Lost in translation: Therapeutic Alliance as a mediator in the relationship between teletherapy and marital satisfaction

Abstract

The global impact of the SARS‐COV‐2 pandemic necessitated a rapid shift to online/teletherapy psychotherapy services. While research suggests the feasibility and efficacy of teletherapy, there is limited investigation into couple teletherapy's impact on satisfaction and therapeutic alliance. This study aimed to address this gap by examining changes in couple satisfaction during tele‐ and in‐person therapy sessions over 12 sessions and exploring whether therapeutic alliance development mediates these changes. Using growth curve modeling in a sample of 416 couples, it found that teletherapy participants initially reported higher couple satisfaction, but improvement in this domain was slower than in‐person therapy recipients. The development of the therapeutic alliance mediated this effect via two indirect paths. Implications include the need for focused attention on alliance development in teletherapy and more empirically‐informed approaches in couple teletherapy.