Do you ever text or email with your patients?
During my clinical training (in New York) there was little emphasis on the potential therapeutic value of communicating with patients outside of the consulting room. If discussed at all, it was usually presented as something to avoid, a "breach" of therapeutic boundaries.
I haven't given it much thought, until recently when I moved to a country (Israel) where things are a little less strict and the boundaries are more fluid. Working with patients with severe psychopathology and psychosis, who struggle connecting in the room, I have begun to reconsider this avoidance and slowly, hesitantly began to embrace digital communication as part of psychotherapy. I find that texting with patients can sometimes allow for themes that came up in the room to develop further, and it can deepen the therapeutic relationship; sometimes, I learn something new about the patient by texting with him, and sometimes it allows the patient to release stress or feel a little less lonely--but almost always, in my experience, it contributes something to the therapeutic process.
The workshop will be an exploration of the benefits and perils of digital communication in psychotherapy, its dynamic meanings and pragmatic considerations, especially for patients with severe psychopathology. I will briefly mention relevant literature, but mainly will use an interactive method, presenting many real examples of texts and emails, and will ask participants to share their experiences. We will discuss ways to implement digital communication in psychotherapy with the most struggling patients, and the risks and fears involved in doing that.
Individual cognitive behavioural therapies and related approaches , Individual psychodynamic therapies , Other individual therapies
