Impact of Information and Communication Technologies on the Psychoanalytic Psychotherapeutic Technique

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have penetrated various contexts, including clinics that provide face-to-face psychotherapy services. From this perspective, the use of these resources impacts on technical concepts of psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Therefore, the aim of this study was to understand how psychodynamic psychotherapists perceive the impacts of ICTs on the face-to-face psychoanalytic technique. A qualitative and exploratory study was carried out with 11 psychologists, specialized in psychoanalytic psychotherapy. They responded to a semi-structured interview and completed a sociodemographic data sheet. The data were analyzed through thematic analysis. The results evidenced impacts related to the therapeutic alliance, neutrality, psychotherapeutic setting, and transference, indicating that the use may provide different comprehensions of the therapeutic relationship and the psychic functioning of the patient. The study contributes as an aid for professionals to manage ICTs in psychotherapy and encourages refl ection on how best to combine technology with face-to-face clinical practice. It is important to investigate the experiences of psychotherapists and their academic training to broaden the discussions on the subject.