“Mommy and Me”: A Phenomenological Study into the Experiences of African American Parents in their Child’s Teletherapy Session

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore the lived experiences of African American parents involved in their child’s teletherapy session. The study seeks to describe how these experiences occurred in the context of transitional change as these parents and children transitioned from in person therapy to telehealth due to COVID-19 or other major life circumstance. The theory guiding this study is Schlossberg’s transitional theory which highlights how change impacts the lives of people through unique individual experiences. Data was collected from semi-structured interviews that were administered to 10 participants. From these interviews four themes were created. These themes focused on the time span that participants were in therapy, benefits of therapy, advantages and disadvantages of therapeutic delivery, and overall effectiveness of telehealth on the parent – child relationships. The data analysis and development of themes will allow the researcher to provide insight into the lives of those who have experienced this phenomenon firsthand.