, Ph.D., is a Training and Supervising Analyst at the New York Psychoanalytic Society and Institute (NYPSI) where he is also a Supervising Analyst in Child and Adolescent Analysis. He is the Secretary of the Association for Child Psychoanalysis (ACP). At APsaA he is Chair of Membership, a Board of Director at Large, member of the DPE Child Section, member of the COVID-19 Advisory Team, and Chair of a task force on reopening offices for in-person work. He is in private practice for analysis and therapy with children, adolescents, adults, parents, and couples.