University of Wisconsin Systems Counseling and Telecounseling: Moving Forward

Abstract

With the imminent return to in-person therapy following the COVID-19 pandemic, UW Systems Counseling wanted to assess practitioner and student perspectives regarding the continuation of online mental health care. In order to collect this data, the research team utilized an exploratory sequential mixed methods design that included a pair of semi-structured interviews followed by a practitioner survey. The interviews were completed first and guided the creation of our research questions and survey items. These items were designed to help us understand which aspects of telemedicine work best and are worth continuing in the future. Student data was collected from an annual patient survey sent out by UW Systems. Practitioner survey results showed that while most respondents (63%) were comfortable delivering telecounseling, they still preferred hybrid or in-person care (90%) over online-only options. The data also suggested that a practitioner’s ability to connect with patients via telecounseling is related to their desire to deliver care online, highlighting the importance of the practitioner-client relationship when making the transition to online care. Student data showed overall satisfaction with telecounseling services and a desire for them to be offered moving forward. The research team concluded that both students and practitioners want telecounseling offered in the future and suggested ways to overcome some of the barriers to successful implementation.