“Zoom : the good, the bad and the ugly” (May 2021)
Video conferencing platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams made remote working possible as COVID-19 spread. All sort of work including therapy, supervision and training/education that took place in person moved online. This move to online working has had several consequences, which we explore in the following piece.
The Good ?
In terms of climate change and efficiency, online working has been good news. It’s estimated that videoconferencing uses less than a tenth of the energy required for in-person meetings once travel and equipment are accounted for[i]. This tallies with my own (Richard’s) experience: Normally I drive 10,000 miles per annum; this past year I’ve driven just over 4000. Clients I would previously have seen in person, this year have saved collectively over 10,000 miles of car travel by meeting me online. Altogether, Zoom has saved us 16,000 miles worth of emissions and carbon dioxide, That’s a “very good” bit.
The bad?
However, according to the same Economist article, the benefits for peoples’ mental health are less clear. Many people complain of suffering from Zoom fatigue. With Video calls, people are forced to stare at their colleagues in close-up. If you talk to someone on a laptop using the default configuration on Zoom, their face appears as big as if the two of you were standing 50cm apart. At that proximity the brain is hard-wired to expect either a kiss or a punch – according to the Economist!
Endless eye contact is an additional source of stress. People rarely lock eyes for long periods during in person meetings.
The Ugly?
Then there is the constant image of oneself on such calls. This can be trying and “bad” for the therapist. On a personal note, noticing one’s wrinkles, puffy eyes or unkempt hair is not good for one’s self-esteem.
And what about relationships –bits of all three maybe?
Videoconferencing eliminates important non-verbal communication, which in terms of relationships are often crucial. It’s easy to miss the subtle signs of body language – the twitch of an eyebrow, an uneasy shift in the chair, the unseen clenched hands. In a therapeutic encounter this can be seriously dangerous. Poor internet connection can make communication harder still.
People also speak 15% louder on video calls than they do in person; this can become exhausting for both parties. Women in one survey reported being talked over, interrupted or ignored more frequently in online conferences than they were in person.
Overall, then, building trust can become more difficult in some online situations.
On the other hand colleagues separated by distance can get to meet each other, get to know one another and collaborate on projects. I’ve been able to work with clients hundreds of miles away whom I would never otherwise have had the privilege of meeting and working with. That is not only a “good” bit, but really is the “best” bit.
The future?
What will happen if/when COVID- 19 is under control?
It would be a mistake to assume that doing therapy will return to how it used to be before COVID. Despite the problems, online working has too many advantages to be ‘junked’.
My guess is that a hybrid form of therapy will emerge and become the norm. There will always be some people who only want to be seen ‘in person’ and there will also be clients whose presentation indicates that ‘in person’ treatment would be safer and preferable. On the other hand, there will be many people, especially those where significant travel is required to see a therapist, or to see a preferred therapist, who will happily work online. Then there could be some situations where a mixture would work. In these cases, intensive ‘in person work’, could be followed up with regular online sessions.
It looks like this is an area of change for therapists – particularly those in private practice who have more autonomy over their working practices. It’s probable they will need to embrace flexibility in the way they work with clients and maybe to make the alternatives clear at the contracting stage of the work.
This piece then leaves me wondering what will happen to therapy offered by the NHS or other statutory bodies? Will those too change to accommodate this new thinking and what will be the unforeseen consequences of any such changes?
Richard W-D
[i] Economist April 10th 2021
Born in Wales, educated in the UK and in the USA. Worked in the corporate and charity/non-profit sectors for 35 years. Was CEO and Director of national and international for-profit and not-for-profit companies before moving into the therapy world.