Counseling self-efficacy in family play therapy telemental health services throughout the Covid-19 pandemic: A mixed method approach
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Family play therapy and telemental health are both understudied areas (Haslam & Harris, 2011; Smith, Norton, & Marroquin, 2021). However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, clinicians across the globe were forced to move their family play therapy sessions from in-person to virtual ones without any prior training or supervision (Mitchell, 2020; Whaibeh et al., 2020). This study explored the self-efficacy of the experiences of family play therapists transitioning their in-person sessions to telemental health sessions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This study used a mixed-method design and a phenomenological approach. The study consisted of 18 participants who completed an online survey exploring self-efficacy through a qualitative interview questionnaire and the quantitative Counseling Activity Self-Efficacy Scale (CASES) instrument. This study indicated that years of experience might not necessarily determine confidence in applying family play therapy modality in telemental health sessions. This study is a starting point of research for family play therapy for telemental health. This study provides beginning steps to close the current research gaps and lay the groundwork to improve self-efficacy in family play therapy telemental health practice. It is essential for the future of telemental health that family play therapy is examined further to determine its effectiveness as a treatment modality.