Abstract
When colleges closed in spring 2020 due to COVID-19, students’ face-to-face counseling moved to teletherapy. There is limited research on students’ alliance with their therapists during teletherapy, especially with considerations of diversity and inclusion. This study explored the experiences of 21 community college students who participated in teletherapy during academic year 2020-2021. Theraputic alliance levels were measured using the Working Alliance Inventory-Short Form (WAI-SR). SPSS was used to analyze quantitative data and grounded theory was used to analyze qualitative responses. The response rate was 25.9%. Results indicated high levels of therapeutic alliance with teletherapy (mean=54.4, out of a possible 60). Participants were mostly women 81%, between 18-21 years (57%), and Asian American (62%). Theraputic alliance levels with teletherapy were similar to a previous study regarding students’ therapeutic alliance with traditional therapy (mean=77.2 out of a possible 84). Students’ therapeutic alliance with their therapists was rated high (90.6% of the possible score in teletherapy and 91.7% in traditional therapy). However, in comparison, teletherapy participants were more likely to be younger and Asian than in-person counseling participants (mean age=26.2 for traditional, 18-21 for teletherapy) and Asian (27.0 for traditional, and 62.0% for teletherapy). Qualitative responses focused on appreciation for the therapy sessions or the therapist. The results were mixed regarding the use of technology. It appears that some students may experience higher levels of therapeutic alliance with teletherapy than others. Future research is needed in this area. Limitations include a small sample size and lack of generalizability.
Presenters
Christine B. KleinpeterProfessor, School of Social Work, California State University, Long Beach, California, United States Jo Brocato, LCSW,CAP
Professor, School of Social Work, California State University, Long Beach, California, United States John R. Kleinpeter
Professor, Department of Design, California State University, Long Beach, California, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2023 Special Focus—Smart Education 4.0 Empowering Learners and Educators
KEYWORDS
College Mental Health, Teletherapy, Diversity and Inclusion
