Holding Onto The 'Mystery' Within Online Family And Systemic Therapy

Covid-19 has led to a shift towards online therapy. This paper focuses on therapists' experiences of translating systemic practice online with families. A range of UK services are represented, including community, inpatient, adult and children services. A social construction theory, coordinated management of meaning, is used to understand online family and systemic therapy. The new context of online therapy influenced all other levels of the therapeutic encounter including content and structure of sessions, therapeutic relationship, therapists' identity and culture of therapy. The relationship between 'doing' online therapy and reflecting on practice has been central in co-constructing new ways of interacting. There were many similarities across services, where there were differences these were client and context specific. As better ways of engaging emerged, therapists became more confident, creativity in therapy increased and attitudes about online therapy became more positive.Practitioner pointsOnline systemic therapy is possible across adult and children services at different tiers within community and inpatient settings.CMM provides a framework to understand communication in online therapy.Online therapy requires reconsiderations at all levels of the therapeutic encounter.Increased confidence and competence correlates with positive attitudes about online therapy.Online therapy is impacting on the overall evolving culture of therapy.