THE INANIMATE THIRD: GOING BEYOND PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACHES FOR REMOTE PSYCHOTHERAPY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the field of psychotherapy to the need to provide treatment remotely. We discuss the question of whether remote therapy can be curative and if the electronic device used to manage these sessions unites or separates the therapist and the patient. We term the electronic device as 'the inanimate third' in the therapeutic process and discuss the objectivity of the device as opposed to the subjective emotional processes involved. We deal with emotional themes relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated social distancing practices, such as longing, loneliness, the perception of the future and the lost past, and the efficacy of the therapeutic stimulation of fantasy and hope. We also evaluate the possibility of existing transference and countertransference processes while working remotely. We suggest the term 'social paradox' to describe the situation in which an objective entity such as the digital media symbolizes both distance and intimacy as well as separation and unity. We conclude by stating that containment of the social paradox by the therapeutic dialogue is possible as the existence of the dialogue eliminates elements of the paradox.

Automated summary

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for remote psychotherapy and explores its effectiveness in treating patients. The article introduces the concept of 'the inanimate third', referring to the electronic device used in therapy, and discusses its objectivity compared to the subjective emotional processes involved. It also addresses emotional themes relevant to the pandemic and evaluates the existence of transference and countertransference processes in remote therapy. The term 'social paradox' is suggested to describe the conflicting nature of digital media symbolizing both distance and intimacy, separation and unity. The article concludes that therapeutic dialogue can help deal with the social paradox by eliminating its conflicting elements.