ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Psychology for Clinical Settings
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1413134
The Digital Extension of the Psychotherapeutic Field and the Role of the Body in Online Therapy: A Grounded Theory Study with Psychotherapists in Training
Provisionally accepted
- Sigmund Freud University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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The transition to online therapy has significantly reshaped the landscape of psychotherapeutic care, introducing both novel challenges and opportunities. In the digital realm, the perception of the body appears fragmented, necessitating the rapid adoption of alternative techniques to establish a sense of presence. Online therapy is not merely an additional option for psychotherapeutic care; rather, it has expanded the therapeutic culture itself through unique perceptions and experiences in the online setting. Effectively navigating the unbounded space of psychotherapy requires thoughtful reflection on its inherent ambivalences.This research project delves into the exploration of unconscious dynamics and body processes in psychotherapy, specifically focusing on the body in online therapy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with therapists in training at the Sigmund Freud University in Vienna. The Grounded Theory methodology facilitated an in-depth analysis, revealing the significance of conscious body awareness in the online therapeutic process, transcending the primary research goal. As trainees embarked on their clinical journey through online therapy, a new foundation for their professionalization was established. While the importance of being physically present, within an institutional space, and the structure to develop a therapeutic habitus is undeniable, the emerging generation needs to evolve with online therapy. The potential and opportunities offered by the online setting have been widely recognized, rendering a return to rigid traditional structures increasingly implausible in the digital age. Subsequent research, particularly in the context of psychotherapeutic training, is imperative to firmly establish online therapy within this expanded field of psychotherapy.
Keywords: online psychotherapy, body in psychotherapy, Psychotherapy Research, Psychotherapy science, Qualitative Re search
Received: 08 Apr 2024; Accepted: 22 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Schiller, Becher-Urbaniak, Wimmer, Winter and Mörtl. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Birgitta Schiller, Sigmund Freud University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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