Relational Teletherapy During COVID-19: Perspectives from Clients, Therapists and Supervisors

This presentation pulls from three separate qualitative studies which surveyed 1) clients engaged in relational teletherapy, 2) couples therapists conducting relational teletherapy, and 3) feminist-informed systemic supervisors who were conducting supervision with MFT trainees all during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on previous literature on teletherapy and qualitative thematic analysis to guide the study, I discuss findings and implications for the MFT field regarding the engagement of couple/family clients, MFTs, and systemic supervisors alike who all pivoted to virtual platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learning Objectives

  1. Participants will learn about the brief literature on relational teletherapy prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  2. Participants will understand the experiences of clients, MFTs, and systemic supervisors who engaged in remote platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  3. Participants will learn about suggestions for best practice to engage in relational teletherapy as an MFT and supervisor.

Dr. Candice Maier, LMFT

Speaker Information

Dr. Candice Maier (she/her) is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Clinical Director, and Associate Professor of Counseling, Rehabilitation, and Human Services at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. She has a master’s and doctorate in Couple and Family Therapy and currently teaches in a COAMFTE master’s program. Dr. Maier’s research focuses on the influence of cis-gender roles on romantic relationships and links to mental/physical health outcomes, couple/family teletherapy, feminist family therapy, and best practices in teaching family science.