Abstract

MESSIAS, João Carlos Caselli  and  CURY, Vera Engler. On the meaning of clinical practice in pandemic times: reflections of Brazilian psychotherapists. Estud. psicol. (Natal) [online]. 2021, vol.26, n.3, pp. 263-272. ISSN 1413-294X.  http://dx.doi.org/10.22491/1678-4669.20210025.

The meaning of work is a polysemic phenomenon covering various areas. The pandemic caused by the spread of the new coronavirus on a worldwide scale has repercussions in all of those areas and alters the performance of work activities, requiring adaptations from workers. In this study, virtual interviews were conducted with 15 experienced psychotherapists, representatives from all Brazilian regions and who adopt different theoretical approaches - psychoanalytic, behavioral and humanistic. The guiding question was "what does work mean to you"? A phenomenological analysis was performed, and it was based on the construction of narratives after each meeting. Subsequently, a synthesis narrative was elaborated containing significant elements that structure the phenomenon. Psychotherapists perceive a paradigm shift in virtual care; refer emotional impact on clients due to loss of privacy; feel more tired from long periods of sitting in front of the computer. The autonomy they value in clinical practice is preserved, but they are challenged to make it more flexible due to emergency emotional demands.

Keywords : work; clinical psychology; phenomenological study; pandemic; coronavirus.

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