ABSTRACT
When the novel coronavirus began to spread, many countries mandated lockdowns, quarantines, and social distancing, posing a threat to both clients and therapists and perhaps representing a "shared traumatic reality" (STR). Simultaneously, many mental health professionals moved to "online therapy," a mode that might increase the sense of having a shared reality. This study aimed to examine the extent to which therapists consider the pandemic an STR and the associations among helping professionals' sociodemographic and professional profiles, their perceptions of STR, their attitudes toward psychological online interventions (POI), and their satisfaction using such interventions. A total of 150 therapists completed an online Google Forms survey between April 17 and May 6, 2020, before therapists returned to their workplaces. The survey included questionnaires about STR and about attitudes toward and satisfaction with online therapy. Participants perceived the pandemic as an STR, particularly in the trauma dimension. The newly developed index of "shared concerns" showed that this perception was mainly a result of financial and health concerns. The satisfaction of using POI depended on participants' attitudes toward online therapy. The more experience therapists had, the less they perceived the current situation as an STR. This study, extending the theoretical concept of STR via the newly developed index, recommends that pandemics be included within the typology of shared traumatic events. Moreover, although positive attitudes toward online therapy are prevalent, young professionals require training to use POI for various traumatic situations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)