Conducting video therapy with adults with an intellectual disability: A qualitative study of qualified and trainee psychologists' experiences

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundOnline therapy is becoming increasingly popular as well as necessary. There is little research regarding the experience of psychologists delivering online therapy to individuals with an intellectual disability.MethodThe study used online semistructured interviews and interpretive phenological analysis to explore the experiences of five psychologists delivering online therapy to individuals with an intellectual disability.FindingsFour superordinate themes were generated from the data: Environment: “You can't control the environment”; Person centred: “I do not think it's one size fits all”; Rapport: “slightly trickier to build”; and Clinician ability and experience: “it was a bit of a learning process”. Psychologists spoke of prior negative beliefs and a range of challenges to video therapy. Their discomfort with using this technology was noted; however, a motivation to continue offering therapy to clients overweighed this. All participants concluded with benefits to using video therapy, notably increased accessibility.ConclusionA hybrid model including face‐to‐face and online therapy appears preferable for future ways of working. Training is recommended for professionals and individuals supporting clients, and an assessment tool for the suitability of online therapy. Further research exploring online therapy experiences of people with intellectual disabilities is required.