“Therapy Beyond the Screen”: A Qualitative Exploration of Tele-Therapy Experiences Among Clinical Psychologists and Speech and Language Therapists

<b>Background/Objectives:</b> With the diversification of technological tools, the prevalence of online therapy has increased among both clients and practitioners. Clinical psychologists and specialist speech and language therapists are two professional groups that frequently use online therapy. Understanding their experiences is important for evaluating the effectiveness of this service model and informing its further development. The aim of this study was to examine and compare the online therapy experiences of these two professional groups. <b>Methods:</b> This qualitative study included 10 practitioners (five clinical psychologists and five specialist speech and language therapists) who were actively delivering online sessions in Türkiye. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling. Data were collected through semi structured, open-ended interviews conducted online and were analyzed using thematic analysis. <b>Results:</b> A total of 8 themes emerged regarding practitioners' experiences with online therapy, including the therapeutic relationship, techniques and materials used, advantages and disadvantages, coping strategies, professional reflections, required improvements, ethical issues, and recommendations. Similarities and differences were identified between the two professional groups across these themes. <b>Conclusions:</b> Participants considered online therapy to be an effective and feasible option, particularly due to increased accessibility, time savings, and the ability to deliver services independent of location. Challenges encountered during online therapy were described as areas requiring improvement rather than factors undermining effectiveness. Overall, the findings suggest that online therapy may become a more widespread intervention modality as technological infrastructure improves and practitioners gain greater experience with online delivery.