Abstract
The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of licensed psychologists who practiced telepsychology during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This research study examined the experiences of seven licensed psychologists and explored their opinions for future practice. Using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006), seven themes were compiled by the researcher from the interview data. Namely, participants described (1) the experiences related to the initial transition to telehealth, (2) the act of telehealth psychotherapy itself, (3) adjustments that they made along the way to their telehealth practice, (4) challenges that they faced with psychological training and instruction via telehealth, (5) changes with workflow and workplace, (6) personal issues impacting practice, and (7) general reflections on telehealth as it relates to future practice. Much of the literature gap highlights experiences of mental health workers engaging in telehealth psychotherapy within the time of the pandemic and explores themes of vocational burnout. Intentions for future practice are mainly captured by quantitative studies and largely focused on psychotherapy. This study explores the experience of telepsychology practice and opinions of its future more broadly in addition to asking about these experiences further away from the onset of the pandemic. The findings highlight a need to support the needs of psychologists within the larger context of the healthcare industrial complex and broken healthcare system that was laid bare by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Naturally, results from this study have implications for clinical practice, future research, and policy development which are discussed.