Q: How can we strengthen our connection with clients over online therapy?

A lack of eye contact, in addition to the absence of other body language cues, can make a difference in the development and outcome of the therapeutic relationship. Elaborating on this, Amichai-Hamburger et al. (2014) discusses the implications of a lack of body language cues in an article suggesting that a primary critique regarding online therapy is the fact that the therapeutic process can suffer from a lack of communication via body language. Further, Mandal (2014) describes that there are nonverbal techniques beyond just body language which are categorized into 3 types; verbal-vocal, nonverbal-vocal, and nonverbal-nonvocal. Through online therapy, we may lose our connection these various nonverbal communication cues which can lead to a weaker therapeutic relationship.

Personally, I may be more likely to feel unheard or misunderstood if I do not feel my own therapist was not making eye contact with me. I may think that the therapist has something else on their mind that they are preoccupied with.

References:

Amichai-Hamburger, Y., Klomek, A.B., Friedman, D., Zuckerman, O., Shani-Sherman, T. (2014). The future of online therapy. Computers in Human Behavior, 41, 288-294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.09.016

Mandal, F.B. (2014). Nonverbal communication in humans. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 24(4), 417-421. https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2013.831288