Lost in translation: Therapeutic Alliance as a mediator in the relationship between teletherapy and marital satisfaction
Corresponding Author
Angela B. Bradford
Marriage and Family Therapy Program, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
Correspondence
Angela B. Bradford, Marriage and Family Therapy Program, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, USA.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorAlyssa Banford Witting
Marriage and Family Therapy Program, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
Search for more papers by this authorShayne R. Anderson
Marriage and Family Therapy Program, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
Search for more papers by this authorLee N. Johnson
Marriage and Family Therapy Program, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
Search for more papers by this authorQuintin A. Hunt
Marriage and Family Therapy Program, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
Search for more papers by this authorRichard B. Miller
Marriage and Family Therapy Program, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
Search for more papers by this authorRoy A. Bean
Marriage and Family Therapy Program, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Angela B. Bradford
Marriage and Family Therapy Program, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
Correspondence
Angela B. Bradford, Marriage and Family Therapy Program, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, USA.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorAlyssa Banford Witting
Marriage and Family Therapy Program, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
Search for more papers by this authorShayne R. Anderson
Marriage and Family Therapy Program, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
Search for more papers by this authorLee N. Johnson
Marriage and Family Therapy Program, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
Search for more papers by this authorQuintin A. Hunt
Marriage and Family Therapy Program, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
Search for more papers by this authorRichard B. Miller
Marriage and Family Therapy Program, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
Search for more papers by this authorRoy A. Bean
Marriage and Family Therapy Program, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
The global impact of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic necessitated a rapid shift to online/teletherapy psychotherapy services. While research suggests the feasibility and efficacy of teletherapy, there is limited investigation into couple teletherapy's impact on satisfaction and therapeutic alliance. This study aimed to address this gap by examining changes in couple satisfaction during tele- and in-person therapy sessions over 12 sessions and exploring whether therapeutic alliance development mediates these changes. Using growth curve modeling in a sample of 416 couples, it found that teletherapy participants initially reported higher couple satisfaction, but improvement in this domain was slower than in-person therapy recipients. The development of the therapeutic alliance mediated this effect via two indirect paths. Implications include the need for focused attention on alliance development in teletherapy and more empirically-informed approaches in couple teletherapy.
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