The experience of reaching out through a screen : A qualitative study from a therapist’s perspective on the experience of alliance through digital tools.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka behandlares upplevelse av terapeutisk allians vid sessionvia digitalt format. En kvalitativ metod har tillämpats och datainsamlingen har gjorts via semistrukturerade intervjuer. I studien deltog sju respondenter varav fem var kvinnor och två var män. Studiens insamlade material har analyserats utifrån Braun och Clarkes (2006) Tematiska analys. Den Tematiska analysen genererade tre teman: Första temat: Osäkerheten i vad som sker, och vad man inte ser eller hör, vilket beskriver respondenternas upplevelse av hinder i kommunikationen via det digitala mötet. Andra temat: Begränsat handlingsutrymme,beskriver respondenternas känsla av att det digitala formatet minskar deras verktygslåda som behandlare. Det tredje temat: Avsaknad av fysisk närhet, beskriver hur respondenterna saknar den fysiska närheten i det digitala formatet men upplever det digitala formatet vara ett gott komplement till det fysiska rummet, dock ingen fullgod ersättning.The purpose of the study was to investigate therapists' experience of therapeutic alliance in therapy through digital format. A qualitative method has been applied and data collection has been done through semi-structured interviews. The study involved seven participants, five of whom were women and two were men. The study's collected material has been analyzed based on Braun and Clarke's (2006) Thematic analysis. The Thematic Analysis generated three themes: The first theme: The uncertainty in what happens, and what one does not see or hear, which describes the participants' experience of obstacles in communication through the digital meeting. Second theme: Limited room for maneuver, describes the participants' feeling that the digital format reduces their toolbox as a therapist. The last theme: Lack of physical proximity, describes how the participants lack the physical proximity in the digital format but experience the digital format as a good complement to the physical space, however, no adequate replacement.