COVID Couple Therapy: Telehealth and Somatic Action Techniques

Abstract

In March of 2020, during the global COVID‐19 pandemic, therapists quickly transitioned to telehealth platforms to provide their services. Teletherapy, while subject to some constraints, presents unique opportunities to work creatively with couples, particularly during these uncertain times. This paper offers a case study of work with a couple using systemic, developmental attachment, dialogical, and somatic trauma theories. Action techniques, including doubling, ideal futures creation, and a foam roller trust exercise are employed to facilitate change processes as couples face the chaos and unknowns of the pandemic and the difficulties that have become triggered between them. These exercises help to open perspective, increase awareness, and lower resistance to change. Couples are able to physically enact and metabolise alternative realities while discharging excess energies in familiar surroundings.

Creatively Adapting Touch-Based Practices to the Web Format During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Systematic Review

“…A total of 29% (5/17) of the included studies presented creative working methods from other fields to adapt practice to the new web-based format. These techniques included breathing exercises, exercises inspired by meditation, somatic movements, body screening exercises, and other mind-body or spiritual approaches [6,19,[32][33][34]. These techniques required participants to become active and focus on their internal states rather than on external feelings or perceptions:…”

“…Inspired by meditation activities to shift the body's attention to its relationship with the surroundings and to re-shift the body's attention to its sensorial imagination... [32] By encouraging participants to self-manage their internal states and report back, allied health practitioners' role shifted from their traditional role as "fixers" to that of coaches [19]. This shift required participants to become active and engaged, especially when trying techniques that focused on "felt" or "sensorial" experiences [19,34]:…”

“…In total, 17 publications were included in this review. A detailed overview of the characteristics of the included studies can be found in Multimedia Appendix 2 [2,6,11,18,19,[32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43]. All study designs were considered; however, only qualitative studies were found to be relevant after the screening process.…”

“…Information about the study populations of all the included studies and their number of participants can be found in Table 3. [32] 56 (0.37) Patients undergoing chemotherapy Ben-Arye et al [6] 5 (0.03) Young adults with learning disabilities Datlen and Pandolfi [11] NR Web-based body psychotherapists Eve [39] 15,334 (100) Art therapists offering telehealth Feniger-Schaal et al [36] NR Audience members Gauhe [35] 10 (0.07) Physiotherapists who work with children Grant et al [33] NR Audience members Karam and Naguib [41] 2 (0.01) A couple in couple therapy Lord [34] 1185 (7.73) Allied health clinicians treating people with musculoskeletal conditions Malliaras et al [19] NR Men with learning disabilities Moloney et al [43] 59 (0.38) Participants aged ≥18 y capable of engaging in physical activity Rugh et al [2] NR Children and teenagers with a variety of mental health issues Snyder [42] NR Dance students Sieradzki and LeMarquand [37] 17 (0.11) Women working in the sport and fitness industry Thorpe et al [18] NR People displaced because of conflict, persecution, and poverty Usiskin and Lloyd [38] 15 (0.1) Adult-trained hospice nurses Weaver et al [40] a A total of 47% (8/17) of the studies had unspecified participant numbers.…”

“…Creatively adapted working methods to suit the new web-based format were identified and grouped into 5 recurring themes that are described in the following sections and summarized in Multimedia Appendix 3 [2,6,11,18,19,[32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43]. Studies contributing to each theme are shown in Multimedia Appendix 4 [2,6,11,18,19,[32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43]. A minimum of 29% (5/17) of the studies contributed to each theme.…”