Fontoura Nicolodi, Victoria;
(2025)
Exploration of clinicians’ experience of delivering online psychoanalytic parent–infant psychotherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Doctoral thesis (D.Psych), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Aim: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted psychoanalytic parent–infant psychotherapy (PPIP), which depends on nuanced, embodied, and relational interactions. This study explores psychoanalytic parent–infant psychotherapists’ experiences of delivering therapy online during the pandemic, examining its impact on therapeutic processes, relationships, and clinical practice. Method: Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), this study explored clinicians’ lived experiences of online PPIP. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with five experienced psychoanalytic parent–infant psychotherapists who provided online therapy during the pandemic. Data was transcribed and analyzed using IPA to identify key experiential themes, capturing both individual meaningmaking and shared reflections on the transition to online work. Results: Two main experiential themes emerged: (1) Limits of the screen – Balancing losses and gains in online PPIP and (2) Psychosocial impact of the pandemic. 56 Subthemes highlighted challenges such as the loss of physical space, reduced non- verbal and embodied interactions, and disruptions to the parent–infant triad. Despite these, clinicians demonstrated adaptability, resilience, and creativity. The second theme examined broader psychosocial impacts, including heightened emotional strain on parents and infants, digital and social inequalities, and the emotional toll on clinicians. Conclusion: Findings emphasize the need for further research into the dynamics of online PPIP and its implications for practice, supervision, training, and policy. The study highlights systemic inequalities exacerbated by the pandemic, particularly affecting vulnerable families, and contributes to psychoanalytic discussions on digital formats, balancing innovation with tradition in a changing therapeutic landscape.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | D.Psych |
| Title: | Exploration of clinicians’ experience of delivering online psychoanalytic parent–infant psychotherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2025. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10215463 |
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