Abstract

Videoconferencing psychotherapy (VCP) – the remote delivery of psychotherapy via secure video link – is an innovative way of delivering psychotherapy, which has the potential to overcome many of the regularly cited barriers to accessing psychological treatment. However, some debate exists as to whether an adequate working alliance can be formed
between therapist and client, when therapy is delivered through such a medium. The presented article is a systematic literature review and two meta-analyses aimed at answering the questions: is it possible to develop adequate working alliance in VCP? And is outcome equivalence possible between VCP and face-to-face delivery? Twelve studies were identified which met inclusion/exclusion criteria, all of which demonstrated good working alliance and outcome for VCP. Meta-analyses showed that working alliance in VCP was inferior to face-to-face delivery (standardised mean difference [SMD] = -0.30; 95% confidence interval [CI] [-0.67, 0.07], p = .11; with the lower-bound of the CI extending beyond the non-inferiority margin [-0.50]), but that target symptom reduction was non-inferior (SMD = -0.03; 95% CI [-0.45, 0.40], p = .90; CI within the non-inferiority margin [.50]). These results are discussed and directions for future research
recommended.