PSYC2140 - Week 10

PSYC2140: Modalities for Counselling and Psychotherapeutic Intervention

  • Three Key Ways New Technology is Being Incorporated:
       1. Video-delivered therapy
       2. Virtual reality therapies
       3. AI-assisted screening and therapies

Video-Delivered Therapy

  • Definition: “Psychotherapy in which patients and therapists are not in the same room and communicate via real-time video.” (Seuling et al., 2024)

  • Research Findings:
       - Meta-analysis of studies comparing video-delivered therapy to in-person therapy involved 36 studies (N = 1453 participants total).
       - Outcome: No significant difference between video and in-person therapy.

  • Benefits of Video-Delivered Therapy:
       - Increased accessibility
       - Comfort of familiar environment for clients

  • Challenges or Limitations:
       - Potential for technical issues
       - Lack of physical presence
       

Virtual Reality Therapies

  • Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Therapy:
       - Focus on exposure therapy for anxiety disorders and PTSD (Carl et al., 2019).
       - Meta-analysis of 30 studies (N = 1057 participants total).
       - Findings:
         - Large effects compared to waitlist;
         - Medium-to-large effects compared to placebo;
         - Similar effects to in vivo therapy.
       - Potential Benefits:
         - Controlled environment suitable for various therapies.
         - Useful for clients unable to imagine scenarios (e.g., in PTSD treatment).
         - Customizable scenarios for treating specific fears (e.g., OCD).
       - Potential Risks:
         - Nausea, dizziness, disorientation, fatigue (referred to as “cybersickness”) (Emmelkamp et al., 2021; Lundin et al., 2023).

Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Therapies

  • Areas of Application:
       - Screening
       - Diagnosis
       - Referral
       - Treatment recommendations
       - Outcome prediction
       - AI-based therapy
       - Remote monitoring
       - Emotional support (Ni et al., 2026)

Ethics in AI-Assisted Therapy

  • One Minute Paper Exercise: Select a principle from the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists and discuss its relevance to AI-assisted therapy.
       - Principles include:
         - Respect for the Dignity of Persons and Peoples: All persons have innate worth and rights to non-discrimination.
         - Responsible Caring: Informed consent, privacy, and confidentiality are critical.
         - Integrity in Relationships: Maintaining honesty and avoiding conflicts of interest.
         - Responsibility to Society: Promoting welfare and increasing knowledge.

Quick Recap on Technology in Clinical Psychology

  • Clinical psychology is integrating new technology to enhance access and effectiveness, focusing on:
       - Video-delivered therapy
       - Virtual reality
       - AI-assisted therapy

  • Importance of continual evaluation of evidence and ethical practice in these interventions.

Group Therapy

Definition of Group Therapy

  • Treatment of psychological problems that involves two or more participants who interact on both emotional and cognitive levels, with one or more psychotherapists facilitating these interactions (APA, n.d.).

Unique Features of Group Therapy

  • Interaction not only with therapists but also with other group members.

  • Allows therapists to:
      - Observe client behaviors and interaction patterns.
      - Highlight certain patterns so individuals can become aware of their dynamics.
      - Help clients practice new ways of interacting (Pomerantz, 2024).

Observational Studies in Group Therapy

  1. Addiction Therapy: Explore how interpersonal situations in a group can aid individuals in overcoming addiction.

  2. Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy for Social Anxiety: Examine how group dynamics impact clients with social anxiety disorder.

Levels of Intervention in Group Therapy

Multiple Levels Within Groups (Tasca et al., 2014)

  1. Intraindividual: Focus on each member and therapist’s unique way of interacting, reflecting personal experiences and issues.

  2. Interpersonal: Concentrates on the client interactions with each other and the therapist.

  3. Whole Group: Concerned with group dynamics and collective interaction patterns; overall client experience in the group.

  • Role of Group Therapists: They work simultaneously on all three levels.

Intraindividual Interventions

  • Similar to individual therapy, focusing on helping group members understand behaviors and employ specific skills. While limited in benefits for others, vicarious learning may still occur.

Example of Intraindividual Intervention (Crosby & Altman, 2012)

  • Case Study of Ryan: A participant dealing with depression following the death of his wife, engaging in exercises aimed at noticing moments of pleasantness throughout the week.

Interpersonal Interventions

  • Uses the group as a “social lab,” emphasizing real-time interaction and social learning through identifying interpersonal patterns.

Example of Interpersonal Intervention (Whittingham, 2024)

  • Discussion focused on connecting feelings of care and surprise among members, enhancing emotional awareness and interpersonal bonds.

Whole Group Interventions

  • Aimed at maintaining a safe and productive atmosphere, sharing collective observations about the group dynamic.

Example of Whole Group Intervention (Whittingham, 2024)

  • Encouragement for participants to embrace difficult moments as a group, fostering tolerance and unfinished processes.