Desafios na psicoterapia online: reflexões a partir de um relato de caso de uma paciente com ansiedade

Abstract

There is a current growth on the search for online psychological services, such as interventions by computerized therapy and even online psychotherapy. This article evaluates the therapeutic link built on an online care using Applied Behavior Analysis for people who present escape and avoidance behaviors in social situations. Records at CESP were read for recruiting individuals over 18 years old that met the criteria. The research was published on institutional media and social networks. Two people were chosen, one by the CESP record. Two sessions were performed with the 38-year-old patient, occurring a total of nine blockages and four drop-outs and three missed appointments, and one session interrupted by poor connection quality. The 23 years old patient had a notebook failure, she didn’t continue in the study. Presence of family members in the same room where the patient is during online therapy may jeopardize the progress of psychotherapy. Special characteristics of online counseling may be used as resources for escape and avoidance behavior. Finally, under the conditions met, it was not possible to verify the efficacy of online psychotherapeutic care, making further study on the topic necessary.