Clinical recommendations for psychotherapists working during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic through the lens of AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy)

Abstract

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic created an unprecedented physical and mental health crisis on an international scale. Clients and therapists alike navigated the fears and uncertainty surrounding the virus, often in an environment of social isolation. The following paper presents a brief overview of the unique stressors and psychosocial factors impacting therapeutic work in the time of the coronavirus pandemic, including fears of the virus and social transmission, relational stressors due to isolation, grieving in isolation, fear of death, financial challenges, and the transition to telehealth. In addition, this paper aims to provide specific interventions and helpful approaches for psychotherapists navigating the novel challenges and demands to their clinical work through an AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy) perceptive. This includes finding an entry point for accessing the pain: undoing aloneness; moving through the pain: dyadic affect regulation; and paying close attention to vitality within suffering: searching for transformance. Recommendations for the health and care of the clinician are also discussed, such as attuning to self-needs, anticipating and detecting dysregulation, staying with the good, meaning-making, identifying and responding to burnout, and the importance of receiving personal therapy and clinical supervision.

Resiliencia: convergencia de emociones y experiencias docentes en la educación a distancia en tiempos de la COVID-19

“…Los países más afectados por estas disposiciones fueron los que presentaron una insuficiente preparación y equipamiento tecnológico para la implementación de las clases a distancia, además de registrar altos niveles de desigualdad socioeconómica y cultural, que acentuaron los problemas de comunicación, la escasa conectividad, el rezago escolar y las secuelas emocionales en los diferentes actores educativos a consecuencia del cambio de rutina, experiencias de duelo y desempleo (Al Banna, 2020;Carrillo y Flores, 2020;Jurcik et al, 2020;McBride et al, 2020).…”

Investigation of depression, anxiety and stress levels of health-care students during COVID-19 pandemic

“…Although the pandemic period allows family members to come together and spend more time together, anger and tensions can be seen among family members due to the stress and anxiety of staying in quarantine. Quarantine also significantly increases domestic violence and abuse (Campbell, 2020; Douglas et al , 2020; McBride et al , 2020). On the other hand, the fact that family members support each other acts as a barrier against adverse conditions such as stress (Tang et al , 2020).…”

What about the therapist? – a quantitative exploration of the pathways from a therapist’s professional life to their personal well-being

“…Where these are lacking there is a need to develop such resources, workshops and webinars (Ronnestad et al, 2019). Work has already begun in developing such resources relating to the pandemic (McBride et al, 2020).…”