Children's Online Therapy Discipline in Psychology Undergraduate Course: Report of Experience in a Pandemic Context

Abstract

The protective measures adopted to prevent the progression of COVID-19 required several adaptations, including social isolation. Such changes impacted on the face-to-face care provided by psychology professionals, also requiring a quick response from educational institutions, which needed to adapt to the new scenario, adhering to the remote emergency teaching model. This article aims to describe the experience of a course in remote format about online child therapy in the cognitive-behavioral approach developed in a Psychology graduation class at a public university. Thirty-seven undergraduate students between the ages of 21 and 30 participated. A pre- and post-test instrument and six procedural evaluative activities were applied. The results showed that the course fulfilled its function of sharing knowledge and discussing the applicability of online child therapy, as well as reflecting on the advantages and disadvantages of this format. This discipline contributes to the expansion of teaching in a university context that is updated to social demands and offers spaces for discussion regarding the professional practice of Psychology students.